This document summarizes a workshop on developing soft skills by focusing on optimism, collaboration, and sharing positive possibilities. The workshop consisted of exercises where participants reflected on how they stay optimistic, shared problems and collaborated with others to find solutions, and discussed aspects of their work that they are enthusiastic about. Maintaining a positive attitude and outlook was emphasized as important for meaningful work in planning and affecting positive change.

1. Developing Soft Skills:
Putting
POSSIBILITY
back into
PRACTICE
PAMELA SWEET • FCIP, RPP STEVE FRITH • MCIP, RPP
VANCOUVER 2013
PLANNING INSTITUTE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS
JULY 8, 2013

2. PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE
Outline of Workshop
1. Introduction
2. Adopting a Positive Attitude
3. Collaboration and Vulnerability
4. Sharing Positive Possibility
5. Wrap up and Continuing the Conversation

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Planners are
NATURALLY
Optimistic
Ann McAfee
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE
(Planner)

4. • Don‟t “Curb your
enthusiasm”
• Renew your
enthusiasm for
planning
• Put the zip into
planning
• How to stay
optimistic
• Asked some fellow
Fellows…..
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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I always found that work was
MORE FUN than fun
Noel Coward
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Make PASSIONATE
love to your city
Paul Bedford
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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A planner has to be
VISIONARY and
BELIEVE that one‟s
contributions will
make a difference
N.Tunnacliffe
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Seek and seize NEW
OPPORTUNITIES even
when we are out of our
comfort zone. Travel, hang
out with young people, think
about city building through
the eyes of non-planners
Marni Cappe
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Nothing succeeds like
SUCCESS
John Livey
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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When I feel pessimistic, with further searching
optimism will return. It always does.
Ray Spaxman
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Life is full of misery,
loneliness and
suffering- and it‟s all
over much too soon
Woody Allen
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Optimism? It makes
us look naive and ill-
informed. I like
realism
Joe Berridge
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Thinking that I am
doing the right thing
and helping make
things better, even in a
modest way
John Steil
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Stay connected with
students. Their
ENERGY and
OPTIMISM is
contagious
Gerry Couture
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Students seek advice and in turn impart
their enthusiasm for their career ahead
Ann McAfee
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Welcome women into
planning. They bring a
CONSTRUCTIVE &
COLLABORATIVE
approach to the business
which helps society move
forward
N. Tunnacliffe (a man)
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Have a sense of
HUMOUR and don‟t
be afraid to share it
Mary Bishop
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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“If you‟re not fired
with enthusiasm,
you‟ll be fired, with
enthusiasm.”
Vince Lombardi, NFL coach
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Planners get to place a small mark on the canvas
of those who came before us. Lucky us.
F .Lewinberg
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

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Planning is based on faith:
You must BELIEVE in a future;
That this future could be better;
That this possibly better future can be achieved through human efforts;
That the human efforts involved include planning.
Hok-Lin Leung
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

21. EXERCISE #1 – Adopting a Positive Attitude
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE
1. Reflection- How do you
stay optimistic? (on
post-it notes write one
strategy per note)
2. Share with your group
3. Stick similar strategies
together

22. PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE
Nothing great was ever achieved
WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM•
R. W. Emerson

23. PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

24. PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

25. In admitting our WEAKNESSES,
we find STRENGTH•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

26. By expressing UNCERTAINTY,
we earn TRUST•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

27. And by acting with HUMILITY,
we gain CONFIDENCE•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

28. These are PARADOXES•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

29. These PARADOXES
of vulnerability are for us,
the key to achieving
TRUE COLLABORATION•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

30. EXERCISE #2 – Inviting Collaboration Through Invitation
IN PAIRINGS OF TWO:
1. Share a problem (use „I feel‟ statements).
2. The responder identifies and expresses empathy
for the person sharing the problem.
3. The responder then asks a question to embark
upon collaboration and possibility.
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

31. The last of human freedoms
is the ability to CHOOSE ONE’S
ATTITUDE in any given set of
circumstances•
Viktor Frankl
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

32. Is this FEAR
just here to destroy me
or to tell me
to do SOMETHING
about it?
Immaculée Ilibagiza
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

33. From these stories, and our own
professional experience, no one can
ever take our ATTITUDE or
DIGNITY away from us•
These are ours,
AND OURS ALONE•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

34. POSITIVE
ENERGY
COLLEAGUESGRATITUDE
GENEROSITY
POSSIBILITY
AFFIRMATION
CITIZENS
CLIENTS
FAMILY
FRIENDSPOSITIVITY
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

35. Why is this IMPORTANT?
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

36. It is important because
our work MATTERS•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

37. We can affect a
GREATER GOOD
when we ENVISION
a positive future with positive
investments toward positive change•
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

38. EXERCISE #3 – Sharing Positive Possibility
IN PAIRINGS OF TWO (WITH A DIFFERENT STRANGER):
1. Convey something about your work that you are looking
forward to and why.
2. The respondent acknowledges the person‟s enthusiasm
(echoes this) and shows an understanding of what it is
about.
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PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE

39. Continuing the conversation:
CIP new web site blog- Andrew Sacret,
Director, Policy & Public Affairs, CIP
Other ideas?
PUTTING POSSIBILITY BACK INTO PRACTICE