Many requests I receive involve some form of, “We need you teach us…” and when I eventually meet the group, I always begin with some variation of the following:
“Today I’m inviting you to explore… together.”
“I’ve brought a couple of ideas around it, maps that researchers have given us and tools that I’ve found to be useful. However, they are simply that. See them as pebbles which I offer, some will resonate and create a ripple for you and others won’t. They’ll just plop. And that’s entirely ok.”
“I encourage you to listen for the one thing that feels useful, feel free to leave the rest behind.”
“I trust you to discern what you need and to challenge ideas if they don’t fit. We’ll all become richer through that process, so please bring your voice.”
I’ve been surprised by how many times I receive feedback after a workshop appreciating the permission I gave at the start. It took the pressure off. It allowed me to focus. I felt respected.
It’s subtle but infused in these words is the trust I have in each person.
When I say I don’t know, it’s not because I failed to know. It’s a choice, to suspend my knowing in favour of something greater.
“The world is already whole. The challenge lies in coming to understand the ways in which this is true.” ~Dialogue by William Isaacs
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