January 2012 Newsletter

RFL Alumni Connection January 2012

New RFL Session this year!

Crucial Conversations with Stacy Nelson

During the January leadership meeting we looked at what 30 years of research has revealed about one of the most important leadership skills---holding a crucial conversation effectively.  A crucial conversation is defined as a conversation where the stakes are high, the opinions are opposing and the emotions are strong.  When individuals and teams from different backgrounds, departments, and specialties learn how to willingly and effectively surface and discuss ideas in a way that leads to alignment and agreement, it leads to better results and stronger working relationships.

No matter the strategy, structure or process a business may implement in order to get better business results, it is only as good as the willingness of employees to confront violations of the strategy, structure or process.   What you permit is what you promote.  The skills of crucial conversations can aid employees at all levels to learn to speak openly and honestly, holding each other accountable. When taught, these skills inevitably result in rapid, sustainable, and wide- reaching positive changes in the results that you care about the most.

To learn more about these skills, you may want to read the best selling book: Crucial Conversations.  Learning these skills can not only change your business, but change your life.

Class Testimonial

“So far, this session topic has been the most insightful for me and Stacy did a great job conveying his message!”

Eric Montemayor, Class of 2012

Leadership Read:

Crucial Conversations

Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Kerry Patterson (Author), Joseph Grenny (Author), Ron McMillan (Author), Al Switzler (Author)

The New York Times bestseller that changed the way millions communicate

“[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
—from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here’s how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations.”
—Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®

The first edition of Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene and revolutionized the way millions of people communicate when stakes are high. This new edition gives you the tools to:

•    Prepare for high-stakes situations

•    Transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue

•    Make it safe to talk about almost anything

    Be persuasive, not abrasive

Support your local Booksellers as part of RFL's Team 3/50 Project and order or pick up this book locally:

Explore Booksellers

221 East Main Street  Aspen, CO 81611-1996

(970) 925-5336

http://www.explorebooksellers.com/book-order

Book Train

723 Grand Avenue  Glenwood Springs, CO 81601-3401

(970) 945-7045

Catch up on the Current RFL Class

We will highlight a few class members throughout the year, so check them out and stay tuned for more. 

Nathan Lindquist: City Planner with the City of Rifle. Nathan holds a BA in History from the University of North Carolina – Asheville and a Masters in City Planning from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.  When Nathan is dreaming big, he imagines how the Colorado and Roaring Fork Valleys can realize their potential for a sustainable regional economy.  The rest of the time he works on projects like the new Rifle Community Garden and being Chair of Rifle Young Professionals. Through RFL, Nathan expects to gain leadership skills and build relationships with a lot of great people in the valley.

Mark Goodman: President, Mark Richards Fine Outerwear. Mark attended Syracuse University and has worked in private business his whole career. He is an Aikido instructor with CMC and involved on various boards and committees in the Aspen area. Mark believes in personal growth and is a perpetual student of life. He likes to get out of his comfort zone to change his patterns and increase his effectiveness on a daily basis. 

Jeff Rice: Utilities Energy Efficiency Manager with the City of Aspen. Jeff holds a BA in Social Science from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis on Medical Anthropology. Jeff is the Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Region Utility Efficiency Exchange, a board member on the Recharge Colorado Executive Council, and on the Advisory Committee to the Governor’s Energy Office Residential Building Energy Efficiency Program. With RFL he expects to gain new leadership skills that will expand beyond the work place and permeate into his whole life.

Farrah Roberts: Senior Vice President, Alpine Bank in Carbondale. Farrah has worked with Alpine Bank for 18 years in many different roles. She attended CU in the Graduate School of Banking program. She has been active in her community serving on the Carbondale Community Chamber Board and the Board at Blue Lake Preschool. Farrah strives to be that person in the community that you think of right away when you need direction for a project or support.

Will Roush: Conservation advocate with the Wilderness Workshop. Will has a BA in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College in Vermont and a Masters in Geography from the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Will serves on several non-profit boards including the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. Will is committed to working on environmental issues and hopes RFL’s program can help him achieve his goals of protecting wild lands as part of the environmental movement. 

RFL Happy Hour
Next Friday in Glenwood!

February 3, 2012
5:15-7PM
Springs Downtown 
Bar and Grill

722 Grand Ave near the bridge in downtown GWS.
Local Owners Cindy and Rob Rightmire will be setting up an RFL area in the restaurant with some local specials. They are very excited to have us!

Thank you to all our recent sponsors! 


Thrift Shop of Aspen, City of Aspen, Pitkin County, Wells Fargo and Arches Advised Fund. Your investment in RFL has a ripple effect throughout our whole community.

Donate to the RFL Scholarship fund ONLINE NOW!



If you have an article idea you would like to submit to share with Alumni, or wish to sponsor the Alumni Connection please contact: andrea@rfleadership.org