Increase our ability to give and receive feedback as a team will help us grow. Developing this capacity will help us face major conflicts or prevent them escalating. However, we need to be careful with the context in which people are not used to give and receive feedback. It is important to note the target goal, and my intention: am I releasing something and feeling better, or will this feedback serve to the common good? REFERENCES: https://www.cnvc.org/ … Read more
The Money Game What does money really represent?
Play the money game! Rules as follows: 1. Each participant is asked to bring a sum of money that it would be an ‘edge’ for them to lose 2. Each participant reflects on what money means to them 3. Sitting in a circle, each person puts their money in front of them on, visible for all to see There are then three rounds (715 minutes each, usually around 10 minutes / round) 4. First round – in silence. Each person takes money as they need. There is no order of play people simply take as … Read more
Project Management Making things happen on time, on budget and with ease
Planning and managing projects are core to your work as a social entrepreneur. Within any project, you will have to manage your resources people, time, money, materials, tools and combine them to get things done. And you need to do all this in a way that ensure you do not run out of money, lose your team, or become despondent. Ultimately, you are doing what you are doing because you love it! So, if you are not loving it, it is a good sign that something is wrong. Setting up a project … Read more
Collective Wisdom How the whole becomes more than the sum of the parts
We need to reinstate meaningful conversations at every level of society. We need to learn how to creatively express our individual diversity and potential, without attachment to being right, contributing our piece to the jigsaw puzzle of life. We start listening for new connections and winwinwin outcomes instead of holding onto knowledge we already have. References: ● Briskin, Alan, Sheryl Erickson, John Ott, and Tom Callanan. The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective … Read more
Systems Blindness Overcoming blind spots in planning for sustainability : spatial and temporal systems blindness
The first problem is exacerbated because problems like atmospheric pollution are increasingly cause by millions of small, incremental damaging contributions to the biosphere (eg aerosols, car exhausts) rather than large scale, more obvious ones (like oil spills, factories). It is a death from a million tiny cuts. We see the parts but not the hole: out of sight is out of mind. This is spatial blindness The second issue, temporal systems blindness, is caused because problems are often … Read more
Reconnecting to Nature Connecting to a bigger source
In order to care for the world, yourself and others we need time to reconnect to the natural world around us. Time with the seasons, the changes, trees, beauty and also the hardness of the world that has been our natural surrounding for thousand of years. At the same time, this solitude and connection to the outer nature is also a reconnection to our inner nature (and our inner changes of seasons) it helps us to regain strength and clarity again. References: Foster, Little (1999): … Read more
Learning from Failure Daring to face what we’ve defined as failure
Take time to reflect on past failures. Feel the emotions that accompany these experiences. Make space for these. This might lead to a deeper integration. With support, create a space from which we can look back at these experiences and place them in a bigger context. Notice insights and learnings. Connect to the original intention and see if we feel drawn to revisit the scenario, in the light of this newfound wisdom. References: Exercise: Facing Failure Exercise: The Truth Mandala – … Read more
Embodying Success Exploring the roots of our leadership
Taking time to reflect and reconnect. This can be done in many different ways, including journaling, regular meditation, going into nature (e.g. vision quest). It is also helpful to create embodied experiences or “rituals” that honour our roots. References: ● Hillman, James. The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling. New York: Warner Books, 1997. ● Vision Quest: Retrieved March … Read more
Attunement Bringing a group together consciously at the beginning and end of meetings, aligned to the highest purpose.
Taking a minute or two at the beginning of the meeting, either in silence with a few words of guidance offered by the facilitator, to pause and notice that we are in a new space; to consciously connect with the others with whom we are meeting; and to clearly connect with the overarching purpose of the meeting, can radically transform the experience of the meeting. A similar process can be undertaken at the end of the meeting, to bring it to conscious … Read more
The Art of Pitching Presenting in an essential way to make people curious for more
Practice the “art of pitching” craft a short pitch and try it out. Learn through the feedback of peers or members of your audience. Film it and look at the videos together. Learn from the pitches of others, learn from online ressources. When crafting your elevator pitch, you first need to think about who is the audience you're trying to reach. Lead with the information that the recipient / the audience will care most about. It is always good to start with a “hook” a statement or … Read more
