Learning the Daily 5 Minutes: Our Weekly Review

If you’ve skimmed ahead, looking down this page, it looks long.
It may be long if you are newly joining us here at Talking Story.

For most of you however, this is a brief review of the highlights of our past week here, for we’ve been in full-on project mode, and you’ll be happy to know I think it’s time we take a break. Breathing space…

Those who know our Talking Story habits know that we dedicate Saturday mornings to our Weekly Review, for I would be quite the lost soul without them, so let’s review. At the end I will preview what is to come in the next two days leading to our D5M Alpha Challenge.

We have covered a LOT this week. The post contains several reference links, and if you hover your mouse over them I have included post titles to help you where the linked words differ, but if you’ve followed along this week you won’t need to take any of them. (And this really isn’t that long :)

Let’s get started, for it’s Halloween, and chocolate awaits somewhere”

— The month of October marks an annual Ho‘ohana [intentional work strategy] for us called “Sweet Closure.” The goal: We close our year’s projects early so we can fully enjoy the holidays to come for ‘Imi ola [proactively creating our best possible life.]

This year, I declared this final week of October dedicated to a rediscovery of The Daily 5 Minutes, saying:

I can think of no better way to celebrate wrapping up our annual Sweet Closure initiative than with the single best tool a person wanting to “live, work, manage and lead with Aloha” can learn, for in part, Sweet Closure is about getting your focus back on what is essential, and away from what is not.

Here’s why we love the Daily 5 Minutes:

1. It’s simple (to learn). It’s a new conversation.
2. It’s easy to do. It happens between two human beings; no software, no hardware.
3. Once it’s your habit, you can’t fail at it. Your good intention with completely listening to other human beings turns into relationship Aloha which is transformational.

Those are the same reasons (and we went into each in a bit more detail) I push you (and every manager who’ll listen) to try it.

— Then we announced a web-based alpha test which would add a virtual learning environment for D5M practitioners and first-time learners, built around peer-to-peer support and encouragement: It is completely free to those of you who participate, and will last for 15 consecutive days, helping you build your own D5M habit in the Managing with Aloha way —with me as your coach.

— When the challenge begins on Monday, November 2nd the sign-up will be closed, and those taking the challenge will find they are in a private peer-to-peer coaching group. No observers or lookie-loos; everyone there will be just like you: Committed to giving the Daily 5 Minutes to another person as a listening gift at least once each day for the next 15 days.

You will be able to log your Daily 5 Minutes, and briefly journal your experience, sharing as much or as little as you wish. As your coach, I plan to have a D5M tip-a-day planned for you. I’ve drafted my tips for the first 5-7 days, anticipating that my tips thereafter will be custom crafted for the experience of the group.

I have done this quite a bit on a per workplace basis. This is an alpha in two ways:

1. For Ruzuku.com
   Their official launch was just announced yesterday: Ruzuku is here. We’ve launched the Ruzuku alpha.
2. As an open-call for D5M habit-building without company affiliation
   My Managing with Aloha culture coaching provides our value-alignment, and those participating may be adopting the D5M for personal and professional networks outside the workplace.

— Next, we set about creating a brand new D5M Resource Page we could use as our one-stop companion once we get into the alpha itself — kind of a cross-referencing index, for when we are in the 15-day alpha test (from November 2 to November 17) life will go on here on Talking Story for those in our Ho‘ohana Community who are not participating (Hey it’s cool, the time may not be right for everyone.)

We have written about The Daily 5 Minutes quite a bit — it works, making it easy to believe in it — and so searching for “the facts ma’am, just the facts” can take you a while (Google Rosa Say Daily 5 Minutes and 92,400 results come up). Editing the fat out of my own writing alone was another reason for the new D5M Resource Page, and on it you will find the basics and a listing of most relevant resource links.

Here is a day-by-day recap:

Monday: The Daily 5 Minutes: An exciting alpha test!
Our alpha announcement included a brief D5M primer.

Tuesday: So, you think you’re approachable huh?
About our Intimidation Factor. We all have one. Problem is, if you are unapproachable, people are not telling you what you need to know. Not all of it.

Wednesday: D5M-ing your Decisions: See with your ears.
In our language of intention, D5M-ing is a listening verb. D5M-ing your Decisions means to blend the Daily 5 Minutes practice of better listening with your decision-making. Can you see with your ears?

Thursday: Ready, set, alpha!
We share a bit more of what you can expect in the alpha with Ruzuku.com.

Friday: The Daily 5 Minutes: How to Get Started

The Daily 5 Minutes will be optimally effective for you if you use the first one you do with someone as a time to set the stage, letting them know what it’s all about. For remember: You have read my articles about it, but chances are they haven’t!

Two invitations are covered:

1. Within a workplace team
2. Within a personal network

Coming up:

Sunday, November 1st:
There is one more resource article I would like to review before our alpha begins, a fresh update brought over from ManagingwithAloha.com: The Daily 5 Minutes / 9 Questions

Monday, November 2nd:
Our alpha begins! We will kick it off with a very short posting of some final recommendations.