Sarah M. KippSarah M. Kipp

Business

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Mixing Business and Pleasure: Writing a Mission Statement

Writing a mission statement for your life or business is an adventure. Whether you are revisiting the language and form of your current mission, or preparing to write your first mission statement, the process of working with your mission can become an expression of who you are as well. While writing a mission statement can feel like a serious undertaking, surprising results may come through if you are willing to shift your approach.

First and foremost, give yourself permission to PLAY. Your mission is who you are at the core. It has always been who you are, it reflects who you are now, and it will be who you are ten years from now. Through play, we tap into the earliest and purest expressions of ourselves when our spirit emerges stronger than our inhibitions and insecurities.

The first time I wrote a mission statement, I did not appreciate the value of play as part of the process. Instead, I worked very hard to intellectually figure out my mission statement within the context of a course assignment. I crafted the language carefully, memorized it, and practiced delivering it out loud to the group. It was ‘accurate’ in the sense that all the pieces were authentic and true to who I was, but I struggled to memorize it, and I lacked confidence when I shared it with others. (Hint: A great mission statement [Read more…] about Mixing Business and Pleasure: Writing a Mission Statement

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The Op Ed Project

Several months ago, my rabbi, Rachel Gurevitz, and I were talking about our writing and how people choose to use writing as a vehicle to carry their voice and message to a larger audience. “You should check out The Op Ed Project,” she said. She gave me a brief overview and shared the personal value she had received from attending.

Their website, www.theopedproject.org, provided all the information I needed to make my decision. The home page states, “The OpEd Project’s Mission is to increase the range of voices and quality of ideas we hear in the world. A starting goal is to increase the number of women thought leaders in key commentary forums to a tipping point.”

I signed up.

Recently, I completed the Core Seminar: Write to Change the World, a day-long experience that far exceeded what I saw described on the website. I had the privilege of spending eight hours with twenty-two diverse women with one common goal: to make a difference using the written word. We received invaluable information about how to think through and work with the essential elements of writing an Op Ed. Before that, though, we worked together until each person in the room was able to clearly articulate an area of expertise and what made her a credible expert on that subject. I watched, in awe, as the seasoned Harvard lecturer with a doctorate and several publications navigated the same path of challenge, discovery and clarification as the twenty-year-old with a GED. In the end, how we tell our story and how we establish ourselves as experts is not about who others say we are. It is about becoming grounded and clear about the contribution we bring to a given conversation, and then having the vehicle, training, and the “access pass” to navigate in the world as a thought leader who creates change.

Today I am paying forward the gift my rabbi gave to me. Check out the website: www.opedproject.org. Attend a workshop, or share the information with women in your life who would benefit from attending. In our seminar, we learned that 90% of Op Eds are submitted by men. The Op Ed Project has a mission and a vision to give women the tools they need to change this number. Please spread the word.

 

 

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Being Radically Responsible

“I’m not connecting well with this person,” I said to a friend. “I need to get a handle on it because I can tell it is affecting how I show up and interact during meetings and in casual interactions. I am opting for less and less contact and, while I am not being rude, I am also not being particularly friendly.”

My friend listened for a while, allowing me the space to sort out what was at the root of the issue, and then spoke. “You have to talk with this person. You know that, right?”

Not the answer I wanted to hear. Yes, of course, I knew that. I train other people in situations like this. I am also human and sometimes [Read more…] about Being Radically Responsible

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Stink Grumpy and Mama Grump II: How to Get Moving When We Just Don’t Wanna

Most people will agree that if you want to get something done, counting on motivation alone is not enough. Even when we are working on something we love, there are days when we do not feel like showing up. There are times when something else–or everything else–will feel more important than what we committed to do. Anne Lamott’s recent Facebook post on May 1, 2013 traveled around this week reminding us that “There is no good time to write. It will never be easier. If you won’t find an hour a day now, you won’t find it then.” Her writing, as always, is a good read, and she both calls us to action and gives us the first steps to get going.

Before I began writing this, I sat down with my two young daughters to map out our day. There were several jobs that each one of us needed to do and did not want to do. There were other things we preferred to be doing. To say we had ‘an absence of motivation’ would be a gross understatement of our actual state. Both children sprawled out in front of me like a big life lesson.

What do I believe works best when we are in full-blown resistance or avoidance? Three things rise to the top and survive the rigor of quality assurance tests.

1) Add humor immediately. I used to think that reviewing ‘why’ I had committed to something was the most important step. When a person is in resistance though, even the most noble intention and the most inspiring call to action sound like utter hogwash. My daughter did not need to review the many reasons she needed to take a shower before heading out to socialize tonight. She knows all about the importance of hygiene, and still did not want to shower. Instead, I asked if I could break our family rule of no name calling, and wrote an impromptu rap piece for her on the staircase called “Stink Grumpy and Mama Grump II.” When I added chest thumping and pathetic dance moves, the tone shifted and we began to move forward.

[Read more…] about Stink Grumpy and Mama Grump II: How to Get Moving When We Just Don’t Wanna

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Family Meetings

Regular meetings are essential when people work as a team to accomplish a goal. Meetings are the vehicle not only for exchanging information with each other, but also for creating a sense of support and connection among the members of the team.

One of my favorite teams in my life is my family. We are a dynamic and diverse group of individuals with a shared passion for living a life full of joy. During our team meeting last week, I enjoyed seeing how, by slightly adapting the same strategies I use in my business, we navigate charged and sticky situations, create solutions, and build team support and connection along the way.

Here are six success strategies we use for team meetings. [Read more…] about Family Meetings