Human to Human

I’m hosting today. It’s Day 1 of three days together. It’s a Leadership Development Program that will run for six months, concluding with another three days together in the Fall. I host this with my buddy Glen. Which means we bring some wisdom learned over the years (we’ve hosted a similar cohort three times before). And we bring some mischief too.

Hosting today means I’m giving particular attention to beginnings. It’s the shape — ours will be a Circle for the 24 participating. Hosting today also means trying to find a simple story, a narrative thread that can hold us through the days. For me, that thread is one of learning. What if, Leadership is learning? I’ll context that. Probably reference my Grandma Lena who was one of my first teachers this way. And I’ll nuance layers of learning, contexts of learning.

1. There is learning about each other. That’s learning to go well together. Learning to go as a group to do the things that groups can do (that individuals can’t). That’s styles. Preferences. Personalities.
2. There is the learning that is circumstance. These folk face many challenges. Some dreams too. I’ll be glad to use a social process to make some of that more visible.
3. There is learning that is about self. My buddy Glen brings a particular set other teachings on self-awareness. It’s a bit of growing the skill to see from the balcony, yet also begin able to see to the core of self.
4. There is the learning that is the bigger picture. We ought to connect what we do in the day to day with what we do in the bigger picture. Yup, strategy. Yup, even moreso that I love to bring to groups is values. And intentions. How we are unfolding together, evolving together (in our learning).

The weave of it all together ought to create a few unique openings. And more connection together. Let’s remember, that a foundational premise for many of us is health and joy in a system. That tends to lead to the good stuff.

All from a good beginning.

Here we go.

I’m in Circle today. Part 2 of an online series that I host, Learn (To Be) Circle Here. It’s been fun to offer.

That means I wake up this morning, a couple of hours prior to starting, with some fresh ideas for today’s circling up. Back in the day, the late 2020s in our work together, Amanda Fenton was the one that named this waking up clarity as “overnight news.” I’ve loved it ever since.

Overnight news is a bit of nuance. A bit of framing. A few of those bits are below. The bits arrive not so much as cognition, but rather as morning sun. Kinda shows up in the body.

• Circle is a kind of regulation, meaning mental health care for the group. It’s a practice for so much of the disregulation that occurs in much contemporary culture.
• Circle is hygiene for the group. Just as is teeth-brushing and wearing socks. Groups need such hygiene. So as to create well-being for the person and for the group attempting to go well together.
• Circles don’t need to be perfect. It’s not the perfect start. It’s not the perfect setup. All of that matters. And yet, I often feel as a host, my job is to help get the circle started (sometimes I talk first; sometimes I wait for others, or until the talking piece comes my way). Once started, it builds on it’s own life.

I’ll stop there. It’s good to work in threes. Yup, fun to offer in a space of shared learning and practice.

I host Flow Games as part of my Becoming & Belonging Series. Yes, that’s B & B. Some great people show up. To be in learning. To be in a consciousness of friendship. To experience, well, flow. Life lifes us, as I’ve been joyfully sharing over the last year.

A few other phrases showed up this week that thicken the invitation and the experience:

• small things that are big things
• pockets of friendship
• summoning breakthrough ideas (thx David Pearl)
• life wants to be in partnership with us
• structure to bring flow

The formats, including Flow Game / Flow Group are simple. Yet deliberate. A moment of spa.

A theme that I continue to notice and learn is about relationship to noise (meaning, jeepers, it’s important to have a few practices of detaching from noise), which is to say, many of us are learning about availability for intuition and inspiration, particularly when we show up to listen, witness, and wonder together.

It all goes on.

Jump is as inspired — typically 90 minutes online, groups of 4-6. For a one-time try. Or, if inspired as others are, for a regular practice.

Zoom has brought many things in life. Yes, non-locality for its excitements and for its challenges. We can show up in each other’s living rooms. We can ask questions together — or personal and of professional natures. We can see some facial cues that add insight. We can enjoy company.

Zoffee and Zeer are a couple of Zoom formats that I appreciate. Zoffee (Zoom + Coffee). Zeer (Zoom + Beer). Both are fun invitations. And tend to signal the desire for a good hello together.

I have a few regulars with friends that I love dearly, yet have not seen geographically for many months or many years. What Zoffee and Zeer do is bring out a playfulness together. And an intimacy. And a geography of the heart. Shared on a screen.

So often, connection is the work. And friendship. And many forms. Simple things that are big things.

I invited a friend to Zeer this week. We met 12 ish years ago. He was a client. I was a facilitator for his group. Friendship arose quickly. And connection. We’ve seen each other in person ten times or so. But it’s been a couple of years. So, Zeer it is.

Anticipation. Zanticipation.