I continue to learn the importance of a framing story. A context. That creates invitation. That creates purpose.
A framing story is important in the details. In the granular. “We want more affirming meetings.” “We want to meet in ways that invites our curiosity and learning together.”
It’s good to ask the people we work with — What is the framing story of the granular that we wish.
A framing story is also important in the meta. In the longer arc. Here’s one of the framing stories in the meta that I find myself riffing on often.
“People everywhere are sorting complex and shifting environments. People everywhere are asking questions — What is belonging? Who do we choose to be, individually and communally? What is our institutional future? What is our experimental future? What holds it all? What lifts? What liberates? What deepens?”
The nudge I often offer, so as to further frame, riffs on this:
“People everywhere are learning and reaffirming the importance of relationship when it comes to such questions of community and leadership. That’s relationship with self. With other. With circumstance. With spirit. With life flowing.”
It’s good to ask the people we work with — What is the framing story of the meta that we wish?
I’ve very glad for oodles of colleagues and friends who know and live the spirit of such questions, such framing stories together. So that they can bring more affirming ways of working and living together.
It is some of the deeper work that I celebrate. Across many domains of work.
Headed to some of that this week. A community organization in Denver that seeks to grow belonging and a healthy masculine in young men.
Framing.