Urban Gardening, Smart-grid city planning, … - Solutions to climate change are everywhere. Now let’s start scaling them. Embark on a 3-month ideation program to find systemic solutions to mitigate climate change hosted by Climate-KIC and Impact Hub Zürich.
Apply now: bit.ly/climate-solutions-ideator
Website: ow.ly/65sH304v0uu
On the very first "Share & Grow night" I brought in the topic of wellbeing as a collective focus for everybody who is engaged in euforia. "What makes me well?" is an important question to answer not just for the people working at euforia, but in particular for the volunteers who give their periodical full energy, heart and time into projects they really care about.
So how do we navigate in wellbeing? Where can we find methods that sustains the kind of wellbeing and that does not stay on the surface?
As i went through the Kaospilot training, part of the education was also go through a programme called the Council Guide Training. The Council Guide Training is a Native American teaching about tribal life tools, methods and protocols.
The training takes 3 years to conduct, and I learned a great deal about what makes the difference from learning things that stay on the surface to what it means (and takes) if we want to work with deeper and more profound layers of learning and wellbeing… Wellbeing in yourself, in your relations as well as in your community. I also learned that these ancient ways of understanding and being in the world holds pieces of wisdom that we can still greatly benefit from today.
So in the first "Share & Grow nigh" about wellbeing, this particular friday evening, I decided to bring in some of these tools, some of the atmosphere and some of the practises that I found valuable to share. I was curious about who was gonna show up, and how they would receive this slightly peculiar and strange approach.
But when you work with euforians, you also know that you work with a bunch of openminded, openhearted and curious people, which makes it always a joy to bring in new things. Therefore the connection, the personal learning, the closeness and the density of care and trust just kept growing throughout the evening. It was in the end an evening where I learned as much as anyone else in the room.
I was blessed with having people around me open to learn and to explore what really matters to them. Each person learned something profound for him- and herself, and together we learned that one of the things what really matters in life, is for all of us to always and continuously refine that internal listening and interpretation system, that allows us to better understand the signals from our bodies, the impulses from our hearts, the energy of the spirit and the waves of our emotions. This is the way to make sense of our experiences, take authentic actions and respond truthfully to our surroundings.
The feeling from this evening and from this group has been preserved in me, and it still touches me to see that we human beings somehow belong to the circles, that we need a community to support and challenge us, and that we need go grow an ever deeper connection with ourselves if we want deep or powerful wellbeing to exist in our lives.
Our dear "booster" Sidsel organised the first "Share & Grow night" for our volunteers. The next one will probably take place in November 2016. We'll keep you informed!
Watson University has opened its applications for its 2017 semesters and the degree track. It’s a great opportunity for young (18-23 yrs) social innovators you may know.
Watson U is a new model of higher education designed and tailored for young social entrepreneurs. 30 promising leaders from around the world are convened in Boulder, Colorado, where they start and advance ventures aimed at alleviating some of the world’s most urgent problems.
Early app deadline is October 10th, and you or any or your friends or colleagues can apply at www.watsonuniversity.org/apply
Feel free to email megan@watsonuniversity.org with any questions
Website: www.watsonuniversity.org/apply
Radical Collaboration@work
Getting your project up to speed can be stressful. You have assembled a new team, you are working on your service or product, you are improvising left right and center and future planning and real-time communication can collide. When things go wrong, emotions can run high and a previously calm interaction can turn into a slippery slope in seconds. Soon enough you are butting heads with your team and spending more energy on conflict resolution than moving forward on solutions. Knowing that people will lapse into habitual behavior and reactions when conflict arises can help you to pull a stop before things get worse. Some people blow up, other people turn silent, others get confused or suddenly cannot remember what was said or what they had agreed to. Remembering that all of this is human and pushing the pause button before things get worse can help to identify what the conflict is about.
Setting a time frame in which to resolve conflict isn’t only helpful, it also alleviates the fear of things remaining unsolved. To figure out how to move forward there usually are two components that need to be considered– like a missed deadline, a product that doesn’t function well or an idea that clashes with someone’s values. In addition there are the needs that aren’t met in the interaction. As a result of what happened you and the other party doesn’t feel heard or misunderstood or is scared to look unprofessional or feels disrespected which triggers stress and feelings that can be hard to process. Finding out what the unmet need is, is half the rent. If the other person needs to be heard – give them the opportunity to be heard, if they are scared of embarrassment, help them figure out what would help them to show up in the way they want. From there it will be much more productive to move into solution finding and come up with something that either resolves the problem or ends up something even better.
The principles and techniques described above are taught as part of a Radical Collaboration Training developed by Jim Tamm in Florida (http://www.radicalcollaboration.com). Our team member Chantal has been certified as a Radical Collaboration Trainer and took three days in the spring to train the team. We are now practicing the application at work and are – hick-ups and all – getting to know each others conflict styles better.
Our summer volunteer Louisa Roos met with Stefanie Gfeller and had a conversation about Holacracy. Here is what she learned:
Stefanie, what do you do outside the scope of euforia?
I am currently self-employed. I work with organisations, teams and individuals to discover and develop their inherent potential by working with and on their challenges and conflicts. I work with them to become more natural at interacting together and dealing with their issues. With my work I also try to promote the circular structure discussed before and in general to find new solutions for our pressing challenges. I also continue to support the Holacracy implementation within Swisscom. At the moment my work is centred mostly around Berne and Zurich, but I would like to expand internationally.
I understand that you are involved in certain projects and the term ‘Holacracy’ was mentioned. Could you explain this concept?
I’m trained as a Holacracy coach. Holacracy is a new organisational concept, whereby the hierarchical, pyramidal structure of the working environment we are so used to, is replaced with an organic, circular structure. It is a hierarchy of actualisation, decision-making and leadership, where the power lies in a process rather than with a person. It is very experienced based. You start with a primary cell and all other cells emerge out of it. The structure is task and no longer people orientated. In the traditional organisation you usually have individuals around whom the structure is built. This leads to a lot of politics, shadow power structures and complicated decision-making processes. This is a very rigid structure. When Holacracy is implemented, it may be perceived as rigid too, but the process supports you to become agile and fast at working on your organisational structure. Furthermore, it helps you to eliminate the possible barriers, which are preventing you from doing your work.
How does this work practically?
Swisscom is already experimenting with this structure in some areas. Our former boss has given his authority into the holacratic process. In every circle there is a lead link, the person you organises everything and ensures that the people-role fit works. This person holds the purpose of the circle. Every circle also has a rep link. A super circle is required to assure that the former management configuration is not simply replicated into a circular structure.
Holacracy is very purpose orientated. When a new role is required, then it is first created and only then a suitable person to fit the role is sought. So an employee doesn’t have just one but multiple roles that constantly change and evolve. The approach is experience based, whereby it is discouraged to create out of thin air based on assumptions. Any tensions need to be processed and new roles, projects or actions need to be formed accordingly. This leads to a very fluid structure. A technological system to support this and assure full transparency is vital. Everything is captured in the system.
Do you require a very motivated work force for this holacracy structure to succeed?
To a certain extent, yes. You need to commit to working like this and this is not achieved within a day. The holocratic structure supports you as a person to evolve and become more aware. The whole structure is set up in a transparent way, so it’s very obvious what is going on. If you are not fulfilling your role, it will become evident after a certain period. In this case the team needs to consider whether they need to adapt something in their structure, create a new role or look for additional support. This encourages you to grow and become self-responsible. It is definitely a system for grown-ups.
Do most people enjoy this way of working or do some struggle to adapt?
The adaption period is undoubtedly quite challenging. Our society grooms us to work in hierarchal, pyramidal structures and to follow instructions. However, within a few weeks or months people start to see the benefits and begin to enjoy this way of working.
What would be your dream career path?
I don’t have a clear picture of which path I would like to take, but I strive to maintain a feeling of freedom and fulfilment. I am on my way to become a Process- and World worker. I would like to continue this path and constantly work in different contexts.
Stefanie Gfeller is a euforia volunteer and former staff who loves to experience, to learn and to bring together different contexts. She is a passionate collector of paradoxes who lives and works for: Purpose – People – Planet. She also works with organizations, teams and individuals to discover and develop their inherent potential and to transform their living and collaboration by working with and on their challenges.
! ! ! Les futures générations ont besoin d’un OUI le 25 septembre prochain à l’initiative pour l’économie verte ! ! !
Toi aussi tu es convaincu(e) qu’obtenir un OUI pour placer l’écologie comme LA grande priorité de notre développement sociétal est une nécessité? Tu penses qu’il est temps d’agir? Tu es fatigué(e) d’entendre des promesses et de voir qu'au final les enjeux économiques priment très souvent?
Pourquoi soutenir l'initiative? D'après une étude du WWF, la Suisse a épuisé la totalité de ses ressources naturelles pour l’année depuis le 18 avril déjà. Il faudrait en effet 3 planètes pour subvenir aux besoins de la population mondiale si chacun consommait autant que les Helvètes.
L’objectif de l’initiative est de lancer la Suisse sur la voie de l’économie verte en inscrivant les principes de l’économie circulaire dans la Constitution afin de rendre notre économie durable d’ici à 2050.
Check le programme et plus d'info ici:
«@ctive Asyl» is a project that was born at imp!act 2015. It fosters integration by providing communication tools. Together with their partners they recycle old laptops and offer free computer courses for refugees.
Simon, the founder of @ctive Asyl, told us about his motivations, passions and the idea of his project. Check it out here:
Next year, euforia will turn 10 years old. Can you believe it? Born in May 2007 and raised by a handful of co-founders, the organization has since then grown to 27 employees and over 300 volunteers on three continents.
Currently, euforia is in the middle of a transition phase towards a community driven organization based on holacratic principles. This means that we are moving away from the heroic leader paradigm and start giving more power and responsibility to the team.
Within this transition phase, two long-term euforians decided to change roles and hand over more responsibility to other euforia members. We are really happy that Chantal and Jerónimo are going to embark on new professional adventures, while still staying involved in the organization part time in the future to support our ongoing scaling.
Chief Inspiration Officer and euforian from the very first day, Jerónimo feels that euforia has turned into a stable, healthy organization with no need for charismatic leadership. In a careful selection process, he has helped to build a strong team over the past years and at the same time started focusing on new personal goals. Now he believes the time is ripe to leave operations and take on an advisory role in which he will continue to support euforia’s growth. At the same time, freeing up the majority of his time will give him space for new projects further developing his vision on moving business towards sustainability, bringing more wellbeing to the social change sector and co-creating a global movement of neotribes – with euforia as a living example.
Also, our Chief Euphoric Officer Chantal is reducing her workload and leaving to new oceans. After building up euforia’s corporate circle over the past years, she feels it’s time to hand over part of her responsibilities and make space for new learning. Chantal is going to shake up the finance world, joining the innovation lab team at Raiffeisen in the role of a New Business Innovator – rocking now from the inside, still with the same mission of creating real change. At the same time she will stay on the team as a coach.
We want to thank those two beautiful people for their euphoria, passion, love, craziness and rock’n’roll. We are very happy to still have you on board of this crazy ship as coaches and benefit from your expertise and experience.