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 only … Read more
Support groups – Women’s and Men’s C The role of support groups, in particular women’s and men’s circles
Finding a support group that meets regularly or can be activated when you need it, can make all the difference. Women’s circles Women generally meet to share about their lives, support one another, perform rituals and celebrate. In the Red Tent movement, women have time to restore themselves by spending time with other women, usually during their periods. Deep connections and a sense of sisterhood are developed in these groups, which might be important, for instance, when one needs a place … Read more
Statement of Intention Clarifying our focus to build support
Practice distilling the essence of our project into a few short sentences and work with a simple template that helps to crystallize our thinking. Develop an ‘elevator pitch’. Find the right name. Clarify the vision and core goals of your project. Think about a logo. … Read more
Rank Understanding how power and privilege operate within and between individuals and groups
Amy and Arny Mindell, in Process Work, have outlined 4 types of rank and power (social, psychological, contextual and spiritual) and the signals that flow from those who have ‘high rank’ and ‘low rank’ in different situations. This is married with an understanding that rank is fluid, situational and by no means fixed. Developing rank awareness then becomes a life-long, almost spiritual practice, leading to the development of mature, integrated and competent individuals and groups. … Read more
Pro Action cafe Bringing the wisdom of a group to the support of an individual’s task, project and vision
using a blend of World Cafe and Open Space processes, we can create dynamic, creative and fluid spaces in which we support each other to interrogate more deeply the plans and projects we are already working on. Focusing on questions such as, ‘What is the deeper question you are addressing?’ or ‘What is missing?’ can enable us to go deeper into the true nature of our vision. It also helps to maximise the contribution of group members, who actually love to support one another given the chance! … Read more
Political Influencing Engaging in political reality so that what we think is right and needs to be done actually happens.
To become effective we need to understand how power operates, e.g. how decisions are actually made, how to build alliances and coalitions and how to sense the right moment to act. We need to give up the wish to be popular and understood by everyone. We need to surrender our naivety and be willing to take difficult decisions. In essence, to act ‘politically’. … Read more
Open Space Convening meetings on what interests us most
Harrison Owen created a social technology that enables people to convene meetings about the topics that are most alive in them and allows for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Participants make sure they do what inspires them most, as they move between the spontaneously emerging landscape of conversations and interactions arising from the group. … 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. … Read more
Leadership Styles Four Archetypes that underpin inspirational leadership: Sovereign, Great Mother, Medicine Woman, Warrior
Carl Jung and others saw that inside every human being is a feminine and masculine potential (yin and yang, anima and animus) and a static and dynamic potential. When we marry these four potentials together, 4 archetypes of human behaviour emerge: Medicine Woman (Dynamic, Feminine), Great Mother (Static, Feminine), Sovereign (Static, Masculine), and the Warrior (Dynamic, Masculine). Once we are aware of these four styles, we can reflect on how well established each archetype is in our own … Read more
Framework for Strategic Sustainable A 5 Level Model for Planning in Complex Systems.
This five level model helps us to plan for success. By understanding the system within which we are working we can more clearly define what success looks like within that system. This allows us to be strategic, to develop tactics, tools and metrics. To rephrase: it allows us to understand the tools and metrics we need to carry out the actions required to be strategic, to achieve success within the system. … Read more
