Discovering the map of practice
Feb 16, 2022
What do you think of when you hear the word PRACTICE?
This quote from one of our cohort says it all for me: "For me, a practitioner means being on my growing edge - its a bit messy, full of questions and challenge, it requires a courageous willingness to try stuff out - to maybe fall short - most definitely fall short as a way towards learning. All of this while holding a leadership position - and practicing humility while asking people to trust me as I am learning. I get to show up as a human being offering gifts to the wider circle."
Learning can be confusing, messy, challenging. And yet it is the only way to grow as a leader, a colleague, a friend, a community member and most certainly as a facilitator or host.
In our first session for "BEYOND FACILITATION: The Secrets of Extraordinary Hosting". Amy Lenzo and I introduced the Four Fold Practice, one of the core focal points of the Art of Hosting.
Each of the four parts of this map speaks to a different part of being in practice.
"Host Yourself" puts the focus on your personal practice for staying present, curious, and flexible. "Be Hosted" puts the focus on practicing conversation by being in them and using your skills. "Host Others" puts the focus on hosting conversations that matter together with others. "Be part of a Hosting Community" is about deepening your skills inside of a Community of Practice.
As a Story Activist, and as someone who has deeply travelled with this map in my own life, I also applied to the way I work with story in my group processes:
HOST YOURSELF & TEND YOUR STORIES. The more you know about your own triggers and hidden stories, the more you step out of reaction and into co-creation.
LISTEN TO OTHERS & SHARE YOUR STORIES. Listening is a superpower. When we listen deeply to others, we know what stories to share that might be a gift in the moment.
MAKE SPACES TO HOST STORIES THAT MATTER. Stories are the bridge of understanding and connection, but they also hold the gold of our lived experience. We have more collective wisdom through using them wisely.
BE PART OF A STORIED COMMUNITY. Our stories can guide us into more generative co-creation. We can find out which stories we need to stop telling, keep telling and start telling because they serve us well.
So much joy to be in this big and beautiful international group meeting for the first time as a practice community! I'm really looking forward to our second session in two weeks. Here's Viola Clark's marvelous graphic harvest.
So what does being a practitioner mean to you?
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BEYOND FACILITATION Details
EUROPE/NORTH AMERICA (still time to join us!)
Choose the whole series or select "a la carte." Every other Wednesday: March 2, 16 & 30
ASIA PACIFIC
Four consecutive Tuesdays: March 8, 15, 22 & 29 (for North Americans, four Mondays)
Isn't it time to have a brilliant ally on your side?
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