In a conversation with a potential new client, I heard common concerns about their community. People working on the same issues were not talking to each other, and there was duplication of work and a sense of community fragmented. People were working hard but not having the impact they wanted. A core way to overcome… Read more
Author: btener
Strengthening Community Connections in Meeting Design
“The essential challenge is to transform the isolation and self-interest within our communities into connectedness and caring for the whole.” – Peter Block One promising area for reconnecting people in communities is the Farm to School movement. Communities across the country are implementing initiatives to increase the amount of local food served in school cafeterias,… Read more
Collaborative Learning and Generous Exchange: The Heart of Networked Work
A need to network and better connect work is arising in many contexts, as people see silos that don’t connect. People whose interests and goals are similar or complementary, who could be learning together and exchanging information and resources, do not know each other or lack incentives to collaborate. In this fascinating book, The New Science of… Read more
Collective Healing: Shifting Historical Patterns That Divide Us
We live in times of extreme partisanship, increasing divisions between the rich and poor, the working class and upper class, experiences of people of color vs. whites, and disconnects of people from nature. In the US, our current political process and social media tend to amplify divisions and generate more discord rather than consensus on common ground,… Read more
Successfully Transitioning Your Organization to a Network Mindset
Working in networked ways is fundamentally different than traditional ways of working. Organizations can commit to a network approach yet not fully realize all the pieces and behaviors needed to make it actually work. Leaders and organizations can easily slip back into traditional ways of working that can undermine progress on creating a collaborative culture… Read more
How Urgency Disrupts Collaboration – Part 2
This post builds on Part 1. Here we explore the question: How can we capitalize on the full benefits of teamwork and do our best thinking, even when the process is moving quickly? Here are some tips: When things need to move fast, have pre-emptive conversations about decision-making and input. The team can agree up… Read more
How Urgency Disrupts Collaboration – Part 1
In experiences with three teams lately, I have noticed that something happens to teamwork and the commitment to collaboration when a deadline and related sense of urgency comes into the picture. As someone who thinks a lot about how we create the conditions for groups to perform at their highest collective potential, I have been… Read more
An Earth Day Tribute to My Teachers
It is said: “when a student is ready, the teacher appears.” For over 20 years, I have been asking the question of how can we live in ways that sustain and restore the earth, and ourselves? Over that time, I have been blessed to learn from some amazing teachers, each adding new dimensions and experiences… Read more
Uncovering the Blind Spots of White Privilege
The phrase “privilege is blind” is one I think about often. I’m participating in Food Solutions New England’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge for the second year because I need to see beyond the blinders of my experience. I recognize that a person of color would not have to set an intention to learn about racial… Read more
Tips for Navigating Uncertain Territory (Part 3 of a 3 Part Series)
This blog builds on previous Part 2. Tips for Navigating Uncertain Territory Here are some of the ways I coach leaders in learning how to work in this uncomfortable territory of not having a clear answer or plan: Name the discomfort – I find it helps to name how uncomfortable this feels, e.g., to convene… Read more