When I facilitate writing retreats I always begin the day with a five minute session where everyone writes down their intention for the day. I ask "How will you feel at the end of the day?" "What do you hope to accomplish in the time we have together?" Then at the end of the day pretty much everyone has arrived at the place they intended to. Very powerful. Great tool. (and I left my plea for advice in another comment)
100% beautiful! To borrow Matt Church's language, "state matters more than script." And what you are inviting people to do is point toward the state they would love to land in. Lovely!
Your content is so good! Thank you for sharing all these great ideas. I have a statewide training this week and will be using some of your ideas...can't wait to see how it all goes. So thankful I found your channel.
Susan, love hearing this. Thanks for taking the time, thought, and INTENTION to leave this comment. The more important a meeting, the more important it is to get clear about your intention. All of us in the UA-cam comments are rooting for you and your statewide meeting, Susan! You rock.
This is absolute gold Chad! Thank you. My intent is to ensure that when I send a calendar invite to faculty members I always state my intent for the session. From now onwards!
As ever, I would like to have a three-hour conversation with you over this content. But I'll throw out a few things that came to me while watching/listening. I will share these SO THAT you will feel loved and know how much I appreciate you, and SO THAT we can potentially connect over some fun new thoughts prompted by your sharing here. You mentioned that "SO THAT" eliminates the need for manipulation. You framed that in terms of the receiver. It's also important from the perspective of the SPEAKER, as thinking in terms of "INTENTION + SO THAT" may expose in the speaker some form of manipulation. If there is hesitation on the part of the speaker to honestly express the "INTENTION + SO THAT," then manipulation is present and being guarded. And this does happen. In fact, some in positions of leadership COUNT ON confusion or lack of clarity regarding the "INTENTION + SO THAT" (i.e., the "SO THAT" is "... so that people will be confused or misled"). Regardless of the motives of the "obvious leader" in a situation, as you note, a leader is anyone who wants to see something done differently than it is being done now. In that regard, even if someone is "only" a participant in a meeting (whether in a business, a family, etc.) and not "the main speaker," there is value in ASKING FOR clarification on the "INTENTION + SO THAT." I even love the framework for the question version: "Would you let me/us know your intention for this meeting/conversation? It would help me/us invest more fully if you would state the intention followed by 'so that...'" Maybe this happens during the meeting, maybe in private afterward. But it certainly would change the dynamic. I often employ a version of this when people come to me with a question, the intention of which feels unclear to me: "Before I reply, what are you hoping to gain from asking me this question?" (or "What caused you to want to ask me this question?"). The SO THAT with which the person answers will inform how (and sometimes even IF) I will answer; because there is a world of difference between "SO THAT I can argue" or "SO THAT I can justify a preconceived notion I have"... and "SO THAT I can gain some valued insight while I consider this further." In fact, isn't stating "INTENTION + SO THAT" something we all could benefit from asking internally during our "meetings with self" (e.g., regular times of self-reflection) that would allow us to clearly see what things we've taken on that maybe we need to let go of, or places where we've lost our original "SO THAT" along the way and need to reconnect with that "why"? On what may seem a tangent here, I recently had a conversation with someone about politics-a topic I generally avoid for a host of reasons, chief among them that A.) I've never known someone to be 'talked into' changing a political position and B.) it seems to be a point of division among people who then forget how very much they have in COMMON with one another. But I expressed that I'd love to see a publicly recorded session of congress for which the entire INTENTION is "to voice ONLY those things we unanimously agree on" SO THAT "we as members of congress and the American people can see that we are united in far more ways than we need to continue to be divided." A list could be formed (much as a bill would be) in private sessions, taking suggestions from all present to form the INTENTION list prior to the live/recorded session where each item from the list could simply be read aloud with a show of hands of who is in agreement with that item. (For instance, "I want our children to be safe" or "I want America to prosper" or "I want the United States to earn a reputation for trust and respect across the world" or "I want Americans to feel united instead of divided," etc.) I think if congress would ever do this, they'd realize that even they themselves share many INTENTIONS; they just disagree on how to achieve them. And that simple, public statement would make a world of difference to the American people toward unification. However, this brings us back around to the fact that, sometimes, the "INTENTION + SO THAT" is, indeed, division or confusion or self gain. Still, it would clarify things for individuals, the small group (congress) and the large group (the country) to hear "INTENTION + SO THAT" stated succinctly, wouldn't it? The tie-in between all of these comments is that, YES-stating a clear "INTENTION + SO THAT" is extremely powerful!
Powerful video Chad! Intention is so crucial. As I work in higher ed, many departments can have different goals/targets. I'll be borrowing the "So that" statement when I go into meetings, speak with other directors, and look to increase buy-in from others. Thank you as always! I know you're always helping us and sharing valuable information, but please feel free to ask us questions or share how we can contribute to help you and your work/channel grow! Stay well Chad! -Robinson Cajamarca
Thanks for that reminder/invite, Robinson! I might have to send out a "call to action" video to help share and grow the channel. For now, thanks for subscribing and always jumping in to share some great thoughts!
Great video Chad. We've been having morning "meetings" with our kids and our son hasn't totally bought in yet. We'll be more clear with our intention of these meetings moving forward.
Mike, for decades now, I've been a mentor to teens and young adults as well as a family advocate and facilitator (since "kids" are usually part of families). I don't know how old your son is; but you may be able to take Chad's "INTENTION + SO THAT" and add even more value if you start with a question for, asking for your son's input (if he's old enough), e.g., "What do YOU THINK our intention is [with this meeting / with this consequence / with this comment]?" You may learn quite a lot that help you learn what is and isn't that "buy-in commodity" in his thinking. It's possible that his ideas about your motives may provide valuable insights that allow you to focus/clarify your "INTENTION + SO THAT." AND it's possible that, because he will be given the opportunity to state your intention FIRST, he may have some realization coming through his own heart, mind and mouth that IS EXACTLY your "INTENTION + SO THAT." Either way, buy-in should increase.
Yay Chad! This is excellent: simple, to the point, soooo practical and effective! I would add a word of caution: the high level common result needs to be really relevant to your listeners, otherwise you might sound naive or insincere. Negative example: my intention for this comment is to add my two cents so that we can all work towards world peace.
100% truth written and shared with a hilarious example!! Thanks you, Lisa. I also needed to hear this today before I fly out to share and practice the concept with 200 faculty. I needed this reminder. I have totally fallen into the naïveté trap in moments by overpromising what is possible given existing restraints. Thank you!
Love hearing that, Cate! Trying to get better about sharing one or a couple really compelling ideas in videos rather than packing in EVERYTHING into a little video. Glad this one worked so well for you 🙂
5 minute mark. WOW. i want to share so many things and ask so many questions (this might even need a new deck of cards, smiiiiile) - this. i think thiiiiis is the power of raw, uncut content - i saw myself in you, and alllll the times i struggled to compose myself and express something clear, in one cohesive sentence, while my brain is thinking of a paragraph..... and some words are in korean. (",). talk about intention - and my currency was accessibility/relatability - i will pause here and say i shall borrow a phrase from a colleague: failing forward. ;-)
one 'last'. first time to use this phrase, which some colleagues think is 'perhaps somewhat overused'. i think it is a refreshing reframe. reminds me of one your videos about failure..........
@@jeWElleOfTheTable always love hearing your internal dialogue out loud, JeWElle! I have had a history of different thoughts when I watch back my videos (which is somewhat rare now). At this point, my main thought is honestly "done is genuinely 100% better than perfect." There are always 12 things I'd love to change/add/amend with every video. But if I did that, they'd never see the light of day. Imperfection can make a far greater positive impact IMHO because it's actually realistic to "ship" imperfection. Keep in mind this is all coming from a perfectionist, bahaha.
Thank you! Great video as always. Can I ask for advice here? :-} The main work I'm doing now is fundraising for a non-profit. (I'm retirement age and 100% devoted and passionate volunteer.) I have lots of meetings with donors or potential donors. Any thoughts on the "so that" portion of the statement? What's in it for them to give money is making a difference in. the lives of kids. The benefit for the donors is not tangible but it's very real if that makes sense. "My intention for this time together is to share the vision so that we can make a difference in the lives of kids in the region and beyond." We know that giving is a big benefit to the giver but do they need to hear that now? Help!!! (I don't have a background in fundraising and we may get professional help at some point but right now it's mostly me.)
Aha, if you're not sure what "currency" people really care about in order to fill in the "..so that..." then I would first suggest ... asking people ... what does motivate you to give money? Or asking experienced fundraiser...what do donors say as to the reason they give? Perhaps there you will find your answer. I imagine for many it would be SO THAT ... they can continue making an impact without their back and their brains. Or perhaps some will be motivated "so that" they can extend their families legacy or "so that" they could give kids the same chances they were once given. Etc. etc. It'll be different for each person, but I'll bet that when you find it, you'll know because you'll get a resounding head nod. And maybe even a check haha.
@@chad.littlefield You're so spot on, Chad. It happens that I spoke with a friend who's a professional fundraising consultant. She taught me to ask directly "What's the most meaningful gift (donation) you've given?" Then ask why. Now you know what motivates the giver. In the meantime, I've been studying fundraising and I've learned that all philanthropists give because they want to make an impact in the world. They each have a different priorities about the causes they give to (the impact they want to have) so asking them directly makes all the difference. Even in, and maybe especially in, fundraising, connection before content matters. I got your We!Connect Cards for our board retreat in October.😃🙏
When I facilitate writing retreats I always begin the day with a five minute session where everyone writes down their intention for the day. I ask "How will you feel at the end of the day?" "What do you hope to accomplish in the time we have together?" Then at the end of the day pretty much everyone has arrived at the place they intended to. Very powerful. Great tool. (and I left my plea for advice in another comment)
100% beautiful! To borrow Matt Church's language, "state matters more than script." And what you are inviting people to do is point toward the state they would love to land in. Lovely!
Intention. So much comes down to intentionality. Thanks Chad for illuminating this powerful concept.
Your content is so good! Thank you for sharing all these great ideas. I have a statewide training this week and will be using some of your ideas...can't wait to see how it all goes. So thankful I found your channel.
Susan, love hearing this. Thanks for taking the time, thought, and INTENTION to leave this comment. The more important a meeting, the more important it is to get clear about your intention. All of us in the UA-cam comments are rooting for you and your statewide meeting, Susan! You rock.
This is absolute gold Chad! Thank you. My intent is to ensure that when I send a calendar invite to faculty members I always state my intent for the session. From now onwards!
Absolute gold! I love hearing that, @Leanne! Crazy powerful to infuse intentions into calendar invites no doubt!
Love this. Thank you
I really love this idea, Chad! Thank you! I've already started using it.
So simple and easy to implement, right?!?
As ever, I would like to have a three-hour conversation with you over this content. But I'll throw out a few things that came to me while watching/listening. I will share these SO THAT you will feel loved and know how much I appreciate you, and SO THAT we can potentially connect over some fun new thoughts prompted by your sharing here.
You mentioned that "SO THAT" eliminates the need for manipulation. You framed that in terms of the receiver. It's also important from the perspective of the SPEAKER, as thinking in terms of "INTENTION + SO THAT" may expose in the speaker some form of manipulation. If there is hesitation on the part of the speaker to honestly express the "INTENTION + SO THAT," then manipulation is present and being guarded. And this does happen. In fact, some in positions of leadership COUNT ON confusion or lack of clarity regarding the "INTENTION + SO THAT" (i.e., the "SO THAT" is "... so that people will be confused or misled").
Regardless of the motives of the "obvious leader" in a situation, as you note, a leader is anyone who wants to see something done differently than it is being done now. In that regard, even if someone is "only" a participant in a meeting (whether in a business, a family, etc.) and not "the main speaker," there is value in ASKING FOR clarification on the "INTENTION + SO THAT." I even love the framework for the question version: "Would you let me/us know your intention for this meeting/conversation? It would help me/us invest more fully if you would state the intention followed by 'so that...'" Maybe this happens during the meeting, maybe in private afterward. But it certainly would change the dynamic. I often employ a version of this when people come to me with a question, the intention of which feels unclear to me: "Before I reply, what are you hoping to gain from asking me this question?" (or "What caused you to want to ask me this question?"). The SO THAT with which the person answers will inform how (and sometimes even IF) I will answer; because there is a world of difference between "SO THAT I can argue" or "SO THAT I can justify a preconceived notion I have"... and "SO THAT I can gain some valued insight while I consider this further."
In fact, isn't stating "INTENTION + SO THAT" something we all could benefit from asking internally during our "meetings with self" (e.g., regular times of self-reflection) that would allow us to clearly see what things we've taken on that maybe we need to let go of, or places where we've lost our original "SO THAT" along the way and need to reconnect with that "why"?
On what may seem a tangent here, I recently had a conversation with someone about politics-a topic I generally avoid for a host of reasons, chief among them that A.) I've never known someone to be 'talked into' changing a political position and B.) it seems to be a point of division among people who then forget how very much they have in COMMON with one another. But I expressed that I'd love to see a publicly recorded session of congress for which the entire INTENTION is "to voice ONLY those things we unanimously agree on" SO THAT "we as members of congress and the American people can see that we are united in far more ways than we need to continue to be divided." A list could be formed (much as a bill would be) in private sessions, taking suggestions from all present to form the INTENTION list prior to the live/recorded session where each item from the list could simply be read aloud with a show of hands of who is in agreement with that item. (For instance, "I want our children to be safe" or "I want America to prosper" or "I want the United States to earn a reputation for trust and respect across the world" or "I want Americans to feel united instead of divided," etc.) I think if congress would ever do this, they'd realize that even they themselves share many INTENTIONS; they just disagree on how to achieve them. And that simple, public statement would make a world of difference to the American people toward unification.
However, this brings us back around to the fact that, sometimes, the "INTENTION + SO THAT" is, indeed, division or confusion or self gain. Still, it would clarify things for individuals, the small group (congress) and the large group (the country) to hear "INTENTION + SO THAT" stated succinctly, wouldn't it?
The tie-in between all of these comments is that, YES-stating a clear "INTENTION + SO THAT" is extremely powerful!
Thought provoking. I want to think deeper about the relationship between getting clear about ones' intention and manipulation.
Powerful video Chad! Intention is so crucial. As I work in higher ed, many departments can have different goals/targets. I'll be borrowing the "So that" statement when I go into meetings, speak with other directors, and look to increase buy-in from others.
Thank you as always! I know you're always helping us and sharing valuable information, but please feel free to ask us questions or share how we can contribute to help you and your work/channel grow!
Stay well Chad!
-Robinson Cajamarca
Thanks for that reminder/invite, Robinson! I might have to send out a "call to action" video to help share and grow the channel. For now, thanks for subscribing and always jumping in to share some great thoughts!
Great video Chad. We've been having morning "meetings" with our kids and our son hasn't totally bought in yet. We'll be more clear with our intention of these meetings moving forward.
Mike, for decades now, I've been a mentor to teens and young adults as well as a family advocate and facilitator (since "kids" are usually part of families). I don't know how old your son is; but you may be able to take Chad's "INTENTION + SO THAT" and add even more value if you start with a question for, asking for your son's input (if he's old enough), e.g., "What do YOU THINK our intention is [with this meeting / with this consequence / with this comment]?" You may learn quite a lot that help you learn what is and isn't that "buy-in commodity" in his thinking. It's possible that his ideas about your motives may provide valuable insights that allow you to focus/clarify your "INTENTION + SO THAT." AND it's possible that, because he will be given the opportunity to state your intention FIRST, he may have some realization coming through his own heart, mind and mouth that IS EXACTLY your "INTENTION + SO THAT." Either way, buy-in should increase.
@@eriktyler6402 Thanks Erik. Good suggestion. He's 7 but he's definitely old enough to get it.
You are 100% "meaningfully useful." Thanks for being authentic with us! I took notes :)
Too kind! Thank you x5.
I am a fan of your content. Thank you Chad for sharing your valuable experience with us.
Thanks, mate! Glad to have you as a part of the channel!
Simple, clear and totally executable tip. I plan to use it in a meeting I'm facilitating tomorrow. Thank you!
Yay Chad! This is excellent: simple, to the point, soooo practical and effective! I would add a word of caution: the high level common result needs to be really relevant to your listeners, otherwise you might sound naive or insincere. Negative example: my intention for this comment is to add my two cents so that we can all work towards world peace.
100% truth written and shared with a hilarious example!! Thanks you, Lisa. I also needed to hear this today before I fly out to share and practice the concept with 200 faculty. I needed this reminder. I have totally fallen into the naïveté trap in moments by overpromising what is possible given existing restraints. Thank you!
"So that..." very very useful two words. You delivered on your promise with this video. thanks!
Love hearing that, Cate! Trying to get better about sharing one or a couple really compelling ideas in videos rather than packing in EVERYTHING into a little video. Glad this one worked so well for you 🙂
5 minute mark. WOW. i want to share so many things and ask so many questions (this might even need a new deck of cards, smiiiiile) - this. i think thiiiiis is the power of raw, uncut content - i saw myself in you, and alllll the times i struggled to compose myself and express something clear, in one cohesive sentence, while my brain is thinking of a paragraph..... and some words are in korean. (",). talk about intention - and my currency was accessibility/relatability - i will pause here and say i shall borrow a phrase from a colleague: failing forward. ;-)
one 'last'. first time to use this phrase, which some colleagues think is 'perhaps somewhat overused'. i think it is a refreshing reframe. reminds me of one your videos about failure..........
will watch again later juuuuust for good measure. wink wink. in the meantime - what are some of your thoughts when you watch your own videos? (",)
@@jeWElleOfTheTable always love hearing your internal dialogue out loud, JeWElle! I have had a history of different thoughts when I watch back my videos (which is somewhat rare now). At this point, my main thought is honestly "done is genuinely 100% better than perfect." There are always 12 things I'd love to change/add/amend with every video. But if I did that, they'd never see the light of day. Imperfection can make a far greater positive impact IMHO because it's actually realistic to "ship" imperfection. Keep in mind this is all coming from a perfectionist, bahaha.
perrrrrfectly said. (",) (as I walk away in awe in high heels)
What lapel mic. do you use/like? I've been looking for one, but not sure what to get.
Woooo! I like this language. I may use this for feedback as well as time. I shall at least experiment.
Experiment SO THAT you can give better and better feedback 👍👍 Love it :-)
@@chad.littlefield I intend to! :D
Thank you chad
You are welcome, Razika. Amazing how a choice of words can often be a choice of worlds!
Thank you! Great video as always. Can I ask for advice here? :-} The main work I'm doing now is fundraising for a non-profit. (I'm retirement age and 100% devoted and passionate volunteer.) I have lots of meetings with donors or potential donors. Any thoughts on the "so that" portion of the statement? What's in it for them to give money is making a difference in. the lives of kids. The benefit for the donors is not tangible but it's very real if that makes sense.
"My intention for this time together is to share the vision so that we can make a difference in the lives of kids in the region and beyond." We know that giving is a big benefit to the giver but do they need to hear that now? Help!!! (I don't have a background in fundraising and we may get professional help at some point but right now it's mostly me.)
Aha, if you're not sure what "currency" people really care about in order to fill in the "..so that..." then I would first suggest ... asking people ... what does motivate you to give money? Or asking experienced fundraiser...what do donors say as to the reason they give? Perhaps there you will find your answer. I imagine for many it would be SO THAT ... they can continue making an impact without their back and their brains. Or perhaps some will be motivated "so that" they can extend their families legacy or "so that" they could give kids the same chances they were once given. Etc. etc. It'll be different for each person, but I'll bet that when you find it, you'll know because you'll get a resounding head nod. And maybe even a check haha.
@@chad.littlefield You're so spot on, Chad. It happens that I spoke with a friend who's a professional fundraising consultant. She taught me to ask directly "What's the most meaningful gift (donation) you've given?" Then ask why. Now you know what motivates the giver.
In the meantime, I've been studying fundraising and I've learned that all philanthropists give because they want to make an impact in the world. They each have a different priorities about the causes they give to (the impact they want to have) so asking them directly makes all the difference.
Even in, and maybe especially in, fundraising, connection before content matters.
I got your We!Connect Cards for our board retreat in October.😃🙏
Bravo!
Mashallah
You are welcome :-)