What does "practice" mean to you?

Do you ever feel you speak a different language to other people? And I'm not talking about all the flavours of English out there (which believe me, are wide and varied, the idioms will get you every time!).

Two words I use a lot are PRACTICE and PRACTITIONER. I often hear crickets when I mention them.

What I've learned working alongside Toke Paludan Moeller and the Art of Hosting field is what you practice, you become.  

In my work as a Story Activist and as a facilitator and host of conversations that matter I can tell those people who are practitioners -- and dedicated to staying in learning -- and those people Jacques Chlopczyk calls "tooligans", just intent on the next bright, shiny method.

It's what David Hutchens spoke about in a recent LinkedIn post -- earlier wanting the audience to think he was smart, now wanting them to feel he cares. He starts with intention and by practicing kindness and even love.

Being a practitioner means you intend to have a solid ground to your practice. It means that you realise who you are BEING is as important as what you are DOING.

I'm having so much fun right now creating spaces for practitioners and people who want to be in community with practitioners.

 One of my favourite projects is called BEYOND FACILITATION. Amy Lenzo (one of the stewards of World Café) and I offered the first one last year online and we attracted a large and amazing international circle and offered it in two timezones.

We're back again this year and taking a deeper look at the map, approaches, and principles that underpin the leading edge of participatory group process. There's enough stress, complexity, challenge and striving to make us all overwhelmed. What if your practice was joyful instead?

We are exploring one of the most invaluable gifts from the Art of Hosting Community -- The Fourfold Practice. Along the way, we will discover the deeper power and purpose that a personal and professional practice can bring to your work with groups, and see can how mastering it can become the cornerstone to your life and work.

• September 12 – Mastering the Fourfold Practice (where we’ll be joined by Toke Møller, the co-creator of the FourFold Practice!).
• September 19 – Personal Practice Makes All the Difference
• September 26 – Real Results in the Real World
• October 3 – Taking a Systemic View

The Earlybird price is on offer until August 15. Groups of three or more also receive a discount.

We'd love for you to join us! For more information & to register: https://bit.ly/44DY7Ox