Many are familiar with Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability and authenticity. New York State 4-H Educators have been gobbling this up for the last year or two and sharing it with others via webinars and conference workshops. In Dare to Lead Brown takes us into our workplaces. This book helps us to be vulnerable at work and to lean into communication with our teams. Sometimes this communication can be receiving feedback that is challenging to hear. This work reminds us of the importance of challenging interactions and the growth that can happen if we open ourselves up to allow it. One piece I took away from the book is that clear is kind and unclear is unkind. If we are giving someone directions or feedback, we need to be as clear as possible. Sometimes it is difficult to give information in an honest, open, and direct way because we do not want to hurt people’s feeling or insult them. However, we are doing a disservice when we do not dig deep and share the truth as clearly as possible.
For those interested in aiming for behavioral change, there is a self-assessment. It visits the areas of Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into Our Values, Braving Trust, and Learning to Rise. It would be a good tool to take as a pre and later as a post.
Susan Coyle is a 4-H Educator in Monroe County, and recipient of the 2018 ESP professional development scholarship.