I was in Switzerland recently on a new development programme adding to my knowledge of Insights Discovery – an amazing opportunity. Made all the more special as I am one of the first people to experience this new work….more of that all in good time!
My bedroom overlooked Lake Zurich, and the weather was crystal clear as you can see from the picture. Switzerland is known for the cuckoo clock, albeit I did not see one whilst I was there. The one clock I did see was on the church close to my room, which had two faces visible from where I stood. This picture was taken early in the morning, even though with travelling and filming I had been rather late to bed.
The main reason I decided to rise so early was the regularity of the chiming of this church clock. All night long it chimed on each quarter hour, and when it reached the hour, it chimed the number of hours too. Now this is not unusual, the thing that was unusual is that it rang each series of hour chimes not once, but twice.
Now I found this rather sleep depriving initially. But then I thought. Often, when we listen out for the clock chimes, we realise it has started before we have registered the actual number of chimes, so we are never certain if it was the time we thought or one or two more. This repeat meant that we could check the correct time and not leave it to uncertainty. Once I had settled on this thought I slept well, knowing that I could always check the time. The clock did wake me at six in the morning, but as my day was going to be a full and exciting one I was keen to dress and embrace the new day, the new learning and the meeting of new people from other parts of the world.
My day did turn out to be hugely insightful, with the journey of discovery so powerful. New learning that will help me and crucially, help my clients.
I am so fortunate to have opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes though I need the message repeated more than once just to make sure I have ‘got it’. So it is not just the clock that insists on things being repeated, it can benefit us too. Sometimes we are too proud to ask for things to be repeated for fear of looking a little daft. With the lessons the clock taught me still ringing in my ears I had no hesitation to make sure I got the right message, the ringing repeat was so valuable. The message of learning being repeated also so valuable too.
If the clock could stand so high and be so proud to ring out it’s time twice, why could I not make sure I got the whole message in my learning.
So do you ask for things to be repeated, or do you assume that you heard all the message first time. It made me wonder and that clock taught me not to assume that I had heard correctly first time……will you check next time too?
I do hope so.
My best wishes,
Peter
