2013 Summer (in Chatham, NY)+week 4+Coaching Team Call+Call Summary
Call Summary:
July, 9, 2013, 1pm EST
Present: Maia, Art, Ruben, Dave, Alexandra, Maggie, Felix, Yana, Gonzalo, D'Artagnan
Missing: Chet, Christie, Mary
Call started with an open inquiry into what kind of agenda/call structure we wanted to have to support our mission. Suggestions were shared. Discussed the idea of having a fluid structure that would support room for creating/valuing unexpected outcomes. Discussed the different nature of working in smaller groups vs. as one large group. Gonzalo shared a practice for group work from "Holocracy": we all can ask and speak to "what do we jointly want to become? What is the big picture we are all working for?"
Current call structure agreement: using our weekly call to 1) Get feedback/on-site reporting from those at the ELL site. 2) And sharing our personal journey/inquiry as we pursue supporting emerging potential. 3) Exchange of relevant information.
Additionally, we encouraged the idea of us coaches making one-to-one connections between calls. And to share notes and reflections through writing here on the ELL site.
Art and Ruben then reported from on-site:
Relatedness and trust building. Deeper bonding happening on off days with games and hanging out. Building the kitchen (a structure for more connection on site) became a fun, group project. The physical location is primed for FOOD (with LOTS of food donated from local farms). Art noting he had thought there would be more confrontations with deeper vulnerability in the group process (with Tomis, Claire, Conner pushing into further vulnerability).
We further discussed vulnerability: noting that quantum leaps in project productivity corresponds with expansion into our breakthroughs with our own authenticity (vulnerability); personal expansion supports the expansion of the group process; a project evolves when a person evolves; the capacity to be honost with yourself, to 'come as you are', is part of the leadership development that generates the success of a project.
We stated that this week's theme was "Up-Leveling Vulnerability" - and that a breakthrough in this starts with us. We discussed embodying that in our 'coaching' relationships. Doing this changes the coaching dynamic from a hierarchical relationship into an embodied intimacy in which both 'partners' strive for excellence and success with trust and love. (We breifly talked about the word "Coach", Ruben expressing a concern/reaction to the word. Maia mentioned her own exploration with in using other words to describe her work/role: i.e. "creation partner", "social change agent").
D'Artagnan shared his thoughts on supporting Leadership: he noted paying attention to the effect that geographical closeness/separation has on what is possible to create with a group. He expressed the value in having deeper clarity around the specific outcomes we want to support by the end of the ELL; he contributed 'Transformational Learnng Outcomes' model as a resource.
We acknowledged the PARADOX of what we are all doing together: Wanting to achieve specific outcomes, while being a container for completely unpredictable outcomes...be who you are, while striving to become bigger/greater than you know yourself to be, etc...
Value-Creation:
- Structure for interconnection, and ways we can connect with each other.
- Creating understanding for the intention of the call. Forum for how we share intentionality. More Freedom.
- Being with the discomfort of holding an open-ended inquiry, leading to deeper Trust in the group.
- More transparency, honesty, being present, comfortable and safe: Coaching 2.0
- More open together: the more we connect, the more the 'makers' will connect.
- More comfortable. Embodying what we talk about. Talking from our own actions.
- Coaching call 2.0 - deeper intimacy and sharing.
- Openness. Connection. Aliveness.
- Openness of the space.
- holding each other with integrity.
- Excitement.
- (And Dave Dobias' energy - being silly! :)