Paper Napkins

I wonder how many life-changing, innovative ideas were first expressed on a paper napkin.  Paper-napkin moments occur over a meal, or coffee, with family, friends or colleagues.  The inspired content that spills out onto the napkin represents an innovation, or a solution.  I’ve certainly experienced my share of paper-napkin-moments in my life, and many of those paper-napkin-ideas are now tangible realities.  Those moments of innovation and problem-solving are a beautiful thing, and there’s a key dynamic present each time that they occur….

These days, I’m rarely separated from my Macbook, or my iPhone, so the paper napkin has given way to my favorite digital note taking software, Evernote.  I take a lot of notes, and I think, write and strategize daily.  I deeply value my quiet contemplation, but there’s an irreplaceable dynamic in my life that facilitates many of my creative breakthroughs.  That dynamic is meaningful conversations with trusted friends.

I work and serve alongside some amazing leaders, and I am blessed to have many wise and creative friends.  I take full advantage of my key relationships by engaging in regular, meaningful conversations.  Some of these conversations revolve around professional opportunities and challenges.  Other of my meaningful conversations revolve around personal opportunities and challenges.  Whatever the topic, there’s no better context for breakthroughs than the dynamic that occurs when trusted friends process life together….

Great ideas and bold solutions are discovered as we refine our hopes and dreams through meaningful conversations.   

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you know that one of the catalysts for growing our faith is meaningful conversations with trusted friends that share your faith.  At my church, Longleaf Church, we move people into small groups where providential relationships can often be found and where meaningful conversations can happen.  As a step to further employ this powerful dynamic, I’ve created a simple system for you, and me.  It’s a way for us to have powerful conversations.  I call it Peer Coaching, and it’s been bouncing around in my head for the past five years…

I’ve had innumerable meaningful conversations within leadership, entrepreneurial and personal contexts that facilitated breakthroughs for me.  There are opportunities and challenges in our hearts and minds that we need to unpack.  There are important questions that we need to consider.  There are God-sized dreams within us that are just waiting to be incubated into great ideas.  There are things that we are learning that we want to share.  We must leverage the power of meaningful conversations to become the person that we were meant to be.

So, if we recognize the power of meaningful conversations, why not take it to the next level by adding a little structure to it?  Imagine if we used a conversation guide that allows us to systematically ask, and answer, powerful questions with trusted friends?  That’s what my System 16:3 Peer Coaching template is for.  It’s a simple and effective catalyst for meaningful conversations.  Go HERE to learn more about it and to start using it immediately!

Have you ever experienced a paper napkin moment?  Was a trusted friend collaborating with you in that moment?