What We Can Learn from Shoelaces! - Virginia B. Berger
What We Can Learn from Shoelaces!
The June Alliance Community Event featured an interactive and thought-provoking presentation- Playing the Integrity Game. Speaker Jeffrey Klubeck, a retired professor of communication who has been coaching and training coaches internationally since 2007, recently completed his book, The Integrity Game.
Jeffrey set the context by identifying the three components of his coaching approach -
- Enrollment- Who are we coaching and what are their goals?
- Motivation - What strategies and beliefs do they have or need?
- Accountability- Where are they on the continuum of the Integrity Game?
Before launching into the Integrity Game model, Jeffrey asked if we believed we had integrity. All were sure we did. We shared some of our definitions of integrity, most of which related to actions based on what we said or on our values.
Jeffrey defined integrity as integration - the coming together of our words and actions or our values and actions. The truth is that we all have some integrity, and we all need more. Outside forces make it difficult to follow our word or values, and thereby stay in integrity. Jeffrey’s intention with the Integrity Game is to make it easy and fun for clients and us to look within to increase our integrity.
Jeffrey used tennis shoelaces as an unusual but clear visual to introduce the Integrity Game model. The laces give the shoe structural integrity by integrating the right and left sides of the shoe. Similarly, clients follow the 10 points of the Integrity Game to create their own structural integrity.
The Ten Points to consider are the following:
1. Purpose - What is the meaning or purpose of _______?
2. Gifts - What are your talents, abilities, competitive advantages?
3. Potential - Based on your purpose and gifts, what do you have the potential to achieve?
4. Goals - What milestones have you set to reach your potential?
5. Strategies, resources, tactics - How are planning to do this?
6. Word/commitment- What have you said you will do?
7. Action/behavior- How many actions have you said you will complete? Are you in integrity with your list?
8. Learn/grow - What have you learned from your actions?
9. Accumulate - What have you accomplished and what knowledge and experience have you received?
10. Give/Serve - Now it’s time to re-INTEGRATE with your purpose and give back.
Although this was presented in a linear way, the points are really connected in a circle.
With each action we need to ask whether we are in or out of integrity in these ten ways. Every moment we are either integrating or disintegrating.
Jeffrey’s new book, The Integrity Game, is available for purchase. It’s a parable using baseball. The next time someone asks if you believe you have integrity, remember we all have some and can use more.
Summarized by Virginia B. Berger
The Baby Boomer Retirement Coach
