I've been noticing a lot of people standing up and saying NO to injustice and coercive power. In Andrea Reimer's Power U video she talks about the power of refusal. These ideas come from Václav Havel's The Power of the Powerless from 1978. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney referenced this essay in his speech at Davos.
Here's three examples of people saying NO:
I'm saying NO:
- staying quiet as a bystander
- to people asking to pick my brain
- to being colonized and compliant
What are you saying NO to?
NOs are sacred and powerful and they create space for YES.
Seasons of Change - starting March 20
Today is the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse. Here in Vancouver snowdrops and crocuses are popping up. The days feel noticeably longer. Spring isn't quite here, but I feel the shift.
The Gregorian calendar starts the Western year, but it's out of sync with nature. Where I live, In the Northern Hemisphere, January 1st is cold, dark and it's not the time to plant your garden.
Em House and I are kicking off a group program called Seasons of Change on March 20th, which is the Spring Equinox. It's a great time to pull out goals or intentions that you set in January and start to make a plan to nurture and grow them.
We invite you to keep what matters most to you alive and growing through the seasons with others who are doing the same thing. A certain kind of magic happens when we do this work in community.
If you have any questions or are on the fence if this thing is for you, hit reply and let's chat.
Rupture and Repair
Someone gave me a Invitation to Slightly Awkward Conversations notepad made by the City of Vancouver's Equity Office, which was closed last fall. I think it's brilliant, fun and useful.
I think a lot of us avoid awkward conversations, I know I do.
I love the realness and humour in this. The third block says:
If we have this conversation early, I think it might lead to (mark all that apply):
- More trust developing between us
- A better outcome for the people we serve
- A better working relationship for our teams
- Better systems and processes being developed
- My partner not having to hear me complain about my work and I can play with the cat/dog while I pretend to listen to them complain about their work
- Other: _____________
If while you're reading this, someone comes to mind, why not reach out to them to have the conversation?
Do you know of any other fun frameworks or tools for having difficult conversations?
Designing for place
I'm working with a client who is hosting a leadership retreat on Granville Island, which is one of my favourite places in Vancouver.
In the 1970s it was an industrial dump.
Now it is a thriving area packed full of interesting things: there's a produce market, lots of places to eat, artist studios (glass blowing, ceramics, painters, sculpture, weavers), house boats, a community center, and a kids arts school. There's some areas that feel like secret worlds to me.
We're excited about how to use the environment (both nature, the built environment and creativity) in our design. It's such an inspiring and alive place! People are coming specifically to Vancouver, to this place. So, why not make the most of it?
What was the most memorable offsite, conference or retreat you attended?
Ways to work with me
- 1:1 coaching — 3 or 6 month packages. Book a free chemistry call to see if we're a fit.
- Team offsites — I design and facilitate in-person experiences for teams. I'm actively looking for more of this work. Reply with the basics (who, what, when) and let's talk.
- Speaking — keynotes, panels, fireside chats. I'm a strong interviewer if you need someone to draw out a great conversation. Here's my current keynote on leadership and values.
- Inclusion consulting — strategy, thought partnership, and culture work for organizations building high-performance inclusive workplaces. Reach out here.
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