First Day Back

Today was my first day back at PULSE.  I have been on sabbatical working with Parks Canada for a year now.  It was different not to rise at 5 am and be at work in downtown Calgary by 7am, taking meetings with people in the east who were musch wider awake than you.  It was different to have time in my day to think about what I might do the rest of this week and next and for the rest of my life.  It is liberating and frightening all at the same time.  It seems that in my life that is often the case.  I am most frightened when I am most free.

I had meetings today to reestablish PULSE connections and redefine relationships.  It was very nice to be back.

A question that arose while we were chatting this morning was around a definition for a PULSE professional.  I have said before that my goal now is to serve those who have had PULSE training and would like some individual or team coaching on how to use this valuable and universal tool for conversations.  But what does it mean to be a PULSE professional?  When I say that or when I hear it the meaning I attribute relates to a set of attitudes, skills and knowledge that together mean you can calm a room just by entering it.  If you are dealing with a PULSE professional you are dealing with someone who understands the dynamics of human behaviour in a way that makes them skillful in leading conversations for sustainable change.  It is the sociological approach to defining behaviours and how to change them for positive changes that makes PULSE different.  If you are a mediator and not a PULSE Professional you will have a different sense of what is necessary in a conversation for everyone to feel honoured and for outcomes or plans of actions to be sustainable.  If you are a coach and not a PULSE professional your coach approach may lack the wisdom that comes from familiarity with the D.O. points, the sociological construct that defines and explains and can predict the human response in conversation.  If you work with people and your methods include words and conversation and you are a PULSE professional you see the conversation differently and you understand the essential elements of quality conversations for change.

I noticed this in my work with Parks.  I could calm a room just by walking in.  I could calm a client in very short time no the phone.  It was not just the attitude because a caring attitude without the knowledge or confidence to help will not have the same calming effect.  It was not just the skills because alone skills are missing the necessary compassion.  It was not the knowledge of theory alone.  Theory informs everything PULSE including the practice but with only the knowledge of how good conversations work and not the appreciative attitude or the  skillful use of language the impact is reduced.  the right combination of Attitude, Skills and Knowledge creates PULSE Professionals.  They are people who listen well, assess the situation well, know what to do and how to do it and who lead people to new decisions everyday with gentle, honest, open, specific talk.

I created a poll on linked in about PULSE professionals.  It is in a group Marjorie and I started a long time ago for PULSE Professionals.  If you have PULSE training or you are interested in what makes someone a PULSE professional please join the group and enter the dialog with us.  Help us build the definition.

And by the way… I am looking for work.