'Scale' would definitely be the shorthand for these six months.
The events have been big in participant numbers, in complexity and in length.
The growth potential for me has been big too. I can feel myself operating differently.
My wingspan has stretched... (see grython reference below)!
In April I facilitated the Epiphany network in Scotland for their first AGM since COVID. The weekend was called “New Bread Rising”- and it rose. The visuals, the sensory aspects and the deep conversations all synthesised into something remarkable. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the murmurations on the last morning.
From there I went straight on to St Beuno’s to work on a retreat. I always come away from those silent retreats illuminated by the people I accompany.
From one-to-ones to my biggest group yet... When I was invited to facilitate the Conference of Religious of England and Wales for their first AGM since COVID, it was the title that immediately drew me to say yes. “From Reality to Vision” is such an unusual and wise direction of travel.
With one facilitator and around 85 participants for three days together, the logistics were daunting, and the potential dynamics too. In reality, it was a joy to work with them, not least because they are all so used to carrying really complex responsibilities. People deliberately collaborated with generosity to make the dynamic work.
Our Ignatian leadership network in Rome in June felt like a good change of pace, exploring together and generating exciting stuff for the future.
Then for much of July I got my head down preparing for the biggest event of all, the CLC World Assembly in Amiens in August. Around 300 people gathered for ten days, from 74 countries.
The title was “Discerning Paths for Hope” and that is exactly what we were trying to do; look at the coming five years with hope-filled realism so that the Assembly could discern together how to move forward. Our facilitation team of 3 used Theory U as a framework for the ten days.
It’s impossible to distil down the wealth and challenge of all that happened there into a few sentences. It was a hugely formative experience for me.
The visceral thrill of hearing 71 languages spoken and sung (joyful ululations at full volume under the highest medieval ceiling in France!), and watching people teach each other their dances, were as integral as the group work, the day of silence and the plenaries.
The App designed for the event was superb. The clowns and cartoonist were talented and hilarious. Each World Assembly is made up of a different body of people, so there is an urgency and uniqueness that is mainly lived, but must also be captured, at least partially, in the Final Report. You could facilitate for your whole working life and never get a chance like this.
And alongside these big events, there has been fascinating work with leadership teams, and a lot of one-to-one coaching and accompaniment.
Fat cat bonus! Cultural difference is always intriguing, but it’s not usually monetised! Since I was awarded BetterUp’s rather extravagantly labelled top coach rating, “Premium Platinum Fellow Coach”, I was bemused to receive my first proper bonus – in my world and sector, wild extravagance would generally be a book token!
Complex co-creation. Real co-facilitation has been the biggest joy and stretch of this period. I’ve worked in many facilitation teams, but often the work is done side by side. Sessions are allocated out.
Until this CLC World Assembly, I have never co-created every single part with a team of equals. The development stage is much harder and more complex than flying solo, but the quality that is possible with three people giving it everything they’ve got is just breathtaking. Your differences and disagreements become your biggest strength, because the end product would have been impossible for any one of you to generate.
It’s probably like the difference between being a team of horses harnessed together, (which I am very used to), and being a gryphon. I am taking every juicy opportunity to co-create that comes my way over the coming year; one conversation has already started, and there is another in the pipeline.
Once again, I’ll be travelling less through the winter. Soon I head (by ferry!) for Yorkshire to accompany another silent retreat. I’ll have my own silent retreat in Portugal in November. In January, we’re running an Ignatian Leadership Programme in Portugal again, and then it’s Rome in March for a network meeting. Meanwhile, I’m taking a new 6-month online course, “Re-imagine Leadership” by Coaches Rising with Bob Anderson and others. It will be a delight to be in learning zone again.
Thank you for reading!