The future belongs to those who can be flexible and adaptable

A special Insight report in the weekend paper is about the future of a baby born in Australia this year. Here’s what caught my eye.

“If current trends are anything to go by, today’s babies will inhabit a world in which flexibility and adaptability will be key. Their life trajectories will be whorls of activity spinning off into periods of retraining and reinvention. Their education will be interactive, ongoing, and probably much more fun than yours.“

I’d argue that flexibility and adaptability are important right now.

Also in the weekend paper, is an opinion piece by Garry Lyon, a former professional Australian Rules Football player.

“I couldn’t help but think last weekend how important it is for football clubs, and their coaches, to have the ability to improvise, and be flexible in their planning as they embark on season 2012…I hope the spirit of improvisation catches on during matches…What we do know is that football constantly surprises, throwing up new challenges at every turn. The ability to improvise has never been more important.”

This talk of the need for flexibility, or agility as it’s sometimes called, adaptability and improvisation are all very well, but how do we develop these capacities?

We all improvise – life is an improvisation, as it comes with no user’s manual. We seem to be happy to improvise the small parts of our lives – or maybe it’s that we simply don’t recognize that we’re improvising. Yet when it comes to our work, improvisation is seen as something akin to recklessness.

It is possible though to learn to improvise more and to bring this to all of the facets of our lives. Even those in the most controlled professions can improvise within  constraints. Improvisation is not a synonym of anarchy or chaos. It exists within boundaries.

In many ways I’m not surprised when a group of capable, talented, professional people, when asked if they improvise, shake their heads. “I’m not an improviser,” they declare. “It’s not for me.” Jazz musicians, and comedy improvisors are probably what come to people’s minds when asked if they improvise. They probably think of improvisation as something performers do on a stage in front of an audience. Any wonder that most of us would say no to that.

Even these ‘professional’ improvisors practice relentlessly to build their capacity to improvise.

When watching a group of people improvising on the stage, here’s what I see: a high-performing team, seamlessly working with each other, each with a specific, if changeable, function, working towards the successful completion of a specified task, sometimes making mistakes that might give them pause, but rarely stop them in their tracks.

Sound familiar? In its various forms, this is how teamwork is often described to me in businesses and organisations. It’s how people wished their teams were.

Taking a group of people for an away day or two or even three or more, or suggesting they attend a training course to learn how to improve their teamwork is ludicrous.

Would you send a child to a camp to learn how to play the piano, expecting that when they return from a few days away they would be transformed into a pianist? Would you take yourself to a retreat to learn new habits expecting to be a changed person on your return?

You might return with a new perspective, new information, insights and inspiration. You might even return with a set of skills to practice and hone and develop.

And this is the point.

We never learn anything new without practice. I’ve already written about this here.

Building our capacities to be flexible, to be more comfortable with uncertainty, to trust our abilities to adapt, and to see the possibilities around us, don’t always come easily as we struggle to shed the legacy of an era of order, control and predictability. We need to be exposed to being flexible and adaptable, we need to learn the foundations of improvising, and we need to practice.

Just as a footballer will practice in the gym to build strength, and run to build stamina, we need to train to be more spontaneous. If we want to be more flexible and adaptable and able to respond when we don’t know what to do, we need to practice so as those skills become second nature.

These ideas fascinate and excite me. And I’m looking for others who are share an interest in how to develop our capacities to thrive in an uncertain future. I don’t think there’s any easy answers, no magic bullets, no next ‘big thing’. But I do believe there’s lots of new territory to explore, new skills to learn, ideas to share and connections to make. If you are also fascinated by these ideas, you might be interested in this.

Tasting an amygdala hijack

Warning: Contains self-reflection

I’ve always said that an ‘amygdala hijack’ is a great name for a cocktail. I’m not sure what would be in such a cocktail except that in my mind’s eye it’s red, so I guess cranberry juice would be a good start. A real amygdala hijack is a serious thing though – it’s when our primitive brain takes over and the amygdala ‘hijacks’ the higher functioning of the brain. It literally (through some process I really don’t understand) flicks a switch, so to speak, that means we lose our capacity to consider anything other than fright (deer caught in the headlights) or flight (just get out of there as quickly as possible).

I had what felt like a slow-onset amygdala hijack recently while facilitating and it’s been an interesting experience to reflect on. I’m also re-reading (by chance) Mindsight by Dan Siegel. He talks about how it’s possible to change the wiring and architecture of our brains, and how mindsight gives us the capacity for insight and empathy – two things I really lacked last week.

After getting some space (literally) away from the group and spending time outside, having some laughs and some tears, some exercise and some sleep, and some time alone, my brain is functioning again, the right and left hemispheres are integrated, the prefrontal cortex is back in business and the synapses are firing away. Empathy and creativity are back. (Phew!) I can now see with a clarity that’s a bit scary in comparison to the fog I was operating in. It felt like mentally crawling through molasses. I knew I had to move, but every movement felt laboured. I was operating on auto-pilot, and a pretty timid one at that. Fair to say, that’s not my usual style.

I fell into the trap of trying to think my way out. My body was telling me something else. I could feel the tension throughout my body, but mostly in my gut. People kept engaging with me at a cognitive level and I would try and respond similarly. Now I can see that what I really needed, and wanted, was a hug – human connection at a very basic level to calm down my amygdala and give my brain time to recover and start functioning again.

Writing this, I feel completely different. Optimistic, brave, creative. I no longer feel frustrated, angry, trapped, afraid. I feel like me again.

This line from Dan Siegel’s book really resonates: “Before we can reconnect with others, we need to reconnect with ourselves”. This means checking in with our internal sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. He also talks about not beating ourselves up: “What’s wrong with you, Viv? You’ve done this before, you know how to facilitate, you understand status, you know what’s going on here…Why can’t you keep your head together?”

Siegel say that ‘reflection requires an attunement to the self that is supportive and kind, not a judgmental stance of interrogation and derogation. Reflection is a compassionate state of mind.’

Facilitation is harder than it looks. Great facilitation is barely visible at all, yet takes an enormous amount of effort, mainly around what not to do. It’s always easier, whether facilitating, or doing anything else, to take along everything, to do more, to say a bit more. It’s easier to keep adding, adding, adding. Take a few extra clothes on that trip, add a few more slides to that presentation, talk for a bit longer. It’s harder – much harder – to stop. To stop doing and to start being.

I’ve been reminded to reconnect with myself, and to allow time and space for that to happen. I’ve also been reminded that others probably need this too.

Beyond resilience

Dave Pollard has an excellent post on resilience. Resilience is a bit of a catch phrase at the moment, and yes, guilty as charged, your honour. I’ve been pedalling the resilience story for a while now – individual, community, organisational, family.

As Dave says, resilience is about ‘springing back’, and embedded in that is the expectation that things will somehow, eventually get back to ‘normal’. We now know that there is no ‘normal’.

I’m particularly taken by his research that reveals that we need to adapt, and improvise. It’s so obvious when it’s presented this way, yet I’ve been blinded by the lure of resilience that I’ve neglected alternatives.

Great stuff. I’ve saved Dave’s post for further reference.

What presses your buttons?

The term ‘change management’ presses my buttons. So instead of responding straight away with a rant, I thought I’d explore what the term means to me.

First ‘change’ – there’s two types of change: change that I initiate, like changing jobs or moving house, or taking a vacation. Then there’s change that is imposed on me by someone else: a new train timetable, a restructure at work, a new way of acting that someone else has decided is necessary (aka behaviour change). Okay, so there’s more than two types of change. There’s incremental change, and there’s catastrophic change.

Now ‘management’ – able to influence, direct, control. Some things really do need management: building a house, or any other complicated project; running a household – paying bills, putting the garbage out, organising maintenance, taking the dog to the vet – all manner of things need to be managed. Good thing too.

It’s when change and management are lumped together that I get a bit antsy. What does change management mean, I wonder? I guess it may be possible, and necessary, when moving office locations for example. Change management could be handy. But it often relates to cultural change – and I’m not sure it’s possible, or even desirable to manage cultural change.

I was once asked how to ‘ensure a controlled and managed change process’? I have no idea! I don’t think it IS possible. So instead of ‘change management’ I offer the following alternative: ‘change awareness’ – a process of creating an environment in which change (read cultural change) can be explored, played with, and adopted in an organic way that makes sense to people.

How to do that? Open space, enable conversations, build relationships and trust that people will do what’s necessary, based on their passions and the responsibility they’re willing to take. Yep – it’s about using open space as a means of being together in community and organisations to build connections and culture.

Some reflections on the bushfire recovery process

It’s nearly five months on from the Victorian bushfires that claimed many lives, homes, livlihoods, habitat, livestock and wildlife. I don’t live in the affected area. I’ve done a few workshops with people who do, and with people who have been affected indirectly.

I’ve seen some of the effects – physical and emotional. I’ve seen the blackened trees, felt the stillness, and the emptiness. Yet have been surprised by the resilience of nature, as the sound of a single bird fills the void and the sight of new, green shoots seems to sprout as I watch. I’ve listened to stories and to accusations, to questions and to answers. I’ve seen multiple emotions cross people’s faces in a moment. And I’ve seen great pain and great joy.

I’ve read reports of the inquiries. I’ve listened to people recount their stories. I’ve heard analysis. I’ve heard blame. And I’ve heard thanks. Directly and mediated.

And most poignant of all, to me, are pleas from people rebuilding their lives for ongoing support. Not for more money, although that helps; not for more visits from the agencies, although it’s good to know they haven’t been forgotten; not from tourists, although it’s good have their money flowing into the affected communities. Sometimes they don’t even have the words. They want their community back. They want the connection. The feeling of belonging.

I can’t give them what they want. Nor can anyone else.  This has to come from within. Community-building is community-centric. The time for facilitators from outside of these communities is passing quickly, although we can still provide valuable support through training, coaching and mentoring. In the end though, it will be up to these reinvented, fledging communities to bring their own groups together to re-build local capacity, and resilience. And a sense of belonging again.

Lessons from the field

After eight days of facilitation training in Indonesia, what did I learn?

Before I answer that, a bit of context. I was working for an international aid organisation. Some 55 people took part in the first three days, then 30 of them disappeared to take part in an emergency simulation. The remaining people stayed to learn more facilitation and prepare to debrief the simulation – which also included local staff, bringing the numbers on the day up to 100+. The final day brought the original 55 back together for a review.

It was, at times, challenging, tiring, exhilerating, fun and ultimately satisfying.

Slideshows and interaction can work!

For many years I refused to even entertain the idea of including a slideshow (aka powerpoint presentation) in any facilitation. Then I discovered Keynote (the Mac equivalent of powerpoint) and Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen fame. And my friend Geoff Brown and I started experimenting with slideshows. And we created a training program called Insanely Great Slideshow Presentations. So it was only natural that I would make a slideshow to 1) ease people into the training 2) demonstrate an alternative to crappy powerpoint and bullet points 3) ensure I had a plan for the first day at least 4) prove to myself that I could integrate a slideshow, and interaction. If you’d like to see it I’ve loaded it here on slideshare.

Doing beats all other approaches

Telling is telling, demonstrating provides a frame, participating gives perspective and doing it yourself is really the only way to actually learn. Having an opportunity to prepare and practice using different facilitation techniques builds confidence to actually facilitate.

Having a real facilitation experience to work towards focuses attention and provides multiple learning opportunities, as well as a sense of achievement

The post-simulation debrief provided a real facilitation experience for the trainees. The day was designed in advance and incorporated a number of facilitation techniques, including some that were not planned for! The shift from one venue to another provided an excellent opportunity for the trainees to experience the decision-making associated with staging an event in a less-than-ideal venue.

Improv rules!

Sure, I know I sound like a broken record, but that’s because improv has become fundamental to how I facilitate. And I also believe an understanding of improv principles provides a fast-track to better facilitation. This was proven during this event. I’d introduced my six favourite improv principles for facilitators: Be Present, Accept Offers, Let Go, Make Mistakes, Be Average, and Do Something. I think they provided permission to ‘have a go’ – to see every opportunity as a learning opportunity rather than pressure to perform. During the simulation debrief with 100+ people in a room suitable for probably half that many, facilitated solely by people who had learnt many of their facilitation skills only days before and with a frenetic pace I saw many examples of improvised facilitation in action. I only had to ask once and someone would step up to help, to facilitate a process they’d only seen and participated in once before. They knew it was okay to make mistakes, to accept offers, to be average and present to what was happening, to do something if they got stuck and to let go of expectations.

There’s always an alternative

Okay, so I’d planned to incorporate juggling as an activity. Alas, no juggling balls. Could we buy balloons, and rice? We’ll make our own. The activity was a hit. I’m sure no-one knew it wasn’t planned (although they will now!)

Themes emerge

After a few days a theme of ‘catching the ball’ emerged, fueled by juggling balls, group juggling, improv games and outdoor activities with the physical resilience guys. The ball became a recurring theme – albeit unplanned, and unexpected, but a theme nonetheless.

Even the most basic facilitation skills can make a difference

Not everyone is going to become an ace facilitator. Not everyone wants to. But everyone can incorporate some understanding of facilitation, and the power of interaction, into events they design or lead. And this can make a big difference. Or just a little difference. That’s okay.

Stamina helps!

Don’t skip breakfast. I did one morning. And paid the price later in the morning when I simply ran out of energy. I was unfocused, weary, had trouble making decisions and felt flat. This level of facilitation requires stamina. And that requires fuel. And fitness. I need to be fitter to do more of this work.

Schedule long breaks

We scheduled 1.5 hours each day for lunch, a day off and another free half-day. Learning facilitation is intensive work. Having time and space to relax helps people to integrate and consolidate their learning. There’s a tendency to cram as much as possible into the time available. This is a case where less is definitely more. Once people are tuned into facilitation there’s plenty they can learn along the way. If we scare them off on their first encounter there’s little chance they will pursue further learning.

I’m sure there’s more lessons that will emerge as I continue to debrief this experience. This’ll do for starters.

Learning from fellow facilitators

I love sharing stories with fellow facilitators. In this podcast, Geoff Brown and I chat with Nicole Hunter about her experiences with rural communities following the Grampians bush fires a few years ago. Go here to listen.

Talking with Gil Brenson-Lazan about the role of facilitators in disaster response

Anyone reading this blog over the last couple of weeks will notice a pre-occupation, of sorts, with facilitation and disaster response. This is borne partly out of the need to share what I know and believe regarding what facilitators can bring and partly due to frustration. Frustration that the authorities responsible for recovery following Victoria’s bush fires, and the media, commentators, and experts – seem to be oblivious to the important part that facilitation can play in helping communities rebuild.

So here’s the next installment – and it’s a beauty. Geoff Brown and I interviewed Gil Brenson-Lazan who has 35 years experience in this field and is a co-founder of the Global Faciltators Service Corps (GFSC).  We cover topics such as:

Gil’s experiences of disaster responses – good and bad. What happened when 26,000 people were killed in Columbia.

Why it’s important for people to participate in their own future.

Training facilitators in psycho-social recovery: personal (psycho) grieving processes and building community (social) resilience.

An aid mentality compared with a facilitative approach to disaster response.

Thinking like a facilitator.

Role of Community Fireguard in building resilient communities.

The power of participating and dialoguing instead of being ‘talked at’ by an expert.

Secondary crisis – not dealing appropriately with the loss and turning to ‘escape’ behaviours.

The problem of staying in the aid mode for too long and building dependency. The ladder of participation.

When is the right time for facilitation after a disaster?

Go here to listen (32 mins)

Facilitators helping communities recover

Facilitator n. A person who makes a group’s work easier by structuring and guiding the participation of group members.

            Fran Rees, The Facilitator Excellence Handbook, Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, 1998, page 11.

Bushfires, emergency response, media coverage, tears, volunteers, support, recovery, resettling, hugs, rebuilding. Then what? How do individuals and communities rebuild the bonds that make communities, well, communities?

Everyone is traumatised by a disaster – the survivors, the helpers, the professionals, the bureaucrats, the media. So who can work with, and in, communities to help with the long-term social reconnection? And why does it matter? Surely rebuilding infrastructure and getting homes and services operating is a greater priority?

I used to think that it was best that someone with my facilitation skills should stay out of the way and let the trained recovery people get on with it, to let the rebuilding begin. Then I learned that social reconstruction and building resilience is important too – and the sooner it begins the better.

 Social reconstruction is about connection, rebuilding the bonds amongst individuals and groups in a community. It’s important to help avoid secondary crises, where individuals become disconnected or isolated and choose to cope by making ineffective, often dangerous, choices, like using drugs, alcohol, violence or withdrawal.

Facilitators don’t have to wait. They can contribute right now, building the foundations for faster and more effective, recovery. A skilled facilitator can create a safe and caring environment to help people express their emotions and encourage connection through sharing of stories and experiences. A skilled facilitator can help create an awareness of what is possible; helping people recall their strengths and build new competencies as they and their community’s progress through the stages of recovery. And a skilled facilitator will be available when individuals and groups are ready to move forward, re-creating a new community based on the achievements of the past and the hopes for the future.

Facilitators, even those who are not members of the affected community, have the skills to build rapport with individuals and groups, creating a trusting environment where individuals can share their experiences. We know when to talk and when to shut up. We know how to listen so that others will want to talk, and how to guide when people are ready to listen.

Facilitators also know how to elicit meaningful recollection that increases people’s options as they consider their future. This is important for developing personal, group and community potential. We can hear when people are limiting their own options by their (verbal and nonverbal) language and gently help them reframe those statements in more effective, more positive directions. Facilitators ask questions that enable people to restructure their own language, and the stories they carry about themselves.

Dr. Gilbert Brenson-Lazan, an experienced authority on the role of facilitators in disaster response, describes social and group resilience as:

the ability to face internal or external crisis and not only effectively resolve it but also learn from it, be strengthened by it and emerge transformed by it, both individually and as a group.

What is the best we hope will emerge from a community struck by disaster? Rebuilding those bonds that define a community depends on the community’s ability to rebound as well as rebuild. This social and group resilience is an essential outcome to emerge from disasters. Groups or communities that have experienced a disaster such as the recent bushfires, have the knowledge, skills and resources needed for developing this resilience, but might not have the (facilitation) skills to recognise and hone the qualities and strategies they need to rebuild their communities.

Working with groups stimulates and reinforces not only those positive community characteristics, but also enhances and rebuilds personal identity, reinforcing self-esteem and self-confidence. Facilitators can be appropriately directive, consultative, collaborative and empowering all at the same time. Our job is not to lead but to develop leadership in the group.

When people are thrown together as a result of a disaster, some conflict is inevitable, often driven by fear, guilt or personal need. Facilitators can help avoid conflict escalation (different from avoiding conflict altogether which would be unhelpful) through dialogue and exploring flexibility and options.

Finally, skilled facilitators know how to recognise stress in others because we know how to care for ourselves. We know our personal limits. We know we all have personal limits. We know how to practice active grieving and how to develop a strong support network.

A facilitated group develops its own capacity to support itself. This type of help is very effective for minimizing (individual) dependence. The group develops strategies together, helps individuals define their own roles and the community can move forward together.

Facilitators bring an understanding of the innate power of groups, the importance of participation and the belief that groups have within themselves the resources they need for survival, recovery and growth. As communities affected by the bushfires navigate their way into their new futures, facilitators can help them form new structures for emotional and practical support.

More than 90 facilitators have registered to donate their skills helping those communities recovering from bush fires rebuild their group and social support systems. If you want to connect with a facilitator who can help, go to our web site www.fhcr.collectivex.com.

Role of facilitation in disaster recovery

Back in 2006 BB (Before Blogging) I attended a training course for facilitators on the role of facilitation in disaster recovery. At the time I said it was probably the most significant training I’d ever done as a facilitator. I wrote an article for the Australasian Facilitators’ Network, to debrief my experience and to share what I’d learnt with others. I think it’s appropriate to republish it now.

My views on disasters and the role of facilitation have been both reinforced and changed completely as I reflect on a two-day workshop I recently completed called “Facilitating Psycho-Social Reconstruction” – and I’ll come back to what that actually means in a moment.

But first, a little background: this workshop was designed and delivered by the Global Facilitator Service Corps (GFSC) is a voluntary group of committed and passionate people who provide a way for facilitators to contribute our facilitation skills to disaster preparedness and recovery. It is ambitious, it’s altruistic, it’s voluntary, and organic.

The workshop was created and delivered by Gil Brenson-Lazan with help from BJ and Lenny Diamond who organised the workshop, provided behind-the-scenes support and developed the notes; and Mike Kane and Erness Wright-Irvin, both Hurricane Katrina survivors from New Orleans, who helped deliver the workshop. Their stories will remain with me for a long time.

The workshop ran over two days. There were about 14 of us – from across the USA, Canada and Australia.

Some highlights: Haiti-born Suze describing the chronic trauma of Haitian people living in the United States; Scott talking of his experiences as a 9/11 survivor; Erness describing her own immediate denial that there was any urgency to leave as Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans; Mike describing his experiences of living with friends and his coping mechanism of either extreme activity or total inactivity. These personal, first-hand stories make the reports we see on our news come alive with a potency that is rarely possible via the media. Yet again, the power of personal anecdote was reinforced. And we all had stories to tell – maybe not of the same scale as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina – but personal disasters nonetheless that underlined the common human experience, and needs.

I’d always assumed that the immediate post-disaster recovery was best left to experts, with facilitators coming in to help with longer-term reconstruction of communities. Boy, was I wrong! And I’d also assumed that disaster only meant the all-too-regular large-scale natural and human-induced disasters. Wrong again! And I thought that the role of the facilitator began only after disasters. Three strikes and you’re out! I was wrong on all three counts.

The experts, the recovery teams, the bureaucrats – everyone is traumatised by disaster and have similar, but different, needs according to their circumstances. And yes, that includes us, as facilitators, too. Facilitators can contribute straight away, building the foundations for faster and more effective, recovery.

While there will always be a need for facilitation around large-scale, high profile disasters, there are everyday disasters too – happening in organizations and communities. Understanding the psychological and social impacts on individuals and groups helps us as facilitators to respond better and appropriately.

And for me, the most exciting of all, is the potential for facilitators to help build resilience and local capacity in groups and communities – so that if and when disaster occurs the group or community is prepared for psychosocial reconstruction.

Now there’s a term you may not of heard before. It simply means the reintegration of individual with community/group needs. During chronic or after acute trauma, individuals respond by reverting to survival mode. The longer individuals stay isolated and looking after themselves, the more likely they are to become dependent and adopt dysfunctional strategies to cope and suffer secondary crises.

The model developed by GFSC explores all of this and much, much more: individual needs and responses, leadership styles, approaches, skills, what to look out for and importantly, crisis intervention techniques – building rapport, the power of language, debriefing after a critical incident, building group resilience, suicide risk and referral (there are some things well outside the realm of facilitation and should be referred to professional therapists), avoiding conflict escalation (note – not avoiding conflict); and caring for ourselves and developing personal resilience.

Why facilitation? What do we bring that others don’t to these situations? It’s simply really – an understanding of the innate power of groups, the importance of participation and the belief that groups have within them the resources they need for whatever it is they need to do for survival, recovery and growth.

At any time during the recovery process people can slip into ineffective strategies to cope – and while this model looks linear, it’s not really. Understanding this model can be helpful in responding as a facilitator – recognising what individuals and groups are going through.

Footnote: While I decided to help coordinate facilitators willing to donate their services to help in the recovery process for survivors of the Victorian bushfires through my blog and the AFN, Anne Pattillo in New Zealand had the same thought regarding IAP2. So naturally we’ve decided to work together. Stay tuned for developments.