Tim recently partnered with Bravespace to deliver a live draw keynote for Education, Research, Development and Innovation (ERDI). I introduced Shared Work—a model created by Tuesday Ryan Hart that I have been part of developing. Shared work is seeking to bridge the work of social justice ad systems change by looking at how we can work together across difference over time.

Tuesday and I just did a webinar on Shared Work with Joshua Cubista @ Borderlands Restoration Leadership Institute, which explores how to take action in the midst of the increasing complexity of the 21st century. It explores shared work and the practice of leading systemic change within our personal lives, communities, organizations, and the world.

To me, alignment is something both bigger than and more foundational than being alike. Alignment asks: Are we going in the same general direction? Do our fundamental ideals allow us to do some good work together? Maybe we won’t do everything together, but when we’re aligned, we can see that there is something to do together. 

In a webinar offered by Engage Nova Scotia and filmed at the HUB South Shore, my old friend and mentor, Toke Moeller explored the Art of Hosting: the method's radical common sense and impact, and how it's become its own movement. What can we learn from this as we work to accelerate change in Nova Scotia, and how might we use it to encourage young people to lead change within their communities?

The majority of meetings should be discussions that lead to decisions. Meetings are the linchpin of everything. If someone says you have an hour to investigate a company, I wouldn't look at the balance sheet. I'd watch their executive team in a meeting for an hour. If they are clear and focused and have the board on the edge of their seats, I'd say this is a good company worth investing in. —Patrick Lencioni

Change need not be a big deal. Not changing the entire system, shifting infrastructure, addressing oppression or “swallowing the ocean” as a colleague of mine says. But, rather, taking a sip, seeing a small impact that is entirely within our ability to make, getting started, seeing what happens, and moving from there.

When with new peoples, I continue to be mindful of asking ahead of time what to be aware of, inquiring about honorifics and titles, and generally stepping back and listening. And also, I have to be careful not to get too earnest and in my own head about this stuff. Folks are generally kind and while I may mess up—and someone will let me know and practice grace!—it’s best for me to go forward humble but unafraid.

We were literally doing something that had never been done before: bringing together governments’ employees who were aboriginal. Can you imagine the amount of goodwill in the space with people being together for the first time as a group? As they found themselves and each other? As they explored their own leadership? And from that goodwill, some really powerful learning and work was done.

Tim Merry and I are working together to create a model for systems change that has equity at the center. Check out our video below to see some of what we're up to... it's both exciting and daunting!

What would it mean—how might we change our practice—if equity were not simply a longed for goal, but rather a return to a natural state? The idea feels edgy for me, but in a good way and definitely worth exploring. Here are some of our reflections on a short video blog:

Recently there has been an excellent exchange of resources on the Art of Hosting email list around how evaluation connects to the work of participatory leadership. I hope you find these resources and reflections as useful as I have. I have separated the content based on the person that contributed to make it a bit more accessible.

It does feel to me like the chaos has only increased over the lat 13 years: the number of ecological disasters, increased economic uncertainty, massive social unrest, the breakdown of trust between citizens and governments, corporate greed running rampant. That got me to thinking about why Nova Scotia is such a great place to be.

It’s hard. Sometimes it sucks. No one at my house (including me) is happy about these two back to back trips, but I know I’m making the best decisions I can while navigating an engaging, intense, inspiring family and work life. It’s not a matter of importance. They’re both important. And when you have more than one important thing in your life, things don’t always line up perfectly. That’s the truth, and you just gotta figure things out from there.

Three clear messages about different ways of “knowing” in less than 24 hours? I’m pretty pragmatic, but even I know that there is a persistent tapping on my shoulder right now telling me to listen more closely to my heart. To listen to something beyond the way my brain is trying to sort things out right now.

Intent is not impact. You’ll hear this phrase a lot in social justice circles. It’s based on the understanding that our actions may not have the consequences we desire, and that just because we didn’t mean for something to turn out the way that it did, doesn’t mean that we aren’t responsible. 

I truly believe if we could change the quality of our meetings, not only would people's happiness and productivity go through the roof, we would need less meetings. Imagine a bright future ahead of us: no more meetings for the sake of meetings!

The chaos is inevitable. I am working with humans, and what's more, humans bring conflicting perspectives and experiences. There is no mechanistic predictability available! What will happen in the room or over the duration of the project is largely unknown... I can prepare, but planning is usually futile. In these situations, figuring out what is the minimal order for people to be able to organise and move forward meaningfully and productively is essential.

For Tim and I, the resolution is in our practicing relationship with each other, day in and day out, with its inevitable hurts and with a commitment to learning from each other. This resolution in relationship is not neat and tidy, but more real, deep, and entirely based in practicing together.

In addition to getting results swiftly, people get really excited to learn a whole new suite of tools and a new way of thinking about problem solving. It immediately starts to be applied all over the organisation. As one client put it last week: "What we do is not hugely different—the structure is not undergoing big re-design—but how we do everything is changing".

If we want to be change leaders, we have to find a way to engage and work with people who hold power and influence. It is essential piece of the puzzle that needs to be integrated into our strategies. It is dangerous not to—our work ends getting squashed, co-opted or undermined long term. Simple put, any obstacles I carry to working with power is hurdle to having impact.