Search Results for: connection

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How Outside Perspectives Can Reveal YOUR Purpose

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A few weeks ago I was guest hosting the Lead With Giants Tweet Chat with Dan Forbes.

When we asked the question, “What have you learned from considering another perspective?”  Lori King responded and indicated that 120 characters was not enough space to list all that she has and is learning.

Because perspectives fascinate me, I asked her if she would be willing to write more and allow me to share what she has learned about perspectives in a guest post. I’m delighted that she accepted.

It is fascinating that although I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and writing about how other perspectives increase understanding, and fuel intellectual and organizational growth, Lori’s post emphasizes how the perspective of others can help us find clarity about our purpose.

Below is her story…

Lori A. KingThree years ago, I made the decision to leave a business I started with a partner.

It started with a strong desire to take the summer off to spend time with my elementary aged children. I felt guilty for working when I was at work and I felt guilty at home when there was work to be done, which is all the time when you own a small business. The summer flew by and the next thing I knew, my kids were going back to school. I wasn’t refreshed, revitalized or ready to return to work. Instead, I dreaded going back.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.I have an angel hanging next to my computer with this quote on it that my business partner gave me:

I had always loved it. I thought about the quote many times over the years applying it to this or that event; but, it never quite fit. As

I write this now, I know what it is I thought I couldn’t do. Leave.

And leave I did.

The process was a painfully slow awakening and one of the hardest things I have done.

While my children were in school, I had time to reflect and listen deeply to figure out what is my purpose in life. I was always too busy before to have the time to think in this manner.

  • I began meditating.
  • I read more books than ever.
  • I attended online webinars about topics I was interested.
  • I attended Twitter chats and became an ambassador to a popular chat on the world of work.

As time went by, I struggled with where I was in my life. I asked “Why?”

  • Why did I get a biology degree?
  • Why was I CEO of a translation business?
  • Why did I enjoy leadership and chats regarding the world of work?
  • Why couldn’t I let go of my social media handle that connotes translation?

I voiced these questions to a dear friend I met on Twitter. It’s interesting when you are so immersed and swirling around in your stuff you don’t see what’s right in front of you.

This was her perspective: It’s all connected.

Biology has everything to do with how the body communicates, translation is communication from one language to another and social media definitely falls into the communication field.

While I stayed home with my kids, I felt incomplete. I have always been a career-minded person. A couple clients hired me to assist them with communicating on social media. My first client said my name was perfect, “You translate my thoughts to the world.” As I kept seeing my world through the lens of my past and felt stuck, these people were not immersed in my story; and therefore, it was easy for them to be forward thinkers.

With these perspectives supporting what I think is my purpose, I show up every day communicating with purpose. I feel aligned and joyful whereas 10 years ago I was over-worked and stressed.

I got validation after listening to the first WBECS Pre-Summit webinar with Judith E. Glaser: “Healthy Cells, Healthy Cultures” in which she discussed the relevance between healthy and unhealthy cells in the body to healthy and unhealthy cultures in the world of work. I see the bridge from biology to communication, I see a bridge from language to communication and I see a bridge from where I am now to working in social media communication thanks to just looking at life through a different lens.

The connections are endless!

Please share:  Has something happened to you that you can look at from a different perspective and see the light?

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5 Ways Assumptions Impact Real Problem Solving

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I’ve been working with a group of pre and early teens and we’ve been talking about perceptions and reality. In our last meeting, I asked if they have ever greeted someone and not been greeted in return. Emphatically – yes!

So I broke them up into small groups and asked them to come up with a list of at least 15 reasons why someone they greeted would not respond.

At first they listed things like this:

  • They hate me
  • They are mean
  • They are rude
  • They are a bully
  • They are racist

It took awhile for them to start coming up with reasons like this:

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A Character-Based Leadership Manifesto

How do you aspire to lead?

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Yesterday I felt a strong urge to clearly articulate what Character-Based Leadership means to me.

As I wrote it I thought of:

  • Leaders that create beautiful symphonies by unleashing the differences and strengths of others.
  • Leader that inspire us all to lead at a higher level.
  • Leadership decisions that make my blood boil.
  • People I am currently serving and people I’ve served.
  • Times I’ve led well, and times I’ve failed.
  • All that I am and all that I hope to be…

[Tweet “What’s your leadership manifesto? “]

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How to Refocus & Recharge – With or Without a Vacation

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Several years ago I was in a role that was getting busier and busier. As the demands and distractions poured in I began to feel less energized and lose my focus.
 
And as my focus shifted, so did the focus of the entire team that I supported.  With no corporate retreats in our future we needed to figure out how to refocus and recharge. 

Create an Experience1.  Create an EXPERIENCE:  

  •  I brought some tiny matchbox cars to a meeting and asked everyone to take a car and personalize it.
  • Then I gave them a bunch of foot-long crepe paper streamers and asked them to use a streamer to list one thing that was causing them to lose focus.  (And they could use as many streamers as they needed to.)
  • There were so many that the streamers quickly covered the cars and we talked about how hard it is to drive forward when you feel so covered up that can’t see the people you are working with, let alone where you are going.
  • Then I brought out a rocket.  (The kind you buy in a toystore that you can actually launch.)  The rocket was “beautifully decorated” with each of our objectives, and we talked about how looking up and focusing on where we were going could help us prioritize the demands and distractions, decrease our confusion and stress and increase our focus and results.  

And yes – when we achieved all of our objectives we drove to a field and shot off that rocket!

[Tweet “If you don’t have time to go away – How do you refocus?”]

Testimonials for Chery Gegelman & Giana Consulting

Speaking, Facilitating, Consulting, Service

Giana Consulting

Our Mission is to help you accomplish YOUR Mission.    

Years after keynotes and workshops:  Participants remember messages and share how they are leveraging what they learned.

Don’t just take our word for it.  Check out what others are saying in their testimonials below:

Speaking & Facilitating

Chery, Today was a hit! You were a delight and commanded the attention of all. We’ll be a better company. The feedback has been fantastic! Thank you for sharing your time with us. Teresa Knox
CEO – Community Care College, Clary Sage College, OK Technical College
Chery, God has blessed you with some crazy skills. You got it going on. You are poised, you think on your feet, you instantly connect, and you add loads of value. It was a pure pleasure to work with you! Dr. Bob Schooley
Director of Leadership Development - Cherokee Nation Business
I’ve had the privilege of participating in one of Chery’s programs recently. I was awestruck by the unique ability she possesses to successfully facilitate in-depth discussions within groups of strangers from culturally and historically opposing viewpoints. Chery is a great facilitator, communicator, listener, instructor, counselor and mentor with a passion for truth and real problem solving!Jaynia Samaroo
Chery went above and beyond for us and our students. Her presentation captivated our students and teachers.  (While sharing personal experiences and current information about life in Saudi Arabia, she emphasized critical life skills. Which motivated them to consider the limits of their comfort zones, think critically, solve problems and recognize the humanity of others.)  Chery is a pleasure to work with and  a great facilitator. I give her my highest endorsement.Kevin Hoherz
Principal, Beulah High School, Beulah, ND
Chery Gegelman is someone whose very fiber exists to exceed the expectations of every stakeholder and always deliver a quality experience. She has made an immense difference, always giving more than she takes. L.S. and R.W.
I had the pleasure of observing Chery facilitate a planning session for a local government entity in the fall of 2012. I was immediately impressed by the combination of clear direction and explanation, confidence and gentle humor with which she guided a room of power players. Her questions were insightful and enabled this group of diverse individuals to bring their best thinking and dialogue to bear on the issues before them.

Following this event, we contracted Chery to facilitate a discussion on the topic of innovation with one of our key clients. Again, she was spot on, giving life to an agenda that could have, in less skilled hands, fallen flat. Rob Benson
Lead Consultant, Learning Unlimited Corporation

I have been fortunate to attend Chery’s events, where she has unreservedly welcomed all forms of opinions. She has brought people of different mindsets and encouraged them to admit their deepest fears and apprehensions.  At the end, they have all left feeling inspired, energized and loved. Her patience, her empathy, her desire for truth and her noble intention to help people become compassionate human beings, are important elements which are direly needed in today’s world that portrays the darkness of fear and intolerance. With her comes the sunshine of peace and tolerance in much abundance.Tanya Badami

I attended Chery’s daylong Freedom retreat on bridging communications with people who are culturally different from you. She is an excellent facilitator with thought provoking questions that challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and think differently about your pre-conceived ideas of the world. I loved her positive attitude, candor and humor in presenting humanity in a Christ-like way that motivates and inspires people to conquer their fears and reach out with confidence to help people of all nationalities. Rose Laning

I have had the privilege of witnessing Chery Gegelman’s work a number of times involving community mediation, personal development workshops and building community spirit amongst a large group of multinational expats. Chery’s respect for the individual, her calm approach, wisdom, ability to provide solutions and passion for continuous improvement is inspiring. Chery has a remarkable ability to connect with people, motivate and inspire them. My daughter attended one of Chery’s workshops for teenagers which was very beneficial in helping her set goals and work toward achieving them. Thanks Chery for offering your encouragement and inspiration wherever it is needed.Susan Turner
Gifted speaker and communicator only partially describe Chery’s skills and abilities. As Chery addresses her audience, one gets the distinct impression that she makes listening and speaking one fluid process. This style of engagement has a way of putting her audience at ease,which allows them to actively engage. Additional words I would use to describe Chery are: bridge-builder, truth bearer, confidence holder, active listener and trustworthy. Chery has a heart for helping and reaching out to others in a way to makes them feel valued and significant. Time spent with Chery will challenge you to acknowledge and expand your worldview.Sonia McFarlane
Chery has great leadership and problem solving skills, very fair and honest, in many situations I saw how she was capable of bringing different people together. I love the positive atmosphere she creates and it’s really contagious to each and everyone around.Reham Fouad

Learn More About Our Keynotes & Workshops Here

Chery is a fantastic presenter, motivator and all around wonderful person… I have had the opportunity to witness her skills and I was very impressed by her ability to capture the attention of a large diverse audience. Not only was she able to keep their focus but she was able to convince them of the vision she was talking about. Chery, would be a fantastic asset to any organization seeking someone of her caliber.Richard Bergner
General Manager at Richardson Brothers Chevrolet & Polaris
Ms. Gegelman gave an excellent presentation and has impacted my life in a very powerful and positive way. Juanita Muiga
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
I met you several years ago when I was teaching at _____. We heard several speakers in the 11-1/2 years before my retirement last year. Almost all of them felt contrived and a waste of time.

Not yours. Your talks and encouragement left a lasting impact on me. I always felt your sincere, honest and heartfelt desire to help us work as a team and strive to do our best in that fractured environment. C.C.

Reaffirmed that there is a need for change, no matter the current culture in your workplace and that change can evolve given the right tools. Tony Rivera
Renaissance Tulsa Hotel
My class found your information insightful and especially helpful in processing their experience. They all mentioned that their future planning will include your wisdom and they stated that their newfound awareness of the natural processes you outlined will help them retain their positions, maximize their outcomes, and offer support to those in their circle of care. Parish McDaris
Employment, Essentials Training Instructor - Goodwill Industries
If there is one person who knows how to work a crowd, it’s Chery! I have had the honor of working with Chery on two leadership events that consisted of panel discussions and Chery served as the wonderful facilitator. Not only was she professional, well-spoken and poised, but her connection with the audience members was outstanding! I received many compliments from guests after the event about how much they enjoyed her! Ashley Farthing
Owner, Farthing Events
Conference question and answer sessions thrive or die based on the facilitator’s ability to be professional, prepared and perky! Chery Gegelman does an excellent job of using all three qualities to put the audience at ease, engage them in meaningful dialogue while keeping the conversation on topic! Barbara Slagle
Tulsa Community College
Chery Gegelman Keynotes and Workshops

 Consulting

In the past 2 years I have witnessed and experienced Chery’s phenomenal skills in problem solving, helping others with personal growth and conflict resolution. Chery possesses a rare talent that helps empower people professionally and personally. Showing second to none skills in the art of conflict resolution including bridging cultural, religious and personal differences to come to an effective outcome for all involved. Chery’s talents would be of benefit to any organisation or persons wishing to find tools to promote themselves and tap their full potential. Can not recommend this lady highly enough.Nicky Sporer
International Housing Compound Resident
The culture here is classist, sexist, racist. You helped to break down those walls with love, truth, fairness and respect for all. JS
You handle everything with such aplomb! NF
Giana Consulting successfully completed a complex study on the establishment of a new training facility for the community college system in our state. It was done on time and on budget and exceeded our expectations. She is a true professional and was a pleasure to work with. John Spain
Executive Vice President, Baton Rouge Area Foundation
I have had the opportunity to work with Chery Gegelman for a number of years now, as an associate and more recently as a client. I continue to be impressed with her ability to form and lead a team or project and with her ability to maintain her strong values along the way.  She can see maximum potential in a project when very few others can and executes. Whether it is refining existing business practices or creating something entirely new she has the drive and experience to make things happen.  She is responsible for the origination and development of some of our most successful initiatives, many of which have become an important part of our daily operation. Chery’s ability to read people and to read a situation is clearly exceptional and it is obvious to me that her success stems in large part from these strengths, time and time again. Faced with a new opportunity or a need to refine and existing one, Chery would be my first choice to make things happen.D.K.
Chery is a big picture, strategic thinker who understands the importance of relationships in making things happen. Her work with our Workforce Investment Board has demonstrated that once she has a vision, she can identify what needs to be done and motivate others to work as a team. Chery is a natural and skilled leader whom others are happy to follow.Debbie O'Connor
Executive Director at Up Alliance (formerly Greater Baton Rouge Literacy Coalition)
It was a pleasure working with Chery to provide organization wide training for Goodwill Industries of Tulsa. Her command of the subject matter in combination with her enthusiasm and communication style engaged the audience and provided for a very effective training session despite the diverse nature of the attendees. Just as importantly, Chery has regularly stayed in touch with Goodwill Industries of Tulsa since the training to monitor progress and provide additional insights. She truly cares and is committed to improving the organization. David E. Oliver
President - Goodwill Industries of Greater Tulsa
Many of the projects Chery has been involved in required multiple departments with agendas that were not always aligned to work together. In those situations I always saw Chery work diligently to bring the different members of the team together. Making sure to include everyone’s point of view to ensure a collaborative outcome, and speaking up for the soft-spoken if need be to make sure that everyone’s viewpoint is expressed. R.M.
Delivers truth and insight into many issues, not only in a business context but also on a personal level. Makes you reflect and think on your own approach to issues and assists with developing strategies and finding ways to implement these in many modalities of day to day life. Considers things holistically to ensure all information is gathered, from every level, individual and thoroughly disseminated to reach a positive outcome.Trish Sinclair
International Housing Compound Resident
Chery is a voice of reason in the midst of dysfunction. RK
Chery is an inspiration to those that work with her.  She gives her all to ensure that organizations and their people learn to work together to achieve amazing results.  Working with her is a life-changing experience. Rachel D. Hutchings
Tulsa Area Workforce Investment Board

Service

Chery  brings energy and excitement to every opportunity.  She is strategic in her ability to see the big picture and also humble enough to jump in wherever needed and make things happen. She does everything with excellence, focusing on her client’s best interests, cheerfully but also truthfully without compromise. Mike Henry
VP Operations - SageNet LLC

Chery inspired and motivated us to: listen intently, think broader, laugh louder, care deeply, expect excellence, celebrate success, learn from mistakes, accept challenges, embrace changes, cherish friendships, value values, speak with conviction, believe in others, believe in ourselves, seek knowledge, be enthusiastic, challenge inequity, persevere, problem-solve, spread joy, be playful, cry openly, and accept differences.K.A.

To learn more about booking Chery for your next event

Send an email to:  chery@consultgiana.com

 

Giana Consulting