The Quest is a Collaboration Global digital publication
Issue Fifteen
Sue Plumtree
Spotlight on a key collaborator
The theme of this issue is:
BRIAN ABBOTT ROB MORGAN
THE AGE OF REALISATION
GILL TINEY ALAN BROWN GINA GARDINER
Published by Collaboration Global, 2 Moat House Horsecroft Road Harlow Essex CM19 5BN Issue 15, first published on 1st September 2020 All rights reserved. Copyright Š Collaboration Global and Contributors, 2020 While aligned to the vision and values of Collaboration Global, the views expressed here are soley those of the contributors and are not expressions of policy on behalf of the Collaboration Global leadership. To experience a Collaboration Global Community, be our guest and come to a meeting. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/collaboration-global-28760629935
For more details about The Quest and about Collaboration Global, visit our website at www.collaborationglobal.org You can contact the team by writing to team@collaborationglobal.org, or to one of the contributors whose contact emails can be found at the end of their articles. The Quest is a publication platform open to members of Collaboration Global to contribute to major debates and issues of concern. Operating within the UK economy, and part of a global economic system, contributors to The Quest hold a big picture. They are personally involved with complex issues that require the skills and intent of many to solve. They are on a passionate, sometimes a life-long search, to secure change in the world and as such hold a great responsibility for benefitting future generations. Collaboration Global believes in working for a world where every individual has the opportunity to be the best they can be: where we are empowered to recognize and honour our ‘innate genius’, exploit our full potential and make our dreams real. We seek a world where business and work are designed to meet a Human need for respect, to be valued, to achieve and to contribute to others. Most of all we seek a world where everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard and make a positive difference to the planet and humanity. 2
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Issue Fifteen
C O N T E N T S
About the contributors Editorial Gill Tiney Time - Past Time, Present Time, Future. It’s About Time… Brian Abbott Insightful Leadership for a Post-Covid World Rob Morgan Learning lessons – What can we do differently? Gill Tiney This is my world Alan Brown Hope for the future Gina Gardiner Collaborator profile: Sue Plumtree
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About our contributors Brian Abbott I am a business behaviour specialist whose passion lies in assisting companies and their people to have more FUN in what they do via specific team building processes. I fully believe that if you are not having fun in what you do, you are paying too high a price. I am an avid photographer and I am in my element when I have a camera in my hands with the opportunity to photograph Mother nature’s magnificent canvases. Wildlife and landscapes are my speciality. I believe the vast majority of people on this Globe, are good decent souls, searching for purpose.
Email: brian@brianabbotttraining.com Telephone: 07787 444782 Website: brianabbotttraining.com
Rob Morgan Rob Morgan works with business leaders to promote not only their success in their individual and team roles, but also to develop and discover more about themselves and their place in the world. Rob’s own world was transformed by the discovery of a new understanding about how we as human beings experience the world on a day to day basis and the essence of his business is to share that understanding more widely. The result is business transformation, higher performance and better, more consistent results, yet doing so in a way that addresses the human side, with reduced stress and anxiety, greater resilience and a better experience all round. You really can have it all. If that all sounds too good to be true, speak to Rob...
Email: rob@robmorgan.co Telephone: 07711 181852
Gill Tiney Gill Tiney is a speaker, author, coach and ultimately a Community Catalyst and as such looks after the Collaboration Global community. Together they are instrumental in creating collaborations that in some large or small part can and do change our world. This community works to build and develop strategies that help collaborations to success by providing a safe space for abundant thinking and practical solutions to bring a project to fruition. Meeting every month they build a culture that expands genius, delivers knowledge and growth to members and enables them all to make a difference to the community and beyond. Gill invites you to join them at a session near you, or connect on the online platform Collaboration Global where you can meet other collaborators like you, who are looking to make our world a better place.
Email: gill@collaborationglobal.org Telephone: 07798 601701 Website: collaborationglobal.org
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Alan Brown Alan Brown is an optimist entrepreneur who LOVES life. His aim is to inspire others to find true and lasting happiness in their life. He has been in business for over 30 years and his reason for getting up in the morning is his family. Alan is 60 years old and married to his teenage sweetheart Gill Tiney and has 2 daughters Danielle and Nicola. The School People, his company selling goods and services throughout the UK is his passion. Alan has written a book called “It’s all about you” which introduces “The Bubble Paradigm” – a simple plan of finding true and lasting happiness in your life.
Email: alanbrown11@hotmail.co.uk Telephone: 07836 555042 Website: theschoolpeople.uk
Gina Gardiner Gina Gardiner is a #1 International Best Selling author, Motivational speaker, Strategic Business and Empowerment Coach, with extensive experience of helping people achieve happiness and success. Supporting individuals to develop a greater sense of self–worth and develop confidence to step into their power, and business to become more profitable whilst caring for their people is at the heart of her work. Gina is the creator of The Thriving Not Surviving Programme and Thrive Together Tribe group in Facebook. She is passionate about helping her clients to achieve their full potential, to step into their power and be genuinely, authentically their best self.
Email: gina@genuinely-you.co Telephone: 07833 183327 Website: genuinely-you.co
Sue Plumtree Sue Plumtree is The Personal Relationship Coach. Her passion is to enable people to build strong and loving relationships. Her third book, ‘Open Your Heart: The 7 Secrets Of Strong And Loving Relationships’ was published on 21 September 2017 and is getting consistently 5* reviews. She was unhappily married for 37 years when she finally left aged 60. Over the following 10 years she built a successful coaching practice working with women over 50, wrote her autobiography and built solid friendships. In December 2015 aged 70, she met Paul, her friend, lover and soulmate – and now her husband. As a prolific writer and regular blogger Sue shares her painfully acquired wisdom about what works and doesn’t work in a relationship as well as how it affects our emotional and mental health and wellbeing. Sue is a published author, public speaker, workshop facilitator and a columnist. She is frequently invited to be interviewed by mainstream media, radio and television.
Email: sue@sueplumtree.com
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Editorial Gill Tiney
The Age of Realisation As we bring together this issue of The Quest, we have much to consider. I saw a video by Tom Foolery called The Great Realisation and it eloquently described how we would view this time in history. So it felt apt to take our online publication and ask our members at Collaboration Global if they would take the opportunity to share how they saw the way things might go, how they felt in the depths of the pandemic, and what we can take from it. Brian Abbott talks of this being our consciousness wake-up call from Mother Nature, and as you read the words to What a Wonderful World, I defy you not to quietly sing it without a tear reaching your eye – it can’t be done. It’s a beautiful look at how we might evolve. Following Brian’s article, I couldn’t resist the opportunity and so grabbed a slot in this historic issue, and I reflect on the choices before us. Will you create a new normal, that serves each of us well, or have you already gone back to your old ways and are trying to recreate your world as though the pandemic never happened? What lessons can you and we learn? Rob Morgan considers the opportunities available to business owners who can have a major impact on our world and how Insightful Leadership, from his observations, is the only way to go. Alan Brown has his own reflections, as a business owner of 30+ years he had to struggle with pivoting his business as his main customer – schools, were closed down. Here he considers how relationships are far more important in his eyes post-Covid. Gina Gardiner reflects on the fear that accompanied our daily news bulletin, the panic buying and shortages alongside the incredible stories of humanity. Who can forget Colonel Tom Moore who raised £33 million for charity as he celebrated his 100th birthday?
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We came together as a nation and for perhaps the first time as a global community to fight the pandemic and save lives. Collaboration was the only way we were going to get through it. Focus moved from ROI to ROA (return on investment to round of applause) and we pulled together. The glue that kept us together were the army of care workers, nurses, doctors, delivery drivers, and those who braved the virus to keep the wheels of our lives still turning. For these brave people we will always be grateful. For their sakes let us not lose the lessons we have been given during this horrific time in history. We must love and support each other, for ultimately that is all we have, and all we will ever need. Connect, Collaborate and Grow.
About The Quest Team The Quest is produced by the Collaboration Global Digital Team and is made possible by, you guessed it, collaboration. For her driving force to bring the project to fruition, proofing and liaising with contributors, writing of editorial and case study and being our Team Dynamo we give huge thanks to Gill Tiney gill@collaborationglobal.org www.collaborationglobal.org
Colin Newlyn colin@colinnewlyn.com www.colinnewlyn.com
For typesetting, layout and art, project management of The Quest, proofing and creation and maintenance of our website, our warmest gratitude and huge thanks to Kay Westrap kay@mybusinessmum.co.uk and kay@couragetogrow.me.uk www.mybusinessmum.co.uk or www.couragetogrow.me.uk
For diligently proofing the content and checking for typos, huge thanks to Alan Brown of Brown and Tiney. alan@brownandtiney.com www.brownandtiney.com
For their awesome editing skills, thanks to Benn Abdy-Collins benn@bennabdy-collins. com www.bennabdy-collins.com and
For her proofreading and chasing skills, many thanks to Linda Burns. linda@lifeinsideout.co.uk
For proofing the typesetting, design and artwork and generally ensuring that the look and feel are always 100%, our huge respect to Simon Thomas of Toucan Internet LLP. simon@toucanweb.co.uk www.toucanweb.co.uk or www.simonthomas.org.uk
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Brian Abbott
TIME - PAST TIME. PRESENT TIME. FUTURE. IT’S ABOUT TIME… 8
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Present Time The World is in chaos. More likely it is we, The Human doings, that are in a state of chaos, confusion and uncertainty. Certainly, in my lifetime, I have never experienced such a slowdown on the Globe which has had both positive and negative impacts on humanity. Positive in the aspect that it has brought some families really close together while giving some the realisation that they are not in a great relationship and it is time to explore a better way of living. Also positive in that the planet has had a chance to take a very big breath and heal parts of itself. Negative in that it has created massive disruption to the World economy and a reset is crucial.
Whilst this lockdown has created turmoil and tribulation for our ‘out of control’ species, it has at the same time given Mother Nature a time to catch her breath and regroup and for this I am immensely grateful. I was reading an article recently that explored what would happen if our species (Humans) disappeared. The conclusion is that the Earth would fully recover - it would take time, yet it will recover. If we could learn from Nature HOW to engage in this recuperation, we would thrive as a species. So, hopefully, at this time of lock-down, we will learn to pay more attention to as well as respect and celebrate All Life forms on Earth. So Back to the Present.
And remember... there is always time for a Perhaps enough is enough and a rethink and Present... make it a meaningful one and unwrap regroup is essential for the survival of our it now.... species... Present Tense The planet is overpopulated for one thing and this has to have a massive effect on the health Has anyone noticed the elevated level of quiet and well-being of humanity. tension that has crept into Society? Tension on a scale that has not been witnessed for On top of this, I believe we need a quite some time. Have you noticed that when “consciousness” wake up call. A deep respect something falls apart, many people tend to for all life forms on Earth is crucial, especially overreact and become irrational? What causes for the well-being of Mother Earth. I have sadly this? seen the chaos that the Cruise Ships cause, with the enormous amount of pollution pumped Perhaps it is being in a state of Conscious into the air and garbage dumped into the Sea, Incompetence (we are aware that we don’t (guilty, as we went on an amazing trip to Alaska know how to deal with this new state of living), a on one of these ships and we saw at least 15 state where many of us find ourselves now, and other enormous ships on the same trip. We will it can create frustration, fear, anxiety, tension, no longer support this kind of travel). Imagine claustrophobia and a need to do something of the general pollution that massive oil tankers, value. aeroplanes and transportation in general plus the massive indiscriminate factories and I have noticed that when we struggle to find industry causes Globally... a sense of value and purpose over a period of time, we tend to VENT, and this can very Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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“Well, to quote from ‘Alice in Wonderland… “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Probably - while we still adhere to the principles of this current world of greed and unnecessary The ‘danger zone’ for me in this, is that when need for more and more. we find purpose in destructive behaviour, and buy into it, it can lead to a misalignment of our However, what would happen if a certain number of like-minded people were to start a values and create a distorted ‘significance”. collaboration of positive and creative thinking Many positive and creative opportunities have and action their thoughts? Getting engaged in being there for one another, assisting for arisen during this lockdown as well. the joy of assisting; making changes to value One is how we have immersed ourselves into systems and embracing those changes which the digital world of Zoom, Teams, Skype etc, benefit everyone and not just the few. and have the ability to communicate globally. For those of us in training and consulting, it is a What type of world would this be? Godsend and a very new learning curve. It has been amazing for us as a family, as we have I would be delighted to live in this amazing started weekly Saturday night music evenings World. on Zoom with friends around the globe and everyone loves them as it is the closest we Is this just a pipe dream, or could something can get to a real hug and feel the ‘heartbeat’ of like this really happen? close friends and family. One of the challenges with technology is that we can get zoomed Well, to quote from ‘Alice in Wonderland … out. We need to find a balance here. A good “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six one for me is to take a walk in a forest or be impossible things before breakfast.” out in nature for a while, with a camera, just to Without big dreams, there are no big realities break state. and hence I love the mind of Rupert Sheldrake, a prominent English biologist and author, So, where to from now? whose theory of Morphogenetic Resonance Let’s explore the emotional unknown... I am particularly fond of. This certainly rattles the cages of many people. The FUTURE IMAGINED… This is one of his research subjects. quickly lead to irrational behaviours.
Imagine a world where there is peace and In the 1920s in Southampton, England, a bird harmony and a deep and conscious caring for called the blue tit discovered it could tear the those around us and the Earth that we live on. tops of milk bottles on doorsteps and drink the cream. Soon this skill showed up in blue Far-fetched? tits over a hundred miles away, which is odd 10
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in that they seldom fly further than 15 miles. Amateur birdwatchers caught on and traced the expansion of the habit. It spread faster and faster until by 1947 it was universal throughout Britain. In a parallel development, the habit had spread to blue tits in Holland, Sweden and Denmark. German occupation cut off milk deliveries in Holland for eight years -- five years longer than the life of a blue tit. Then, in 1948 the milk started to be delivered. Within months blue tits all over Holland were drinking cream, a habit that had taken decades to take hold before the war. Where did they get this knowledge? In brief and in my interpretation of this amazing phenomenon, it suggests, that if there are people that think alike and there are enough of them doing it, then that energy transcends to another place and similar behaviour is displayed there.
Perhaps it is a dream, however, this is a dream I subscribe to and if it is possible in my mind, then it can be possible in my life with likeminded people. We gravitate to those who think alike. It takes one to begin the journey. Take Elon Musk and Richard Branson as examples of what can be achieved. A backward glance from the Future, to Future Present. I truly hope that one day in the Future, we will be able to look back and say “what an amazing gift Covid 19 was for our species. Many grew exponentially and we have developed a sense of ‘gratitude’ for all living creatures and we take great care of our saviour – Mother Earth.” If she dies, we all die.
Imagine that in Future we celebrate all different If this is true then enough of us with the same cultures and value systems and we visit them mindset can influence so many other people on their “Islands” where they live their values to become positive and creative, to live with and cultures and we leave ours behind, just so joy and harmony, to love unconditionally and that we really understand and appreciate what is important to them and we take something be filled with compassion and kindness. Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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“As Louis Armstrong sang “What a wonderful World”
positive away with us...
DID YOU SING TO THIS?
As Louis Armstrong sang “What a wonderful In the meantime, I will do my best to continue to capture the magnificence that Mother Earth World” reveals to me through the sensors (senses) in my camera and celebrate Life with my beautiful I see trees of green, red roses too family and friends in deep gratitude. I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself what a wonderful world I love the quote by Richard Bandler – “lose your I see skies of blue and clouds of white mind and come to your senses” The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky May you be blessed with eternal love and peace. Are also on the faces of people going by Brian I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do They’re really saying I love you You can contact Brian at: I hear babies crying, I watch them grow They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know Email: brian@brianabbotttraining.com And I think to myself what a wonderful world Telephone: 07787 444782 Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world Website: brianabbotttraining.com
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Rob Morgan
INSIGHTFUL LEADERSHIP FOR A POST-COVID WORLD
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As I write this in June 2020, the UK has been on lock-down since late March and the restrictions imposed are slowly being lifted. Whilst some businesses have been largely unaffected, and a few have been even busier during the lock-down, it seems most have been affected to some extent or another, with many almost completely inactive over those weeks.
To weather this storm, to emerge in a strong position to thrive in the new postCovid environment, businesses will need to demonstrate qualities that many of the best organisations already exhibit and it’s relatively simple. They will need to quickly assess the new circumstances and environment that they find themselves in, adapt their vision, strategies, and processes to compete in this Unfortunately, some businesses will not survive new world and they will need to remain agile this, and others will be significantly impacted enough to continue to refine the model as their for months and even years to come. world changes. In this article I wanted to set out my thoughts as to how Insightful Leadership will be essential for businesses to initially survive and then thrive as restrictions are lifted and they can address the new normal.
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The key to successfully doing that will be found in my vision of leadership. I believe the ability to lead through uncertainty and change will be what separates those who successfully navigate the new world and those who stagnate or fail.
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“How we think and feel about ourselves and how we think and believe the world works are reflected in the actions that we take (or do not take).�
Insightful Leadership
abilities which are innate we get better at it the more that we put it into practice.
Insightful Leadership is about being present in the moment, aware of relevant circumstances and in touch with what is frequently called wisdom or common sense. From that place insightful leaders take or initiate the decisive actions that come to mind. That ability to be decisive in the moment is not always easy, but in my experience, is almost always more effective than dither and delay.
You may well ask that, if this ability is present to all of us, why is great leadership so rare. Well the problem is there is a lot of stuff that gets in the way. Barriers include personal ego, fear of failure, fear of what others will think and our own self-concept. What is common to all of these examples and to every other barrier that gets in the way of Insightful Leadership is our thinking. How we think and feel about ourselves Having taken that decision, the Insightful Leader and how we think and believe the world works is mindful that they do not get every decision are reflected in the actions that we take (or do right. They will monitor and measure the not take). outcomes and are always prepared to course correct or even switch direction entirely if that How to become an Insightful Leader looks like the right action to take. The Insightful Leader is always present and evaluating the So, the key to becoming a more Insightful world as it exists at that moment, not as they Leader is to gain a better understanding of saw it before, and they have the humility to ourselves with a better understanding of how change direction without worrying that they the world itself works. might look weak or indecisive. There is a widely held belief about how we True Insightful Leadership is frequently seen at humans experience our world, in fact it is so times of crisis and disruption. When everything widely held it is rarely even considered. That that could go wrong is going wrong the people belief is that there is stuff that happens out who I have worked with and whom I consider there in the world which we call reality, and to be the best leaders seem to go quiet, that reality is what we experience on a day to almost into a meditative space. Whilst others day basis. Depending on what that reality is it rush around looking for short term fixes or just can make us feel happy or sad, angry or calm, somebody to blame, they keep calm and take irritated or contented, stressed or relaxed or time to get back in touch with wisdom. This any of a full range of other emotions we might is the space where insight comes, and true experience. leadership emerges. But, in reality, that is not the way it works. Yes, For me, this form of Insightful Leadership, there is stuff that goes on out in the world. We is innate in every human being. We all have experience that world through our senses; the ability to be present in the moment and sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, but then to connect to our common sense, but like all Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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our brain goes to work on the data we receive from our senses and creates the reality that each of us see and feel, but everyone’s view of that reality differs, sometimes in small ways and sometimes hugely. It’s the reason why each of us sees the world in different ways, why some are on the left of politics and others on the right, why some prefer sweet whilst others like savoury and why some people love to dance and others like football. The more we can see that our view of reality is shaped, not by the reality itself, but by our thinking about it and the emotions that it generates, the easier it seems to drop out of it. When we can drop out of our thinking and emotions it becomes easier to become more present. In that space we can connect more easily to common sense and wisdom, the place where Insightful Leadership comes from. This means that Insightful Leadership is a subtractive model. Rather than based on new skills and knowledge that the Leader must learn and implement it is based on removing the barriers contained within our thoughts and the emotions which we generate on a moment to moment basis.
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Benefits of Insightful Leadership The Insightful Leader has more clarity. Being able to see past our thoughts and emotions and to be more present in the moment enables us to see the situation more clearly for what it is, and it enables us to see beyond misunderstanding. Coming to an issue from a place of clarity and presence leads to better decisions and in turn those better decisions lead to better performance, higher levels of productivity from the leader and their teams and ultimately to better and more consistent results. The Insightful Leader exhibits greater levels of innovation and creativity and greater resilience. They communicate more effectively, demonstrate greater connection with others, and tend to have better and more effective relationships all round. They are more confident and better able to inspire and motivate others. They take personal responsibility for their actions and the outcomes and show commitment and passion in everything they do. They demonstrate other admirable qualities such as honesty, integrity, courage, and fortitude. They can enjoy a better work life balance with reduced levels of stress and anxiety with an ability to switch off when they are not in the work environment.
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“Coming to an issue from a place of clarity and presence leads to better decisions and in turn those better decisions lead to better performance� There are additional hidden benefits to the business too. Clearly performance, productivity and results are great outcomes but businesses led by Insightful Leaders tend to deliver more effective team working, a happier and healthier working environment and those in turn result in greater employee job satisfaction, less employee churn and therefore lower employee retention and recruitment costs. Insightful Leadership brings many benefits and few if any down sides.
In Summary The three quotations shared across this article provide further insight into my vision of Insightful Leadership. I truly believe that it not only represents our best hopes of leading businesses into a new and uncertain world with much enhanced prospects of success but great Insightful Leadership will be key to the way the world itself recovers from the impact of the pandemic. You can contact Rob at: Email: rob@robmorgan.co Telephone: 07711 181852
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Gill Tiney
LEARNING LESSONS – WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY?
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“Children used to school dinners were starving. Homeless people lost their ability to get food as restaurants closed and cities were empty. People died alone.” As we enter the autumn of 2020, I am reflecting ‘make do and mend’, decorating and baking on a very different year to the one I had been and loving their homes. expecting. And we missed our family and friends. When I celebrated New Year’s Eve 2019, I had dreams, ambitions – this year was going to be Some were in lock down with psychopaths and incredible, like no other! Oh boy! Who could lived in fear. have foreseen what lay ahead? Children used to school dinners were starving. I saw people coming together, helping each Homeless people lost their ability to get food other, an army of volunteers, kindness, caring, as restaurants closed and cities were empty. love and compassion. Instead, I experienced People died alone. the loss of loved ones, saw businesses near me collapse, people lose jobs and families We heard about the ‘Coronacoaster’ of emotion struggle to cope with the added pressure of and people working from home suffered from Zoom fatigue. A heightened awareness of good home schooling and doing the day job. mental health and the need to take regular exercise came to the fore. People were getting And people bought puppies. fit in lock down, or, feeling low, were piling on In Britain, our sense of humour came to the the pounds. Joe Wicks came to our rescue. fore and we saw the stoicism of World War II resurface as people got crafty and started to We clapped for the NHS and support workers.
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It was a coming together of community like no Being part of the solution will make lives better other. It made me feel proud of my street and for everyone. my country. Choose to be the solution. Across the pond an African American was killed Before the pandemic Greta Thunberg was at the hands of a policeman. Again! telling us to save the planet – Corona might The time was right, demonstrations spread just have been the shift we needed. Our across the globe #BlackLivesMatter! If not now oceans have cleared, the air we breathe is – WHEN? cleaner, we are becoming walkers and cyclists and the thought of getting on a plane is not The time for change in every area of our lives something people are flocking to do. Maybe, if we continue in this way….. just maybe we can is NOW! make a difference. There is a small window of opportunity where we can take the new good habits we have Choose to be healthy. learned and keep them, for us and for others. People who were previously told they could The Black Lives Matter Movement is making not work from home – the inference being that an incredible global impact and now you could not be trusted - have proven how responsible white people are taking the time sensible it is to allow them to do so. Less traffic to educate themselves on the how destructive on the roads, less cost to the individual, more unconscious, as well as deliberate, racism is. family time, more work being done, better all Had we not all been sitting at home, would round. this have gained the momentum that is now has? Imagine if racism were a thing of the past, Choose a new freedom. where difference in any form were celebrated as an opportunity to bring people together, For me I have been amazed at how those who rather than used as a tool of hate to divide us. were taken for granted every day are actually the glue who hold our country together. The 22
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NHS staff, support workers, delivery people, care workers and many more have been, until now, unsung heroes. This is our opportunity to fund these services as they should be funded. Let’s not waste money on another Heathrow runway, (so many projects like this must surely be obsolete in our new way of seeing our world?), let’s fund these essential professions instead and give them the acknowledgement they deserve. Ultimately, for me, what has been apparent when things didn’t go well was how much collaboration was missing. When we have a common mission, an urgency, we get on and work supremely well with each other. Get the job done. People become selfless, kindness becomes the norm and love of humanity connects us all.
We need to sustain that ability to collaborate. Well one thing that strikes me is that money was not such an issue. The Government miraculously found billions to support our citizens. Boris Johnson was later quoted as saying ‘the giant cash machine in the sky is now closed’. So, when money isn’t part of the equation, do we find it easier to collaborate? What might be achieved when we separate our love/need of money from our ability to collaborate? Also, finding ourselves in this brand new situation, there was no ‘right way’ to know what to do. No one alive had the experience to navigate the way forward, we had to delve into the history books to discover what was done in the last pandemic – a time and a world totally unlike our own. We looked to the science
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“When there is trust and we collectively choose a way forward, that makes it easier to collaborate.”
community to inform us, there was not one hero to fix this. All we could do was look to our neighbours and other suffering countries to see how their trials and tribulations might inform us (and indeed trade of PPE across nations was for the most part valuable).
Everyone has something to give and to gain.
As a society we have been taught to go it alone. Our taught reaction has been, ‘what’s in it for me?’ From our school days we have been segregated and pitted against each other, with academic knowledge prized and When there is trust and we collectively rewarded. The work-place continues this choose a way forward, that makes it easier to competitive mindset. For example, we have collaborate. often been expressly forbidden from talking about our salaries and this has enabled the As time has gone on, we have the almost disparity between male/female and black/ obligatory conspiracy theorists who are white income to grow. It really doesn’t have to supposedly looking out for our welfare and be this way. telling us the ‘hidden truths’. Whilst undoubtedly some of what they share is based on truths, By collaborating we can put a stop to the old their shock and horror tactics does little to paradigm of fear, scarcity and competition to support and help the average person on the transform it into one of love, connection and street. It feels their glee is purely in rocking the abundance. apple cart and I have yet to hear one offer a solution, if even 1% of what they say is true. It NOW is the perfect time to make that paradigm appears helping people is not on their agenda shift. and so collaboration for them is not possible. I choose to believe in a humanity that wants to Our world is experiencing seismic shift in how help each other. we live our lives, now is the time to transform our planet and it starts with YOU! I have seen for myself the power of collaboration. What can you be responsible for? How can you This pandemic has demonstrated beyond help? What will you do to create a ‘new normal’ doubt that our world can be a better place when for you and your family? we come together to help each other. That is the world I want to live in and one that I know You could continue to home educate, work from is possible. That is why I created Collaboration home, travel less, see family and friends more, Global to be a place where people can come educate yourself on unconscious racism, walk and experience a culture where kindness and more, drive less. These small changes that you caring are the norm. They come to share their may feel won’t make an impact, yet when done skills, help others and in turn are able to ask for collectively and in collaboration they actually help. will. Like the constant drip of water on stone, 24
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eventually there is movement.
Grab this opportunity! This pandemic could still turn out to be a blessing for our planet, it is up to us to make it so. It is your life, you now have a new vision. Don’t go back to our old consumerist ways, we don’t need stuff, we need love and connection and a sense of purpose to help our fellow human.
Connect with others of a like mind and heart and you will be able to move mountains. Who knows maybe even our ancient system of government could become a collaborative open forum for good, rather than a blame culture of inherited systems that were already outdated 50 years ago. What will you choose?
Was it just me who found it joyful when PM You can contact Gill at: Question Time on Zoom had no baying and cat calling from the benches as they had all been Email: gill@collaborationglobal.org muted! See, it can be done! Telephone: 07798 601701 Website: collaborationglobal.org
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Alan Brown
THIS IS MY WORLD
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“We had the money, we had the health, we had the desire – what could go wrong?”
This is my world
In particular, I have always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon and I remember Gill nagging me to “get it booked” so we could go during my 60th year and knock it off my bucket list.
The sky is blue, the grass is green, I look up and see wonder in everything I see, The warmth and glow of the mother with her We had the money, we had the health, we had new-born child, Where children laugh and play with their future the desire – what could go wrong? unknown. December arrived and I celebrated a joint The wonder of the world, the glory and mystery birthday party with my eldest daughter, Danielle, who turned that ripe old age of 30 in flowing, the same month – December 2019. The peace of God and the majesty abound, The magnificent, unique human beings with When Gill and I arrived home in the wee small smiles, hours after a lot of dancing and laughing, Don’t spoil it now, we have it all made. tired and thirsty, we decided to stay up, crack open a bottle of bubbles, while I opened But hold on, hold that thought, We did not see a pandemic and what it brought, all the wonderful presents received on the night. To my amazement, there were so many Shattered dreams, unfulfilled aims, “adventure days” and “event vouchers” I think How will it end? No one knows. the gods were on my side and I could see that careful planning was required to fit it all in to Alan Brown (June 2020) the 12 months ahead. It was going to be tough, but at the end of the day, someone had to do it. This time last year, my wife Gill and I started planning my 60th birthday party in December The planning began, the spreadsheet was and were looking forward to 2020 as a year of born and by mid-February 2020 I had 12 events or holidays pencilled in and ready to book. I celebration, laughter, excitement, and joy. booked the first one for July – dinner at the Ritz I had worked hard to reach this milestone and with 4 of my closest friends as their gift to me dreamed of a bumper year of travel abroad as but to be shared with them – typical of them. well as many adventures in the UK – I deserved Great, only 11 more to book! it. 28
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Moving forward to March 2020, this “thing” started appearing in the news, a virus, originating in China, spreading rapidly across Europe. I think the whole of the UK stood up and took notice in one fell swoop.
leisure industry not far behind.
In a way, I am joking because me not having a year of wonderment is irrelevant to the pain and misery this dreadful virus has brought and the ensuing suffering to many, many families. A particularly good friend of ours was terrified Gill’s uncle died as a result of CV19 so, as a of what might happen to her mother who is family, it really brought it close to home. elderly and frail, unfortunately, no one knew, and to some extent we still don’t. “Be Good” The practicalities of this new way of living became “Stay Safe”, and “Social Distancing” meant that at first, we all had to stay at home became the new rule to live by. Coronavirus with only essential workers being allowed (CV19) was here and the world suddenly looked out. There was a fear that the NHS would not cope and the ExCel Centre in London was like a different place. quickly converted into a temporary 5,000 bed In essence, it was a new strain of coronavirus Nightingale hospital, like other large venues in to which there was no vaccine, so the threat of major cities in the UK. No one knew if this was death was a reality particularly in the elderly going to be enough or whether the NHS would and people with underlying health conditions. crack. A few months on, thankfully the NHS did Just for reference as of 19th June 2020 there not crack, and the beds went generally unused were 8.24 million reported cases of the virus – but thank you for preparing for the worse – it made me feel that as a country, we were taking worldwide, with 446,000 resultant deaths. the threat seriously. So much for my year of celebrations with the travel industry brought to its knees and the So, what did people do with all their newly Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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“In my world, there is optimism and a love of life. My start point is to see what good can come out of this terrible world event that has impacted millions of people.”
acquired spare time? Did people renew their batteries and appreciate some ME time? Did their worry about the future become too much? Did a newfound love for others come to the fore? Did people start to appreciate society, in particular the NHS? Did people start to appreciate teachers as home schooling became the norm? YES, to all of the above (the list is not exclusive, fill in your own question…) In my world, there is optimism and a love of life. My start point is to see what good can come out of this terrible world event that has impacted millions of people. Personally, I look at the people and the souls of people trying to make sense of what is happening. In a nutshell, a lot of people are feeling these are unprecedented and strange times, as their brains attempt to cope with, and analyse data they’ve no experience of. The confinement and loneliness impact people living on their own; for others unable to socialise, meet in pubs, restaurants or at a football match, has left them feeling extremely isolated.
that hitherto have only been a fleeting interest. People have indulged in Zoom calls and Facetime calls to friends and relatives on a more regular basis. I wonder if this will continue when we are “back to normal” – wait – do we want to go back to normal? We now have cleaner air, cleaner waterways and people talking to each other. I also believe that as a community there is more engagement and appreciation, for example the NHS (the Thursday street clap was deafening in my street) – so why go back to a world that is cutthroat, at loggerheads with each other and a highly polluted world caused by travel and indulging in unnecessary consumption? Maybe, just maybe, people have used this time of uncertainty, worry and isolation to reassess where they are and where they want to be. I hope so.
There is of course no easy answer to this question as our own country has been shot to pieces financially as the Government helped people to get through this mess. (I suspect we will be paying for this for the next 10 years.) But people’s livelihoods and businesses need to return to normal, maybe with individual On the flipside however, people have had more mindsets changed. This is what I hope for. time to read, educate themselves in subjects 30
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If people have learnt to love themselves for who they are, realised that they are enough, and have learnt through these “strange times” that they need to care for themselves first before helping others, then Bravo!
positives from it and learn from it, then the time will not have been wasted.
In the meantime, I will really enjoy my 60th year. I’ll book my events and holidays but with a mindset of appreciation (albeit delayed) and If the emphasis has changed from “chasing I’ll cherish every little detail of this beautiful the dollar” to pay for that new car, the summer world that has been given to us as stewards for holiday, or the new house to one of building future generations. relationships and love for fellow human beings, then Bravo! Tomorrow the sun will still shine, the grass will still be green and the birds will still sing – use Don’t waste what has been learnt. Remember this time wisely and rise up like a phoenix to a we all have a choice of how far we go back to new world in which appreciation becomes the the old ways. I for one will be more aware of new watchword and self-reflection and growth relationships and value time spent building the new norm. those relationships in the months and years ahead. You can contact Alan at: This has been a wake-up call for humanity and has slowed the world down to a snail’s pace Email: alanbrown11@hotmail.co.uk with people reflecting and thinking about their Telephone: 07836 555042 life and their future. Website: theschoolpeople.uk The coronavirus cannot be described as a good thing in world history, but if we can take Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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Gina Gardiner
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
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In the spring of 2020, the world faced an unprecedented event – Covid-19. Normal rules of engagement in business were turned on their head, daily living was changed in ways that no-one could have predicted as people hunkered down in their homes to avoid the threat of infection. Many became isolated as the need to keep a physical distance from others, even their nearest and dearest became the priority.
education and entertainment of their offspring. Going out of the house was limited to essential trips to the shops – socially distanced of course, and exercise. Whoever you spoke to had one topic of conversation – how dark and difficult life was with the impact of the virus. And then we began to see a change!
Organisations which had told staff it wasn’t possible for them to work from home because Fear was the greatest emotion in the early the technology wasn’t available or because of days of lockdown. Fear that the unseen villain security issues became proactive and created Covid-19 could create such a devastating a new way of working. illness. A condition that medics had not seen before and were unsure how to treat. Fear of Over the weeks since lockdown began, many the impact of lockdown on business owners organisations have discovered that their staff and employees as businesses closed their are delivering high levels of service from home. doors – not knowing when or if they would be Staff no longer have to fight their way into the able to start operating again. People were laid city on crowded trains saving hours of travel off or furloughed in their millions. Initially there time and the cost of transport. As things move was much in the world news of panic buying – out of lockdown, I anticipate that we will never toilet rolls and hand sanitiser became scarce go back to the same model of working which commodities and the fear of scarcity and lack was previously declared to be the only way. spread. Social media activity went through the roof, The picture was bleak – the news and media humour took over from fear. Videos, photos, spewed out their messages of ever-increasing memes and words offered lighter moments, doom. Children were sent home from school precious not only because they made us smile and parents not only had to manage working but in that someone had taken the time to think from home but also had to manage the of us and share.
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“...it wasn’t the rich and famous, the footballers and celebrities who were celebrated and valued over others. ”
The use of technology mushroomed not only for professional use but as a way of staying connected with family and friends. Many people who had avoided getting to grips with social media, Skype and Zoom were motivated to give it a try and now use it with ease. Family quizzes, bingo, making music together, grandparents telling stories and playing with their grandchildren became just a few of the ways technology was put to good use. Appreciation grew for those on the front line, for the medics and support staff in hospitals and care homes, those involved in keeping the shops stocked, transport moving to take key workers to and from work, dustmen, all those keeping the basics of life going. For the first time in living memory it wasn’t the rich and famous, the footballers and celebrities who were celebrated and valued over others. As a society we began to re-evaluate what is important.
in entirely new ways. Preparing meals, sitting down and talking to one another, playing games, making music, exercising and being creative – together. Children and young people have missed being with their friends at school and socially, it has been really hard on them. Only time will tell if this has helped them develop resilience. Learning has taken on a completely different structure but whatever lessons they have been set by their schools there has been the opportunity for them to learn life lessons as they navigate lockdown, and lessons which they will take with them into the future as we emerge from the crisis. Neighbours who hitherto hadn’t spoken although they had lived cheek by jowl for a decade started to communicate (at a safe distance) and got to know one another. Many streets have regular meetings for coffee to chat, make music, celebrate events, each in their own garden safe from infection but enjoying the companionship and connection. Children have painted and displayed rainbows to say thanks to the NHS. Many people have renewed old friendships as a result of lockdown - albeit virtually.
A simple act of going outside the front door at 8pm on a Thursday night to clap as a way of saying thank you to those putting their lives at risk grew from an activity begun by small group of neighbours to become a weekly, national ritual. It was the embodiment of a greater demonstration of man’s humanity – of compassion and love. I’ve spoken to many who have said that the time in lockdown has given them the opportunity During lockdown family life has dramatically to review their lives and to consider what changed for most people. Sadly, domestic is really important. Perspectives changed abuse has increased significantly as the as they watched reports of those wrestling stresses and strains have taken their toll, but with the virus and fighting for their lives and many families have been sharing quality time of people not only mourning the loss of their Join the discussion... facebook.com/Collglobal
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loved ones but the fact they couldn’t be with them at their passing or give them the funeral they deserved. The material things – designer clothes, the latest gadget, the next car now seem inconsequential. Junk values have been replaced with a greater appreciation of family, friends, of the natural world and its amazing beauty and resilience. We have identified new heroes – the men and women who quite literally put themselves at risk in order to help others, many of whom have paid the ultimate price. Those who decided to focus on helping the elderly, the vulnerable and the key workers when their businesses were forced to close. And people like Captain Tom the 99-year-old soldier who decided to raise money to support front-line 36
NHS by doing laps of his garden – his aim was to raise a £1000. The country took him to their hearts and he raised over £33million, he has since been promoted to Honorary Colonel, reached his 100th birthday and been awarded a Knighthood by the Queen. During lockdown, the world slowed down, nature was given a breathing space. Venice saw fish in the lagoon for the first time in our lifetime. Birds and animals have thrived in a world with fewer people and vehicles out and about. Air quality has improved dramatically, the hole in the ozone layer over the North pole is, we are told, getting smaller and all in a few weeks. It is a dramatic indication of the negative impact we have been having on the natural world!
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Now we look to the future – I believe we will never go back to the “Old Norm’. I’m hopeful that we will rise like the phoenix from the ashes of the old way of being and find new ways of being which support rather than destroy. There is an opportunity for us to rethink the way society operates. I’m hopeful that we will see the development of more Enlightened Leadership at every level of society. That the leaders who emerge will lead with integrity, compassion, and the courage to do what is right rather than what is expedient. I fervently hope that entrepreneurs and business owners will grasp the opportunities chaos throws up and look to ways to be productive and profitable but in ways which create positive impacts. I want to believe that we will start to care for the environment, the amazing creatures which share it with us and for one another in a very different and entirely more constructive way.
Think how the world will be if we take the best of what we have learned in lockdown forward into the future. I hope that people hold on to the core values which have become so evident during lockdown and build on them so that we can live in a way which supports love, kindness, tolerance, and forgiveness. It is time for true collaboration to become the norm. You can contact Gina at: Email: gina@genuinely-you.co Telephone: 07833 183327 Website: genuinely-you.co
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Profile: Taking a look at a key Collaborator in the community.
Sue Plumtree
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myself for a very long time, I experienced firsthand how powerful this process was on every At the age of 60, I left a mostly unhappy 37- area of my life. year old marriage. I now regard that period of my life as a treasure-trove of learning about I believe that having a strong and loving relationship with ourselves shapes all our other what damages marriages and relationships. relationships. I discovered the secret of love when I was forced to ask for help after I was diagnosed My mission is to enable women over 50 to with breast cancer. Having previously believed develop a strong and loving relationship with that independence was the route to love, themselves, so that they can heal and enhance I discovered instead that the answer was their other relationships. emotional vulnerability. What fills you with joy? Meeting Paul when we were both 70 was a watershed in my life. It was then that I So many things! My husband, good food, discovered the meaning of true love – total good wine and good company (though not necessarily in that order), M&S dark chocolate acceptance and much, much more. liqueurs, and warm, sunny weather in the I now use everything I learned to make a garden. difference in people’s lives, particularly through my writings – posts and blogs, videos and What is your reason for BEing? Or in other books. My autobiography, ‘Dancing with the words what are you passionate about? Mask: Learning to Love and Be Loved’ and my latest book, ‘Open Your Heart: The 7 Secrets of Above all, my work. Enabling women to build Strong and Loving Relationships’, are both on strong relationships with themselves and others is my reason for BE-ing. I believe happy Amazon. people cannot be mean to one another, that I’m the Personal Relationship Coach. I chose happy people cannot hate or hurt one another. this profession because, having been coached And I believe that happy, supportive and Who is Sue Plumtree?
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fulfilling relationships – all kind of relationships the weekend! – are the route to changing the world. Are you free to operate within your Genius? If you could choose one Collaboration Global What does that mean for you? behaviour or value that you identify with what might that be? To me it means being free to be the best me I can become – it feels like a process of Offering unconditional help and support. discovery! You are a relatively new member of But my Genius is not only in the context of Collaboration Global, can you share how you my work, it is also in the context of loving have found it so far? relationships, especially with Paul. An incredible experience! Prior to joining Collaboration Global, I had been struggling on my own to make my business work with little to show for it. Since I joined I feel I’m no longer alone and am making wonderful strides to creating something special. This issue of The Quest has focused on ‘The Great Realisation’, how do you imagine that life after Corona will manifest in your life?
My ultimate desire is for Paul and I to survive this dark period, come back together and live to be 100 with an open heart and an open mind. What vision do you have for your business and your life working with the Collaboration Global community? My vision is to build a legacy that will make a difference to the world.
Lockdown has had some unexpected benefits If someone is interested in getting involved – reduced pollution due to reduced travel is with our Collaboration Global community, just one. from your perspective what might they expect when they get there? After Corona I will do much less travelling to London, something I used to do once or twice The more they put in, the more they will get a week. out. I will continue to build my online business, specifically facilitating my new programmes You can contact Sue at: on Zoom instead of in live events. Email: sue@sueplumtree.com And I will continue to drink a glass of wine at 40
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Be Our Guest! Be our guest at one of our regular live online sessions and meet our community. The last Tuesday of the month 3-5pm online What happens: We learn - as a member shares their genius We discuss – as we consider ways to improve our business and life We debate – a topic of the day or a belief system We connect, collaborate, and grow! Click the link below and we look forward to seeing you there. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/collaboration-global-28760629935
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