the unleash project – insights from the kick-off weekend
We sense there are more fulfilling ways of working at the personal, team, institutional and societal level. We want to explore together the attitudes, skills, knowledge needed to create new ways of working for the 21st century. This is why we developed the unleash project, an open source, transformative, cross-sectoral and experience-driven learning program that empowers people to thrive in the paradigm shift of work of the 21st century.
Last weekend, we started with the first session of the unleash project. About 50 people from different sectors (NGOs, Social Businesses, Co-Working spaces, etc.) came together and explored the attitudes, skills and knowledge it takes to move from careers to vocation. The goal of this kick-off was to dive into the topic, the euforia methodology and to co-create the program that will follow in the first half of 2017.
Thomas Vellacott, CEO of WWF and the changemaker and HR specialist Carine Leuthold gave valuable inputs to different questions: Why is a paradigm shift needed in organizations and the society? What trends are coming up in the working environment? What new capabilities do current and tomorrow’s leaders need? In a World Café we discussed possible answers and solutions.
Moreover, we gained deeper understanding about the different paradigms of organizational thinking with the most current one emerging: Teal Organizations. We learned how to work effectively without hierarchical structure and to see organizations as living organisms where the wholeness of individuals at work and Self-Management are in the center.
Different concepts and their implementation
During these two days we experienced the different methodologies we use at euforia, mainly the Theory of Group Dynamics from Will Schutz (FIRO), the PEMS model which helps us to approach the needs of different kinds of personalities (Practical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual) from Daniel Sa Nogueira, Radical Collaboration from Tamm and Luyet or the concept of Experiential Learning. We experimented those and other concepts with facilitation, coaching and deep listening exercises.
We also treated the importance of wellbeing and purpose. We are convinced that personal wellbeing and an intrinsic motivation are crucial to flourish at the workplace. This topic goes beyond a good work-life-balance: it’s about seeing ourselves as part of an ecosystem where not only our personal wellbeing matters, but also the interpersonal relations and values are central. Greta Rossi from Akasha Innovation introduced us to the tool “The wheel of Life” with which we analyzed our personal wellbeing and dived deeper into the subject matter with a peer-to-peer coaching session.
In the evening, Tariq Al Olaimy hold a Share & Grow Night about Biomimicry, an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.
And now? The future of the unleash project
With all those insights in mind, we co-shaped the future of the unleash project. Find here the program of our weekends in January, February, March and May.
We are extremely touched and grateful for these two days and want to thank everybody for collaborating, engaging and being fully present! We’re looking forward to having you all again in the January weekend and also welcoming new faces!
Find all information about the coming sessions and the registration form here.
“I truly experienced the power of purpose”
Two weeks ago, we had the chance to hold two workshops at the International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Laax: the so called “Forum Event” with a World Café for 300 young people from all over Europe and a 2 hours imp!act workshop with 30 participants. Moreover, we presented our programs at the “Ideas, Opportunity, Impact Fair (IOIF)”, together with other NGOs and organizations. Mahaut was part of the amazing organizing team and shares her personal insights on this 2-days-journey we did together.
I joined Laax 2016, because every time I thought about this International Session of EYP, my heart started beating faster. I deeply felt inside of me that I had to be part of this. That something in me was connected to it. With a mixture of chance, passion and will, I started working with euforia on the projects of the Forum Event, the IOIF and the imp!act Workshop.
I spent so many hours thinking about my personal purpose. I spent so many hours asking myself the question: Why do I want to put so much effort in it? I spent so many hours on skype, trying to link our purpose with the complicated reality.
One of my main goals for the event was to help participants answer the question: What do you truly care about?
During the imp!act workshop, we had the opportunity to think about our passions, our values and our strengths. We went deep into ourselves and discovered in each other much more than any of us thought was possible. I cannot express how privileged I feel for having shared a magical moment with all participants during that workshop.
When details get into the way of the things you truly believe in, everything seems impossible. But as we have seen at the imp!act workshop with the challenge “Mission Impossible” and as our head-organizer Nora cited Nelson Mandela during her beautiful speech: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”
And for me, now it is done. The Forum Event went incredibly well. The IOIF was a success. The imp!act Workshop was a sublime moment.
It is difficult to express my feelings now, after the event. A mixture of pride, relief and incredulity. For the past weeks, I truly experienced the power of purpose. Of will. Of listening. Of finding what you truly care about and giving it all you have.
I hope that we all find our own purpose. That we take the time to reflect on the issues that deeply move us. That we dare to go beyond theoretical discussions and that we start acting.
Mahaut, 18, from Geneva
(r)evolution lab and The Unleash Project — New ways of empowering youth, young leaders and organizations
We believe that the world needs more people who come together to design bold solutions to address the challenges of this increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. We also believe that our current education system is outdated and does not provide us with the kind of skills and attitude required to assume leadership and create innovative solutions. We think it is high time to mainstream new ways of learning, working and innovating that are adapted to the challenges our economy, society and environment face in the 21st century.
(r)evolution lab and The Unleash Project tackle these challenges: two open source, transformative and experience driven education programmes provide a platform for young people, executives and organizations to collaborate across generations and sectors. (r)evolution lab empowers participants to acquire professional skills in order to lead an imp!act event where youths discover their potential to turn ideas and passions into real life projects. The Unleash Project, on the other hand, focuses on equipping young people to shape their own meaningful careers together with executives, companies and partner organizations.
Not sure which programme is the right one for you? — Let us explain them in a nutshell:
(r)evolution lab – organize your own imp!act event
(r)evolution lab is a training program for (un)reasonably motivated young pioneers. In this experiential learning journey you will learn, share and above all experiment a wide range of skills and knowledge highly valued in any professional context: team and project management, facilitation, leadership, training design and wellbeing strategies. Equipped with these tools and skills, you can lead your own imp!act event from building your team to facilitating the event, empowering youth in their city to embrace their changemaker potential.
>>> To join the (r)evolution lab, it is highly recommended that you have participated in an imp!act event and are willing to share this experience by co-organizing your own imp!act – including the organization, team management, recruitment of participants, funding and facilitation of the event.
The Unleash Project – from career to vocation
The Unleash Project is a transformative education program that empowers youth, executives and organizations to embrace the emerging era of digitalization, knowledge, innovation and purpose. It provides future and present decisionmakers with the experience, tools and mindset it takes to move from careers to vocation: where they live their values, do what they are passionate about and use their key strengths to address needs they truly care about in the world.
You learn through experience how to co-create trustful, open and empowering work environments and foster the emergence of purpose and innovation at your workplace. You will benefit from peer support and learning groups, coaching and inspiration by your peers, executives and leading experts in the area of the future of work
>>> To join The Unleash Project, you either have completed (r)evolution lab, the former “euforia training programme eTP” or already have experiences in Project Management and/or Facilitation and are ready to shape your own meaningful career.
Both projects start in November 2016. Applications are open now:
(r)evolution lab
The Unleash Project
We are in the blog of Impact Hub Zürich
Read Marietta's blogpost: The X-factors behind Generation Y transforming 21st century organizational cultures.
Annual evaluation for members 2016
“I met so many wonderful people and feel I’m part of something meaningful and world changing”
euforians spoke. 31 of our members answered (fully or partly) the annual evaluation for members questionnaire. And their answers will make you smile. The questionnaire focussed on four main areas: our volunteers’ satisfaction regarding their overall experience as a euforia member, their learnings and personal development through volunteering with euforia, their involvement in strategic questions, and communication.
Looking at the results, the first striking figure tells us quite something on the level of engagement of our community: for nearly 70% of our volunteers euforia occupies a significant place in their lives. What’s more, euforians are really happy with their engagement, as shown by a 84% satisfaction rate. 80% of volunteers feel their engagement and commitment is recognised, and 75% are proud at how we live euforia values on a daily basis and at how their euforia experience contributes to fully unleashing their potential. Finally, 90% consider themselves free to decide on their engagement and 80% see their euforia volunteering supporting their wellbeing.
At euforia we consider personal development as a crucial component of the volunteering experience we offer. Therefore we asked our volunteers how happy they are with the skills they developed through organising one of our events (imp!act and STEP into action) and/or training and coaching our volunteers as part of the eTP (euforia Training Programme). euforians are simply staggered by how much they’ve learnt in terms of teamwork and project management; they’ve also developed sound facilitation skills and say that through euforia they’ve grown more aware of what contributes to their well-being – and it’d be hard to question how important this is in our fast-paced and ever-changing society.
As euforia aims to be a volunteer-driven organisation, we asked our euforic community how they would like to be involved in strategic questions. It emerged quite clearly that volunteers feel little involved in strategic issues. However they’d be willing to enhance their engagement through participating in temporary task-forces and workshops tackling specific issues, and during a one-day annual or biannual gathering in which euforians bring up issues to tackle with other euforians. They also value being updated on the progress on euforia’s annual objectives and on what the community is working on.
Euforians like how we spread euforic news, especially our engagement opportunities newsletter exclusive to our members, and the general newsletter. Though, writing belongs to the past – more visuals and videos would bring our communication to the next level.
Finally, ideas are plentiful as to how to get euforia even closer to be the one organisation everyone should get engaged with. Here are some of them: an online competence centre in which euforians outline their expertise, so that we know where to get help and can support each other best; social gatherings that bring our beautiful community together; and becoming aware of the contribution we’re making to changing the world for the better.
As talking is good, but walking the talk is better, we’re currently thinking at how to integrate euforians’ feedback and comments so as to boost our volunteers’ experience to the next level. Do you want to get involved to enhance our volunteer’s experience? Get in touch with massimiliano@euforia.ch.
Latvian youth workers and euforians share expertise
The “Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia” and euforia collaborate to organize a four days hands-on study trip in Switzerland. 26 Latvian youth center representatives will learn from and with other Swiss organizations and youth. The aim is to exchange experiences and good practices.
The exchange will take place in the French-speaking part of Switzerland from October 17th to 20th. It includes many activities, among others a World Café to get inspired by existing youth initiatives in Switzerland, and to have a picture of the Swiss social work structure. Furthermore, a learning exchange session with local youth centers and social workers in Crissier and Renens will make the participants experience field work with outdoor activities and give a safe space to brainstorm how some ideas could be adapted for Latvia. In addition, a “euforic programs fair” will make the participants experience our activities and unconventional methodologies, such as Radical Collaboration or Wellbeing workshops. An interactive rally will provide them with the opportunity to visit and discover organizations in Geneva and harvest the best practices, exchanging with locals and learning by experimenting.
Our program developer Natalia, explains, „we will use very inclusive, interactive and non-formal educational methods to create a unique learning experience for everyone so that the participants get to know and learn from the Swiss youth sector. Our common vision is to inspire and to motivate through Swiss initiatives while sharing experience and expertise.”
The study trip is part of the Latvian-Swiss cooperation program “Support for the Development of Youth Initiatives in Peripheral or Disadvantaged Regions”, funded by the Swiss Government. The program aims at providing personal and professional perspectives to young people living in peripheral and disadvantaged regions of Latvia. So far, 26 multi-functional youth initiative centers have been created in Latvia and more than 160 seminars for young people and persons involved in youth work have been organized. “We are thankful to the Swiss Government for funding this program. The study visit is important to see and to adopt Swiss youth center good practices in our 26 youth centers in Latvia”, says Vladislava Skele, head of the International Cooperation and Support Division of Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia.
The Latvian-Swiss cooperation program “Support for the Development of Youth Initiatives in Peripheral or Disadvantaged Regions” involves two components. Within the framework of the first component, 26 multi-functional youth initiative centers shall be created in different self-governmental bodies of the Republic of Latvia. The second component involves training and events for the youth and the executives working with the youth, as well as development of metodological educational materials.
In order to make this learning exchange a great success, the Agency for International Programs for Youth of Latvia and euforia collaborate with a variety of local partners, such as Unités d'action communautaire (UAC), Point Info, Pré en bulle, la Maison de Quartier Plainpalais, Villa Freundler, ACAB and Be You Network.
WWF-Pandaction-Challenge - an imp!act event with a twist
From 20 to 23 October, WWF and euforia are organising a special imp!act together: the WWF-Pandaction-Challenge. As a special twist it`s focused on the topic “house of the future”. This is a chance to dive deep into the topic, get inputs from experts and inspiration from changemakers working in that field. It is also a chance for people as young as 14 years to discover their changemaker potential.
WWF is opening the doors of their Swiss headquarters for us and will be working in this great location. Additionally WWF experts from different departments as well as those from other organisations will give feedback and support to develop the projects.
We are looking for young people who want to invest their time and talent to tackle the global challenge of climate change. At the WWF-Pandaction-Challenge young people meet to imagine, invent and start their own projects or campaigns together. It`s a chance to try out something new, learn skills for future projects and have fun.
So you are between 14 and 25 years old? You want to fight climate change? Then we are looking for you!
Take part in this unique event and be part of the change! Sign up here.