Kickstart Your Week ~ Cognitive Dissonance Stopping You… Fix It.
Quick recap
The meeting covered a range of topics, including personal updates from participants, discussions on cognitive dissonance and strategies for managing it, and insights into professional growth and change. Ray shared his experiences and offered advice on embracing uncertainty, fostering curiosity, and resolving internal conflicts to achieve personal and professional harmony. The group also celebrated Peter's 91st birthday and discussed plans for a birthday party.
Next steps
All attendees to identify examples in their own lives where they are struggling with cognitive dissonance.
All attendees to use the 4 action items discussed to help clients, referral partners, and teammates get breakthroughs in understanding mortgage products and processes.
Ray to provide book recommendations and YouTube video suggestions on cognitive dissonance.
Ray’s Book Recommendation: Mistakes Were Make (but not by me)
All attendees to email quotes about Pistol to Sherri for inclusion in Pistol's birthday PowerPoint presentation.
Summary
Kickstart Call: Updates and Reminders
The meeting began with Nino welcoming participants to the 85th Kickstart call, expressing gratitude for their regular attendance and encouraging engagement by being on camera. Cathy and others discussed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and shared personal updates, including Ray's mention of Erwin McManus's church situation and Janet's recent reverse ops summit in Madison. Nino reminded everyone to take notes, as the call would include special thoughts, and provided instructions on accessing past call recordings on the Fairway Ignite website.
Ray's Journey to Coaching Leadership
Ray shared his 15-year journey with Fairway Home Mortgage, starting as an area manager in the Seattle area and eventually transitioning into a corporate coaching role. He discussed how Jake recognized his coaching abilities and offered him the opportunity to focus on mentoring and consulting, which aligned with his true passion. Ray explained how he continues to serve both Fairway and Ignite, emphasizing his commitment to helping people discover and fulfill their potential.
Embracing Change Through Curiosity
Ray discussed the psychology of change, emphasizing the importance of being blunt and honest about positive aspects before addressing negative ones, and the value of curiosity in driving personal and professional growth. He highlighted that meaningful change occurs when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change, encouraging participants to embrace uncertainty and create a future by stepping out of comfort zones. Participants, including Cathy and Nino, agreed on the impact of genuine positivity and the role of curiosity in fostering creativity and breakthroughs.
Cognitive Dissonance: Understanding Internal Conflict
Ray discussed cognitive dissonance, explaining it as mental discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. He used examples like making difficult decisions, justifying unhealthy habits, and hiding embarrassing actions to illustrate how this dissonance manifests in daily life. Ray emphasized the importance of recognizing these signs to work towards resolving the internal conflict and achieving harmony in one's life.
Resolving Belief Conflicts Through Courage
Ray and Nino discussed the challenges of dealing with conflicting beliefs and values, highlighting the tension between self-justification and confession. They emphasized the importance of courage in facing dissonance and the transformative power of confession in rebuilding trust and fostering understanding. Ray stressed that seeking to understand others' beliefs through curiosity can lead to agreeing to disagree respectfully, rather than resorting to self-justification or hiding mistakes.
Resolving Cognitive Dissonance Strategies
Ray discussed strategies for managing cognitive dissonance and achieving consonance in personal and professional relationships. He emphasized the importance of asking clarifying questions, identifying triggers, and developing action plans to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings. Ray challenged the audience to confess mistakes, break through fears, and use the provided tools to help clients, referral partners, and teammates achieve breakthroughs. He also highlighted the relevance of these strategies in the context of their business, aiming to make processes more efficient, effective, and profitable.
Cognitive Dissonance and Birthday Celebrations
Ray discussed cognitive dissonance, explaining it as the tension between beliefs and actions, and recommended books and videos for further understanding. Cathy emphasized the importance of living in harmony with oneself and the permission to do so. Peter expressed appreciation for the discussion and mentioned his own positive changes. The group sang "Happy Birthday" to Peter, who was celebrating his 91st birthday. Cathy announced a birthday party for Peter and requested quotes to be emailed for inclusion in a PowerPoint presentation.