Grace and peace

These two elements are essential to collaboration in any creative setting. So what exactly are they and how can they be fostered?

Every time I join a new creative team or enter a job setting I want to do my part to establish the most effective atmosphere for excellent work. It's no secret that one of the main reasons people leave their jobs is because of people they work with or for. Lets be frank and own the fact that we all have flaws or gaps and sometimes they create a "rub." To be effective and flourish you have to forebear and look beyond these personal gaps. I discovered there are things I can do to create a positive work environment when laboring with colleagues. My desire is to pay it forward and initiate efforts to build a great experience. I have two values I always strive to live out within the team I am assigned and for which I have a role. The first value is grace or the aim to relate well by being positive, and finding qualities in my teammates that I can verbally affirm. If there is opportunity to affirm that quality in front of others, all the better. This is not flattery but a genuine recognition of another person's character and/or gifts. When we verbally "recognize" the positive qualities or gifts of another we provide motivation for them to energize the team in a meaningful way. In a related sense they "grace" the team with something important. Grace is something we freely give each other and if we're generous it pays in spades. This second sense of grace is a strength, gift, skill, or talent found in another. It is their "gift" to the team and/or client. It's bountiful because its natural to them and they freely use it to benefit all. It's their passion to use it well. This empowers the team to excel.

The second value is peace. I love words because they help me find the right visuals in design communication. The etymology of this word brings illumination to its role in collaboration. The Greek language can be very precise and with this word the idea of "connection" is fundamental. Common ground among colleagues is the surest way to establish intellectual honesty and connection. Everyone on the same page. I think of synergy and relational chemistry when I think of peace. It is well being in the widest sense. It also carries the idea of harmony or wholeness, particularly with reference to relationship. The Hebrew word supports these ideas. Shalom not only means the absence of conflict, but the complete satiation of the soul. There may be instances when team members disagree but the spirit here is connection. We need to overcome anything that might hinder this. My desire is to be connected to my team and facilitate each members connection wherever possible. When each team member uses their gifts contributing to the whole there is great satisfaction for everyone. A team with synergy (peace) will be effective and successful. Grace contributes to strong connections. Everyone brings their strength (grace) and collaboration is realized.

When thinking about the lead image for this piece I was trying to find something that brings both concepts together. I love fly fishing and even though the photo does not show a team per se, the focus is the individual. The "relationship" of you with your strength(s). We are responsible to bring our strength(s) to a team and share them generously. Fly fishing is an art. It's all about presentation. It's a learned skill that takes time to master, and normally practiced in a peaceful environment, highlighting your relationship with strengths and presenting them for success. As a reflective exercise you're always thinking about what fly to use, how to present it, and where. It's a reflection on what you're doing. A connection with self and the setting. In the end your relationship to your gifts is prior to your relationship to a team. We are replaceable. There will always be others who are better at a skill. Be sober in your estimation of self. Elevated eyes rarely serve you or any team well. Be grateful for what you have, but also for those around you. Think about how you can bring grace and peace to your team. Reflect. Try to find the strengths and ways in others that you can genuinely affirm by saying, "This is what I really like about you..." Think about when and how it would be most appropriate to communicate this to a teammate. Like diamonds in gold settings, is word spoken in right circumstances. Develop the art of bringing grace and peace to the collaborative process.