Reflections on a sprint funding process.
Ideas that we discussed at the start of the sprint process.
The Facilitator. The Group. The People. & Me.
I’ve been involved with something that had to go fast. A sprint.
It was also huge - involving 1.5 million pounds. How does something that huge move so fast?
The aim was to design and deliver a funding process that sees 1.5 million pounds leave the hands of a funder and be in use by ‘back office changemakers’ in 6 weeks. (Although the term ‘Back office Changemakers' was up for debate in the process - what / who and why this?)
The group included...
Staff from a philanthropic team, Thirty Percy, including someone who has a ‘back office’ role, someone who has received funding before, and an external representative who also works in the funding world.
The process was facilitated by a lead facilitator, Camilla, and there was an additional person in the room - me. A witness, an observer, a fly on the wall.
We had to get to the finish line.
We learnt lots on the way.
What do we do with that learning?
A summary of my learning...
Relationships are everything.
“80% of my work is about energy”
This was one of my favourite quotes from Camilla during the process. I saw this creation, fuelling, healing, releasing energy role come alive. For the facilitator, the group and the people - who could be recipients of this fund.
From my position in the room, a none doer, it was clear that relationships are the hidden infrastructure of any meaningful process.
It's not just about the content discussed, but how we meet each other in those discussions.
I watched the practice of letting go within a process...
Releasing the tight grip on what we think we know, staying open to the moment and to each other. The facilitator created a space where people can listen, where defensiveness softens, where vulnerability becomes a strength. I saw the use of movement, props, visuals. I saw playing with time and managing time. I saw messiness and sharpness and everywhere in between. All this contributed and used energy.
The important in-between moments...
A shared laugh, a moment of genuine understanding, a recognition of someone's deeper intention - these are the real decision-makers. They create the trust that allows bold ideas to emerge, that enables a group to move beyond individual perspectives into collective wisdom and new ways of working.
A commitment to learning...
The philanthropic foundation and the facilitator have done this before - twice. It really feels like there is a commitment to keep learning by bringing in my role, and bringing this group of people together for the third sprint process. There are many more conversations to be had about the learning and where next… and at the point of writing this… the six week process has finished and I have heard the money has gone to 14 changemakers. Wow.
When you get in a room to achieve something, what do you do to strengthen the relationship?
When you have time for more...
There are many other blogs in this series. To read more reflections from the sprint process please follow these links…
Inviting a stranger in I think it is pretty bold inviting a stranger in, and inviting me in to not really participate but to witness.
What questions do you need answers to? Where the sprint started.
Balancing visionaries and does - we need both
Language - Private conversations and public words
Agency - Navigating new and familiar experiences
Good enough - Keeping momentum
Keeping the space dynamic - With facilitation the layers remained dynamic
These are questions, thoughts and ideas for blogs that I never finished, but could still form part of the conversation and writing for future learning…
What is the influence of the environment we are in?
The things we have in our heads as facilitators
Let’s dance - can we really make this happen?
Generosity of the brief - genuinely creating space for personal learning, care and development
How is this different to what you already do?
Going against the grain, what does it feel like?
Are there limits to a relationship?
Power dynamics - who shares more? who is vulnerable?
How honest are we when we check in with ways of working - what are doing well? What can we work on?
