They say that there are no new ideas. If that’s the case, it’s a good thing there are so many good old ideas for us to recycle. Last week I spoke at the annual conference for the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. It was an honor to be one of the speakers and a thrill to see Stephen Covey, one of the keynotes. His talk covered many topics, but one that was particularly interesting was the use of the Native American Talking Stick.

The Talking Stick was a device used by Native Americans to resolve disputes. Only one person, the holder of the stick, was allowed to speak his mind. In order to gain the stick another speaker had to convince the holder of the stick that he understood the holder’s point. It was the stick holder who determined whether or not the next speaker sufficiently understood him. When he felt understood, he would pass the stick along to the next speaker.

All of this is based on an agreement by all parties that they will work to first understand one another and then to find a solution that is more agreeable than any other solutions so far suggested. This is a terrific device, and it is definitely not new. But unless it is widely used in your world, this is an idea that is worth recycling.

The Talking Stick concept can be used in disputes over politics, business, religion, even whose turn it is to take out the trash. So on this Independence Day, I invite you to join me in honoring a tremendous idea from the natives of this country. I hope we all experience a year ahead with less conflict and better solutions.