Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

New ideas are often met with criticism and concern. In this episode, Kirsten and I review a number of strategies individuals and leaders can employ to overcome obstacles to change. Midway through this episode, we talk to author and leadership expert Lyle Kirtman who has worked extensively with business, government, and educational leaders. In this far ranging interview, Lyle explains why change initiatives often fail and explains how leaders can increase the likelihood of change success.

Our lives are rarely linear. Most of us start out "here" and then make a series of twists and turns. In this series we're calling "Transformation Stories," we interview one individual about how they came to be where they are now – aligned with who they really are and where they want to be in life. In this episode, we talk with Mike Johnson. Mike's work life began in the corporate world, but he exited that highway for a series of careers without which, he says, wouldn't have allowed him to retire at age 52.

You or your organization are stuck. How do you break free and come up with new ideas to help you move forward? Dr. Esmilda Abreu, Getting Unstuck's producer, interviews hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler to share a few systematic methods for helping teams and individuals generate break-through ideas. Kirsten shares six key steps toward creating an effective Innovation Lab. Jeff closes the show with a coaching technique to break fixedness and shift thinking by adopting multiple perspectives.

Here, Kirsten is interviewed by Joe Kwon, our friend and host of the uniquely formatted "Why It Works" podcast. We'll learn what motivated Kirsten to give up the relative safety of a full time position and step out on her own as an innovation consultant. Kirsten and Joe will discuss common misconceptions people have around innovation, what holds us back from innovating, and how we can move beyond our "fixedness" to creatively engage ourselves and employees to increase the likelihood of reaching our goals.

Here, Jeff is interviewed by Joe Kwon, our friend and host of the uniquely formatted "Why It Works" podcast. We'll learn why Jeff chose coaching as a follow-up to his career in educational publishing, the main challenges he faced in shifting from that career to coaching, and some foundational coaching principles such as being stuck in the first place, having a hidden commitment not to change, and how our inner critic can hold us back from leading the life we really want.

Effective change leaders acknowledge what is holding them back. Hosts Jeff and Kirsten explain how individuals and organizations can recognize how systemic and self-imposed obstacles – the inner critic, bad habits, and self-defeating stories – can stand in their way of moving toward their desired goals. Jeff interviews expert storyteller Sarah Elkins, who shares her experiences, and challenges us to take control not only of which stories we tell ourselves, but how we tell them.

Unlock your potential to get unstuck by actively envisioning your ideal future state. Host Jeff Ikler interviews educator Dr. Melissa Hughes, author of Happy Hour with Einstein. Dr. Hughes shares her insights on how the brain works and how to harness what we know about neuroscience to build cultures of learning and leadership. Co-host Kirsten Richert offers brain-friendly methods you can use with groups to visualize a successful future and capture key elements to activate change.

In this podcast, we look at how those exploring a potential change can ready themselves and or their organization by learning more about the broader external environment, including trends in society, economics, new technology, and other parts of the big picture. "Getting Unstuck" co-host Kirsten Richert is joined by our producer Dr. Esmilda Abreu and special guest Carl Fengler who runs the Ignition Lab at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

In this episode, hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler recommend the counterintuitive strategy of pausing – intentionally slowing down to conduct an internal scan to fully grasp what's underlying the state of being stuck. For individuals, Jeff Ikler suggests asking powerful questions, taking personal assessments, and engaging in specific activities as ways to unlock greater understanding. For organizations, Kirsten Richert recommends gathering customer and staff input through observations, interviews, questionnaires.

In this episode, hosts Kirsten Richert and Jeff Ikler review the "why" behind their respective practices of serving as an innovation catalyst for organizations, and a career and leadership coach for individuals. They then dive into the world of being stuck and the phases that one goes through to get unstuck. The critical first stage is accepting that you are stuck in the first place. At this stage, you acknowledge your discomfort and begin to contemplate change.