A Second Day Among Three

We continue today. Great Facilitation: An Art of Hosting Intensive.

Growing on the the play, creativity, and experience from Day 1.

Recentering in the big story, for me which I often name as growing kindness, consciousness, and and ability to be in more flow with life itself. It has everything to do with our work, teams, families, communities.

Also recentering in the story that is learning and connection, with tools, methodologies, experience, and frameworks.

Today’s Design

  • Welcome & Context
  • Connection & Presencing (Pairs)
  • Self Selected Group Learning (Knowledge Camp)
  • Break
  • Whole Group Deepening (Circle)
  • Lunch (90 minutes)
  • Self-Organized Working and Learning Groups (Open Space)
  • Check-Out
  • Social Evening Together

A Day to deepen connection and field of learning. Among three. that further weaves us into three integrated days of humans wanting to learn, do good, find more of our way.

A Day Among Three

Today begins Great Facilitation: An Art of Hosting Intensive. I’m in Denver, Colorado. I’m co-hosting with Erin Gilmore, Chris Chopyak, Katie D’Andrea, and Lea Metz. We are a group of 40 that will convene together over the next three days. That means connection. That means community. That means learning. That means following some mystery. That means creating a bit of mischief. That means practicing a few tools. That means daring to reclaim together a deeper story of who we are as humans and what that has to do with how we are each in varied work and community.

Today’s Design

  • Welcome & Context
  • Connection & Community (Pairs, Trios)
  • Break
  • More Connection & Purpose / Key Questions (Cafe)
  • Lunch (90 minutes)
  • Learning Experientially & Theory (Cynevin)
  • Break
  • Sense-Making & Application of Cynevin (Cafe)
  • Check-Out

A Day to get us started, that weaves us into three integrated days of humans wanting to learn, do good, find more of our way. Glad for that.

Imagination, Fathers Day & AoH

Yesterday was Fathers Day where I live. It was good to honor my dad, who passed many years ago, with a little extra attention. It was good to video call my step-father in Canada and hear of his day and to share my appreciation of him as a parent and as a grandparent. It was good to be live with my kids at my daughter and son in law’s home for a bit of their extra appreciation. When my kids were young, 15ish years ago, Fathers Day really became a day that I most appreciated. Well, in short, I’m glad to be a dad and to be in the adventure that is parent / child that continues to evolve into some unique human to human learning.

And, this morning I got to listening to some old audio files that were on my phone. It started with one of those unnamed ones that I’d forgotten was there, from ten years ago. It was dad stuff, with my then much younger son singing. Just fun. Laugh out loud and smile big kind of stuff.

And, as I trolled further through a few more of those audio recordings, I found this one below about Art of Hosting and the need for imagination.

I’m proud of the work that I’ve been able to do to invite a sense of shared connection and imagination with people, whether they be in jobs, teams, communities, or families. I’m grateful for the people I’ve worked with that grow such connection and imagination with skill and brain and heart.

Give this a listen, one minute on imagination as it connects to Art of Hosting. I hope it inspires some of your own thinking. Or, offers another way of thinking about such participative forms of work and living. My next open enrollment AoH is October in Denver. Yes, please check that out too.

 

Locked and Blocked — Um…, Time For Self Care

Where I’d planned on being today is in Portland, Oregon. I was to be working with Kevin Hiebert, Sara Rosenau, and Jessica Riehl preparing for an Art of Hosting that starts tomorrow. I was to be thick in the questions, adding to our anticipated field. It matters that people come together. Over 50 in this case. To learn. To be in practice together. To be in connection together.

And then, a few medical urgencies surfaced over the last five days. Number one, my neck locked into position atop my head with virtually zero rotation left / right and up / down. What! Wait! A lot of pain. No, it’s not from any particular incident or injury. Just real. Can’t drive real. Can’t see to the sides real. Stinging shoots of pain whenever I moved my head. Locked.

And then, well, actually before that, a number two urgency. A kidney stone moving and creating a lot of pain. I remember that kind of pain from 10 years ago when I had a kidney stone. Lot’s of lower back pain. It’s got “Oh Oh” written all over it. Blocked.

I’m the kind of human that comes from other humans that generally tough it out and play through it. I wrestled a lot with this decision to just go to Portland and make the most of it, or to give myself permission for self care. I’m glad for my team and friends that encouraged the latter, self care. And, well, toughing it out was a rather slim option with this severity. Getting my body in the room isn’t enough for this kind of work. It takes much more heart and soul.

So…, I got the X-rays that show an odd curve in the top of my spine. Got the meds to help with muscle relaxing, pain relief, and removing the swelling. Got the meds to help with kidney stone. Got the appointment with the physical therapist for this morning. I’m glad that such things are available.

So…, longer story that is unfolding made short, I’m in Utah. Glad for these roses in full bloom in my back yard. I’m in self care, which I know is what many of us are learning. Hosting self. Still not through my grumbles, but there are some things you can’t argue with. Body is one of them.

I participated in a call with the team yesterday. To hear and see the design for the coming days. It looks delicious. It includes questions about uncertainty (when have you experienced…), which I find so valuable. Being able to be in your own uncertainty is one of the key potencies for people to learn these days. I got to hear some overarching themes that I loved. One, awaken to presence. Two, attune too emergence. Three, lean into experiments. That’s good stuff.

I’ll be cheering from the roses on this one for those gathered in Portland, “The City of Roses.” A bit sad. Actually a lot sad. But also grateful for colleagues and friends that rally around principle and friendship.