So, what’s a Collaborative Catalyst? What does that actually mean?
There’s not a preset list of services involved. So here’s a list of some of the ways that I have and hope to collaborate.
Too often we take on as our story of the world a monolithic, enculturated “official history” with ourselves as [desiderata], a footnote not particularly relevant to that official story.
I’ll work with you to explore your personal history, goals, experience and ideas to help you create a Story of You, helping you fashion a real, inspiring, and generative narrative. We’ll explore some of the well worn milestones you use to shape your identity, and go down some less traveled and perhaps new areas as well.
Perhaps in an hour, perhaps in a series of longer sessions together, we’ll finish with a new, cohesive starting place and some useful tools to help empower you in shaping how the next chapters of the adventure you’re on unfold.
In the words of XX, “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast”. Any organization from a family to a corporation or government builds a culture with positives and negatives that shape every aspect of them.
By using a combination of Appreciative Inquiry and Pattern Language as a mapping and design tool, we’ll engage with your members to find out what your culture is, and seek ways to build on what’s already great.
After mapping out the current state of your systems and how they are (or aren’t) working for you, I’ll help you develop and implement a detailed roadmap for systems change that makes clear the potential benefits of each change, and help set up the tools to keep your system on track and moving in the right direction.
I’ll train you and your team on facilitative skills ranging from meeting processes to minute taking and agenda planning through to dealing with challenging personalities and contentious issues.
We might review different decision making systems, exploring the pros and cons of traditional Roberts Rules based majority rules deliberation, consensus, sociocracy. Or we might go into detail on one specific system of your choice, training your team to use that system effectively, joyfully, and to avoid its pitfalls.
If appropriate we’ll examine your governance system, any hierarchies in place, and look at how to bring the best wisdom from your organization to bear in order to make good decisions.
After getting a sense of your organization’s culture, current challenges and goals, I’ll design and host one or more gatherings designed to be fun and bring people together. We’ll ensure that they balance a fit for your existing culture and a push into new territory.
What sort of event? Among other things I’ve hosted:
- Talking Circles
- Theatre Sports
- “Ignite-ish” talks
- Storytelling
- Music Nights
- Collaborative Art Projects
- Movie & Discussion
Through discussion, movement, grouping, prioritization and more, I’ll lead your members in a series of exercises to help you discover or refine your vision and values.