FOCUS: Addicted to Sign Holding Shared Vision; Mental Models It is a very simple project. Massoud Adibipour THE INSPIRATION You may have seen the recent youtube video on sign holding. Created and produced by Sophia Pink, it documents a young man, Massoud Adibipour, who was inspired by a hand-written sign on the back of an SUV that said, “Honk if you love someone.” Massoud made a big sign with the same message.  Other signs followed, like Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself, Kindness is Free, and Be Happy! Armed with the signs, he and several friends headed to the Washington Mall one Monday morning. What they’d intended as a “one off”, meaning a one-time thing, was so rewarding, they found themselves sign holding over and over. People honked, waved, smiled, thanked them and e-mailed kudos. They got the feeling they’d made a difference and improved people’s days. Sophia told the story with her video and it went viral. The Washington Post did a story about signing holding and soon international news stations picked up the story. The video’s worth watching. Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwYLZmkUxo) OUR EXPERIENCE So when Ruthie, my precious 14 year old granddaughter came to visit from California, we decided to try sign holding ourselves. We made a neon pink sign that said, “Honk if you love someone, and stood at busy crossroads. People honked, sometimes tooting several times. People waved; they smiled; they gave us high fives. Ruthie turned to me and said, “This is addicting.” We couldn’t tear ourselves away. Just one more traffic light. One more group. We began to notice things about the people. Those on the phone seemed oblivious, seldom honked. People sometimes had trouble reading the whole sign until they’d passed us, and then they’d honk halfway down the block. Truckers were very responsive. When people realized we weren’t selling anything, they’d look relieved, then smile….and then lie on the horn! We liked imagining they were thinking of someone they love. Tonight we went to get new supplies for more signs. We can hardly wait to go out again tomorrow!   COACHING TIPS If you were going sign holding, imagine what your signs would say. Consider actually doing it. Who will do it with you? Try it. Supplies are cheap and the rewards are big. INVITATIONS Please join Ruthie and me for a 45-minute telegathering to explore the whole subject of signholding  more deeply. Ruthie and I will consult with you about signs you are imagining, materials that work, recommend how to choose good corners, and talk about what all this means. Tuesday,July 9, 2013 at noon Eastern (11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 a.m. MT, 9:00 a.m. Pacific)  1-218-862-1300 PIN 276583.  No need to register….just call at that time! Reach me: 1-888-907-HOPE (4673)or e-mail sharon@hopellc.com. I am a personal and executive coach and would be happy to offer you a complimentary coaching session by phone. Each month FRESH VIEWS focuses on a single topic, relates it to one of the five disciplines of a learning community, and offers a coaching tip and a follow-up telegathering. Please forward it to friends and colleagues. My purpose in writing FRESH VIEWS is to nurture, prod and encourage readers to think and talk about these topics with their families, friends and colleagues. Mine is only one view. Multiple conversations may deliver us to insights only hinted at here. Such a process sustains the vitality of learning relationships, learning families, learning organizations and learning communities. Sharon Eakes | 720 Maple Lane | Sewickley, PA 15143