Balancing visionaries and doers - we need both

Young person balances on a beam, arms out wide, with the sun behind them

So much of the Sprint process is a balancing act.

Continuation from- Reflections on a sprint funding process: The Facilitator. The Group. The People. & Me.

It has been really clear in this sprint process the need to have people in the room who are big dreamers alongside people who are practical shapers and makers.

This is another balancing act for the facilitator to support with the aim of turning bold imagination into meaningful action.

How do we do openess and curiosity?

We can all get attached to our way of thinking, accidentally creating barriers. It's subtle - a dismissive comment, a quick shutdown of an idea, an eye roll because of a rigid belief - these moments can slow everything down. It is felt, even when it isn’t said.

When there is a commitment to staying curious, making space for mistakes, recognising that finding a new path means being willing to not know everything, or sometimes saying stop, and starting again- then you will have the chance of moving to somewhere new. 

This commitment was set out in words at the beginning, when establishing ways of working together. I think that through the facilitation the group got to stay open and curious in the moment. When responsibility is this big - distributing 1.5 million pounds and challenging existing systems - openness and curiosity aren’t just words - they are something everyone has to practice.

Stay open to a variety of approaches...

I felt like the key was using a variety of approaches. Not every approach helped, but you don’t know till you try. Sometimes allowing things to roll, sometimes going deep, other times switching it up - changing the space, changing the energy, doing something new. 

It helps when the group remain open to working with a variety of approaches and this requires energy.

What open and curious space have you been in lately? Did it work for everyone?

To return to the first blog in this series please click here - Reflections on a sprint funding process: The Facilitator. The Group. The People. & Me.

Catherine Wilks

Hi I’m Catherine, a facilitator and trainer using movement, improvisation and play to support courage, connection and change. I am a co-founder of the SHOOPERY an experiential learning company bringing in the practice of letting go into groups for wellbeing and social change. I am also a Developmental Movement Play specialist with Jabadao- making space for bodies in education.

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