Our Other Tools Courage, Freedom, Hospitality, and Compassion Scott Marshall – Accessing Higher Ground 2018 Welcome 3 deep breaths

Introductions Who are you? (Please, no titles.) Why did you choose this workshop? Is there a practice or a non-technical tool that you value that we should know about? Introductions

An Important Distinction Technical Problems Adaptive Challenges Work we know how to do: If we apply the right tools and resources, we can solve the problem. A challenge that “enables the capacity to thrive”.

Context Self-interest vs caring for the whole Shared power Scarcity Ever-present change Context

Courage is not the absence of fear Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is believing in something greater than what makes you afraid, and acting on that. How does courage make you feel? In what ways do you practice and enable courage? In what ways do you short-circuit it? In what ways could you practice more courage? If you did, what might be present in our work that isn’t currently? Courage Courage: French - heart Not the absence of fear - belief in greater than what makes you afraid, and acting on that. Examples: Practice and enable: We introduce the social model of disability which puts everyone on the hook. “Yes, and…” responses (enabling). Courage makes us feel: Courage scares us, makes us proud, aligns us. We short-circuit courage by: We back off in the face of power, because we all have defaults or because we’re afraid of rocking the boat too much. We tell people it’s “better than nothing”. We go along to get along. Say “No, but…” If courage was more prevalent: More No answers (to all the requests). Different policies. Ways to practice: Propose a pilot. Create a DIY resource and ask people to use it. Start a meeting with a poem.

The choice to be the creator of our own experience and to accept the unbearable responsibility that goes with that.” -Block How does freedom make you feel? In what ways do you practice and enable freedom? In what ways do you short-circuit it? In what ways could you practice more freedom? If you did, what might be present in our work that isn’t currently? Freedom Definition: “The choice to be the creator of our own experience and to accept the unbearable responsibility that goes with that.” -- Block Examples: Practice and enable: Questions Freedom makes us feel: Accountable, part of something bigger than ourselves We short-circuit freedom by: Seeing things as inevitable, looking to our leaders to solve problems, fear, fault, dependency Ways to practice: Ask more questions, ask better questions, questions not answers in disguise. Stop offering advice, start being more curious. Invitation. Set-up a room differently. If freedom was more prevalent: More accountability

Welcoming people together in a way that honors and values our interdependence. How does hospitality make you feel? In what ways do you practice and enable it? In what ways do you short-circuit it? In what ways could you practice more hospitality? If you did, what might be present in our work that isn’t currently? Hospitality Definition: Welcoming people together in a way that honors and values our interdependence. Examples: Practice and enable: Food, eye contact, welcome, introductions, tell someone “I’m glad you're here.” We set the tone. Hospitality makes us feel: Welcome, belonging, more equal, connected, engaged, generous We short-circuit hospitality by: Jumping right to How?, don’t share our thoughts or stories. We accommodate and “service” people. We other them in this process. Don’t welcome dissent or different ideas. If hospitality was more prevalent: Stronger connections, more sharing, more belonging Ways to practice: Gratitude, food, powerful questions, thoughtful invitations (to co-create a future possibility, not merely to attend), brining gifts on margins into the center, know people’s names and practice remembering them, welcome people as they enter a room (also, see Courage).

Compassion Empathy + desire to help. How does compassion make you feel? In what ways do you practice and enable it? In what ways do you short-circuit it? In what ways could you practice more compassion? If you did, what might be present in our work that isn’t currently? Compassion Definition: Empathy + desire to help. (Actually helping is Altruism.) Examples: Practice and enable: Curiosity, Compassion makes us feel: Connected We short-circuit compassion by: Assuming, speaking for others, not inviting people to be part of a conversation, hubris and ego If compassion was more prevalent: Patience, humility Ways to practice: Curiosity

Commitments Name two things you’d like to try. How important are those things to you? What will hold you back? How will you overcome the hold-you-back obstacles? With whom will you share something you try that matters? Commitments