Author: Tenneson Woolf

Vision for Inclusive Community — Good to see this one from Valmae Rose in Australia and her work with a national non-governmnet disability program. A group of us from the disability sector (an unusual alliance of people who are passionate about the future for people with disabilities but who don’t usually work together) got our act together and created a vision for the future using a scenario building process.  You can check out the process and the scenario at www.blue-skies.info.  We had a launch a few weeks later in the botanical gardens, with ministers from both federal and state govt and 350 members of the community involved.  We have since engaged about 500 people in conversation  and we’re planning a statewide schedule of conversations around the question of inclusive community on December 3 which is international day of people with disability.

Chaordic Drumming — Last week I spoke with friend and colleague Sally Wolf. Sally works in restorative justice efforts in Illinois. We’ve had several conversations now about how to work at the scale of community. We talked about the model of the chaordic path. It is the search for the sweet spot between chaos and order. As Mitchell Waldrop speaks it in his book, Complexity, “enough form to be sustainable and enough freedom to deserve the name of life.” Sally was describing drum circles she has been a part of. At first chaotic, without particular rhythm. But then they find a rhythm, even for people without particular music skills. And often, once that rhythm is found, people can’t help but introduce some variation, a bit of chaos, that people then reorganize around. Looking forward to trying this one.

As I grow older, I’m finding myself more interested in the history of places that I visit and where I live. Not so much from the academic side of things. But moreso, to understand the energy of the stories. To know what it might have been like for people living in these areas. To know more of what carries forward in an area that has often become invisible.

I currently live in Pleasant Grove, Utah. It is one of several smaller municipalities that run together in northern Utah County. Between the Wasatch mountains and Utah Lake. A more full description of Pleasant Grove is here. Here’s also a bit in brief from a North Utah County Chambers of Commerce publication and perspective, highlighting points of attraction.

– incorporated in 1855, settled by Mormon pioneers
– old area of town named Little Denmark where Scandanavian descendents lived
– abundant annual strawberry crop that began celebrating Strawberry Days, the longest running celebration in the state of Utah

The Ute Indians were the first to live in this area, to the east of Utah Lake and the Jordan River. Staple food was fish, which they would dry for trading. Here’s a brief overview of key points of history, cultures bumping into cultures:

– Escalante-Dominguez explorers were looking for an overland route from Santa Fe, NM to Monterey, CA when they discovered the Utes here
– Spanish claimed Utah from 1776 – 1820 but did not establish permanent settlements
– fresh-water sources in the north part of the state attracted trappers and mountain men in the beaver trade
– in March 1849 there was a dispute over missing cattle between arriving Mormon pioneers and Ute tribe. A battle occurred in which several Utes were killed. The location was called Battle Creek, and later renamed by city officials to Pleasant Grove. 

A few other often noted points:
– Utah War / Establishment of Camp Floyd — In 1858, 3,500 troops ordered by President James Buchanan to suppress a rumored rebellion. No battle was ever fought. However, the camp was established which later helped to provide protection for pioneers passing through to the west coast.
– Pony Express — Speeded communications and delivery of mail by land. Ten days rather than eight weeks. One of 150 stops was near Lehi, about 10 miles north of Pleasant Grove.
– Transcontinental Railroad — In 1869, Union and Central Pacific railroad companies joined to create advanced transportation. The Golden Spike featured on the Utah quarter illustrates this accomplishment. It occurred at Promontory Summit. 
– Steeling Up for War — Geneva Steel, a long time steel manufacturing facility was constructed between 1941 and 1944 with federal funds. It was intended to provide security of manufacturing to meet the needs for WWII. The plant was closed in 2001.

Sitting by a fire this morning. The wind is howling. There is snow on the rooftops, crusting in the wind. Winter has arrived. 

I’m reflecting on several experiences during the last weeks. On people that have been involved in work that captures their hearts. It is what is common among many of us, that undeniable spark and trembling as we move into bigger versions of ourselves.

“We had no idea” is a theme common among these experiences. It is a statement about how far-reaching, purposeful, and enlivening our work or projects have become. These stories have my attention because it is typically so much easier to look back on a successful project with only admiration. Often there is an undertone of “we couldn’t do that here.” Yet, common in many is this sense of just getting started and growing into the bigness. From “we had no idea” to “wow, check this out.”

The Mid Ohio Foodbank is one example of this. I heard it through Matt Habash, a former political leader in Columbus. He has had some affiliation with the Foodbank for 35 years now. It has grown to become the 10th largest foodbank of 260 in the US. They redistribute excess food, now 33 million pounds of it, annually. When I was with Matt last week, the new Foodbank was opening. A Leeds certified green building with space to convene community groups in dialogue and learning. They have funding. They have support from the community. They have vision in action. The have “wow, check this out.”

The Flow Game is another example. It was created in 1997. Eight friends in Denmark new that they needed something new, a new way to work in deeper consciousness. They created the game. Questions to go with it. They used to draw the board on paper. Simple experiments. Simple resources. Now, this game is being used and practiced in several countries by many trained leaders. It is being welcomed as needed tool to accomplish mission and vision. The game is also being prepared for release in a broader way — not marketed — but as a tool for deepening consciousness and action learning. From eight friends to a global stewarding and network.

The Art of Hosting Conversations that Matter is another example. It began with simple ideas. Some from a group of friends gathered at Castle Borl in Croatia, gathered in an open space learning group about 10 years ago. It began with desires to deepen work. It began with awareness that more was possible working with participation, co-creation, living systems, emergence. Friends talking with friends. Sharing “what if” stories. Today there is an explosion of hosts throughout the world. AoH has become a recognized brand. A shared identity in a community of practice that is in the thousands of people. A way of working in large scale change. A movement. We had no idea.

Our Optimal Health grew out of several Art of Hosting connections. One beginning was an Art of Hosting in 2005. Phil Cass convened several leaders focussed on how to improve the level of civic dialogue in Columbus. He thought it would be one event. From that training, an open space group formed, asking how might we be able to create affordable and sustainable health care for all in Franklin County. A bold question for a group of people ready to be bold. Since then, several assemblies have been held. Hundreds of people have been trained and now practice participative leadership. Columbus has become a model for large scale change that inspires other health care systems and other communities to create learning filled organizations and leader filled capacity. We had no idea.

Lastly, The Berkana Institute is another example. One beginning was in 1990. Meg Wheatley had just written Leadership and the New Science. Myron Kellner-Rogers and her were offering new paradigm work of leadership. They and others created Berkana through a series of dialogues about possibility. Friends gathering to imagine together. That grew to more dialogues. Seminars. Global leadership initiatives and communities. Pioneering work with leaders of other networks. Today, Berkana has significant reach. Thanks to Meg with her big heart and founding energy. But thanks to hundreds of others that have found in Berkana connections and courage to be pioneers themselves. Friends to hundreds and thousands of friends.

When teaching, I often offer the principle of “start anywhere, follow it everywhere.” It is a way of working in a living system. It is a way of working in a network. It is a way of working with simple beginnings. Not complex, long term linear plans that become obsolete within months. Rather, deeply centered values that endure beyond time. In such, starting anywhere, is born the stories of “we had no idea” that can be shared with next generation leaders, ready to begin their dreams and wondering how to get started.

Learning Organization Points of Intention — From Toke Moeller and his participatory work with senior leaders in the European Commission: Innovation. Concrete Action. Working across boundaries. Building partnerships. Engaging Staff. Improving relations. Colearning. Activating collective intelligence. Action learning.

Balance Requires Movement — From Bob Wing in a recent check-out circle. Bob offered the image of a bicycle in motion. It needs to be in motion to be in balance, as do we in our work. It is easier in the movement. Few can balance a bike when at rest.

Being Present = Hosting Self — An insight in working with friends last weekend. It is part of a model, “The Four Fold Practice” that I often use in conversational leadership. I have usually emphasized the “being present” aspect of this through meditation, or the helpfulness of a deliberate pause to more fully show up at an event. Many of these friends were telling stories of the need to be able to host ourselves.

Awareness Days — From conversations with Jerry Nagel and Toke Moeller. We were exploring how to invited people into the practice of hosting conversations that matter in a way that leads with purpose and need rather than process. We spoke of half day gatherings that proceed an Art of Hosting training that focus on this kind of question: Why do you feel it is important to host conversations in this city now? Or, why have you showed up to learn more about leadership through hosting conversations that matter? This is also a way to activate a shared sense of purpose for convening that is pointed at outcomes. Good also for new calling teams and for finding first level of purpose.

Powerful, Artful Questions of Invitation — Again from conversations with several hosts at Flow Game training. What are the questions we want to ask on behalf of this city? What do we dare to start today that the kindergarten children will thank us for when they are older? And so as to give this some process awareness also, what if how we live in inquiry is our hope for our grandchildren — to live as we have lived today.