ON:SUBJECT Field Notes #9: The power of doing stuff

Hello you!

The lifechanging magic of working together...
When did you last stop to appreciate the amazing network of humans around you? How are you reaching out to them - and what joint projects might emerge?

I'm a collaborator at heart. I'm happiest if I can work with others on joint projects or support them in achieving their goals. I'm pretty likely to say 'yes' if someone asks me for help - and I am in a position to give it.

...requires a first step

What I'm slowly learning is to reach out myself: asking for help or offering to explore a possibility I see. In the past few months, I've been floored by the power and the joy unleashed by the resulting collaborations:

There was the moment I urgently needed a co-facilitator in London with a week's notice - and Penny Walker introduced me to Camilla Gordon, who jumped in to co-host an event with 400 people with grace, practicality and flexibility.

There was the impulse to say 'yes' when Christoph Hinske expressed the idea of a retreat on systems change and complexity for change makers - and a perfect opportunity arose to deepen concepts in a proposal together with Marcus Andreas.

There was the client that didn't have the capacity to evaluate a change process quickly enough internally - and Juliane Nier brought her amazing interviewing and sense-making skills to the table.

And there's the living system of colleagues around CoCreativeFlow where seven experienced women-consultants have embarked on the experiment of checking in, asking for help and shaping projects together around cocreation, leadership and transformation.

There's Lavinia and Chloe. Günter and Gisela. Philine and Lara and Jo and so many others. I'm grateful for the amazing network of humans around ON:SUBJECT.

We're all social creatures. We learn and grow by working together.

How are you reaching out?

Oftentimes, change and transformation starts with one person saying "hey, I have an idea, do you want to explore it with me?" or "I need help, are you available?" -- and then saying yes.

This email is a little nudge for you to reach out to some of the humans in your network with a question, with an encouragement, an idea - and to see what emerges.

Love and courage

* Wiebke

Explore stories and tips on onsubject.eu

Facilitation plan template >> A tool that helps me keep track of all the details involved in preparing for and facilitating a meeting
Some thoughts on systems change >> How systems thinking can help us actually change the system
Questions for organisations working on momentum for sustainability >> How are we building capacity? How do we connect beyond the meeting? How do we deal with complexity?

Good resources elsewhere

Chris Corrigan: Towards the idea that complexity IS a theory of change (Blog)
Rob Hopkins: From What is to What If - Unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want (Book)
Liberating Structures: Mad Tea (Facilitation tool)

Collaborate with ON:SUBJECT

I'm booking projects for 2020 right now, and still have openings to help organisations like yours with process design and the art of transformation. Do you have a big or small meeting coming up? Let's talk about how we can make it meaningful - and increase its impact! Are you wondering how to approach a project, a change initiative or a seemingly intractable challenge for your organisation or field? Let's map it out.

It's easy to meet for virtual coffee - and if you're in the vicinity of Amsterdam, we can even meet in person. When is good for you?