Archives

January 12, 2011

Pauses for the Cause

Slow signLast week, IISC staff took a step back to consider what we had been referring to as the roots out of which our collaborative capacity building work grows (we have since wondered whether these may be more appropriately cast as “lenses,” but more on that at another time), and to come to some agreement about what is core to our practice in these imperfectly titled areas:

  • networks
  • equity/power/inclusion
  • “the love that does justice”

We were guided in our conversations by the talented Mistinguette Smith, with whom I have had the pleasure of partnering in delivering our joint work with the Center for Whole Communities – Whole Measures: Transforming Communities by Measuring What Matters Most. Anyone who is able to handle a group of facilitators has certainly earned her stripes, and if that person can teach those “process experts” new tricks, well now you’ve really got our attention. Ms. Smith, we are listening! Read More

Leave a comment
January 11, 2011

Participate

Are You Ready for the 21st Century ? from Michel Cartier on Vimeo.

Facilitative Leadership is foundational to everything that we do at the Interaction Institute for Social Change.  We believe in collaboration, and we believe in tapping the power of participation.  These powerful ideas have shaped the best of our society.  These ideas are alive, and thus constantly evolving.  We are living through a moment of rupture, experiencing the potential for an evolutionary leap – ours is a moment of choice.  How far can we take the idea of participation?  How will we collaborate to step into this moment?  These guys are onto something.

Leave a comment
January 5, 2011

Executive Transitions

two_sailboats

Illustration by Erin Davis

The New York Times ushered in 2011 with a front page story (below the fold, at least) titled: Boomers Hit New Self Absorption Milestone: Age 65 in which the author notes that in the next 10 years 26% of the population will redefine what it means to be older. As a member of this graduating class of boomers born in 1946, I am always humbled to be swept up by the statistics and perceptions of the generation. My own experience reflects part of its story: heeding the call of JFK to service, I was one of the first VISTA volunteers, followed by years of activism and organizing and finding myself today transitioning from my role as a nonprofit executive director.

Read More

Leave a comment
January 5, 2011

Facilitative Leadership, 2011

FL 20112011.  A new year for us here at IISC to continue to move on the vision of ensuring that everyone engaged in social change work has some knowledge of and facility with Facilitative Leadership.  Another year to restate and reframe the need for these critical skills to bring alive our goals of a more just and sustainable world.  So why Facilitative Leadership?  Here is my take . . . Read More

Leave a comment
January 4, 2011

Four Agreements

Four Agreements

Toward the end of last year I tweeted about stumbling back upon Don Miguel Angel Ruiz’s Four Agreements, thanks to a reminder from a participant in the Hanley Center Health Leadership Development initiative.  They were invoked as being key to keeping people grounded when their collaborative skillsets were being pushed to the limit by challenging circumstances.  In thinking about these agreements more deeply over the winter break, they struck me as powerful and appropriate intentions to set for the new year, especially in our social change and sustainability work.  Here they are with my own editorializing: Read More

Leave a comment