Pittwater, NSW Nov 2016

Collective story harvest – the story of Jeder so far

We used a process known as collective story harvest, to tell, listen and learn about the story of Jeder so far, told by Michaela, Dee and Michelle. Om and Jacinta joined us on the phone and participated. Each listener took a ‘listening arc’ or ‘lenses’ through which to listen and harvest their insights.

 

Narrative thread – people, events, stages

• Driven by change
• Faith in process
• Consultancy lead to ‘likeTminded people’
• Authenticity – selves and vision
• Gathering of the tribe
• DownUnder Institute > Unconference > Jeder
• Collective wisdom
• Spirit of generosity
• Community

 

Story – What story or metaphor did the system start with, and what did it move to?

• Tethering boats together
• Not drowning, waving
• Jumping ship
• Thrown a rope (lifeline)
• Buoy
• Life boats with search lights
• Exposure on the life raft – vulnerability

 

Leadership: Where did leadership show up?

• SelfTassessment at personal challenge points
• Assessing the collective space and adapting
• Checking in a critical points
• Shifts in culture
• Times of challenges; insight
• When values, passion, commonalities converged
• Resilience at critical points

 

Innovation: Where did innovation show up?

• NonTtraditional business development
• Free access to resources
• A story of the search for coherence
• Relationship in action
• Common purpose
• Bringing everyone together around common purpose
• Getting people in by ‘finding our tribe’

 

Values – what values showed up?

• Appreciative inquiry
• EgoTlessness
• Generosity of spirit
• Do with, not to
• Openly sharing thoughts and ideas
• Common grievances, solutions and goals

 

Principles – what principles / ways of working can be gleaned from this story?

• Blend PCP & ABCD
• Everyone = Jeder Inclusive
• Transparency in decisionTmaking
• Openly share resources
• Trusting & trusted people
• Open discussions and tribe gathering
• Where is the level playing field for big conversations?

 

Challenges – What challenges were encountered and how were they overcome?

• Had done on own > Met Dee, same values, worked together
• Mark quit. Books a mess > Michelle stepped up
• Frustration and low confidence > Kept pursuing, appreciative inquiryworkshop
• Personal crisis > AI workshop. Met Michaela, found synergies
• Name didn’t speak to what the work was > Found new one – Jeder
• Over it > Different way of working
• Alone > Finding likeTminded people – joy of collective
• How to converge > Name change
• Kick in the butt > stepping up, taking on roles
• Work divergent > Made it more streamlined
• Communication > circle work, open dialogue, communications strategy

 

Pivotal points

• Michelle – wanted a piece of what Mic and Dee had
• Partners need to understand the philosophy of Jeder (Mark didn’t)
• Should have focusses on nurturing relationship (Michelle & Dee) the firsttime
• Jeder is about being open, generous and kind (even when not getting$500,000 deals)
• Lots of synergy between PCT and ABCD
• Met at AI workshop (Dee and Mic)
• OMG moment when first seeing TEAL article (This is what we are alreadydoing)
• Change of name to reflect growth of Pathways to Leadership. Jeder – meaning ‘everyone’
• Conversation at coffee shop > 1st unconference was born
• Blended PCT and ABCD together

 

Magic – synchronicity & magic: what were the times when the right people
showed up and things just flowed naturally?

• Chaos and change – led to connection
• Small connections. Allow movement. Big connections
• Unmeetings were also magic
• Mic and Dee <3
• Dee & Michelle <3
• Mic, Dee, Michelle <3

 

Storyteller reflections

• Encouraging
• Awesome to hear other parts of our story
• Really cool – thanks everyone
• Glad you all saw who we are
• Gratitude for people listening
• Gratitude for the reflections coming back
• Wow We are doing good shit

Our purpose

We began with a process in individuals, pairs, groups of 4, 6 and then the whole group – given 5 sticky notes to record a word or phrase that answered that question: Why does Jeder exist in the world? At each stage we worked together to synthesise our thoughts and ideas, gathering material along the way. Then we took the material again, working in small groups.

Today, we got to these potential purpose statements, with opportunities to focus and think more overnight

• Jeder is the heart of change
• Celebrating Creative Collaboration in everyone
• Business as unusual

Our values, principles, agreements, foundations, pillars

So what are the things that drive Jeder, and how do we work? We used the material we learned from the previous processes, along with our individual values, principles – What we thought is alive in the Jeder system.

We used a collective sorting and synthesising process to group things into Values and Principles. After spending time with these, we chose to condense our values and principles, and realised they could all be held under 4 pillars – a solid foundation for the way Jeder works – internally and externally. They are:

 

Participatory Leadership

• Relationships: gathering, we all matter, compassion, equity, inclusiveness, fairness, a dignified living, patience, together, authenticity, vulnerability

 

CoTcreation for change

• Blending practices
• Collective wisdom: Collective design, collective intelligence
• Practice: gathering, we all matter, compassion, equity, inclusiveness, fairness, a dignified living, patience, together, authenticity, vulnerability
• Quality work: High standard, being and working well
• Innovation for change: collaborative innovation, driven by change, a fearless approach to change
• Adaptability to a courageous path to growth: willing to adapt, courage to grow, personal and professional growth, learning, building capacity, common purpose, community, synergy, joy and fun!, connection, magic, feeling powerful, open discussions and tribe gathering

 

Generosity of spirit

• Generosity
• Sharing

 

Self organising

• Non1hierarchical
• Transparency
• Co1creation
• Open and regular communication: Freedom to speak
• Our work matters: passion
• People are trustworthy: we trust with openness and integrity, open, belief in goodness

Note: a statement or statements about each of these, to clearly express the intention behind them, could be developed further by Jeder.

Check out

After a full day or working together, in co-creation, we spoke to these questions as our checkTout.

What are you noticing?

• A lightness
• The energy flow in the group
• I can easily let go of things
• Language, engagement, care, ownership
• A shift in Jeder
• Magic
• The power of diversity
• People are saying ‘us’ more
• Everyone is so willing!
• Presence – everyone is attentive!
• Positivity
• We’re getting there
• What can happen with the right people in the room?

 

What are you learning?

• What everyone’s best self looks like
• Slow and worthy process
• What amazing people have gathered
• To sit more comfortably in the grown zone
• Tools for intrepid exploration
• CoTcreation is possible
• Okay to sit in the messy bit – questions arise through the differences
• Nothing 😉
• Good shit takes time
• Generosity is alive
• Practical coTcreation in real time
• Give time for emergence
• Generosity of spirit is grouse

What are you grateful for?

• Trusting the process
• For the group staying with us, and my partners
• Ari’s participation
• Leigh’s insights and everyone’s passion
• Jane (& Jeder)
• To be part of this process
• Feeling better. Feeling relaxed about the outcomes
• My family
• Wisdom of babes
• Everyone’s contribution, willingness and openness
• The greatness in everyone
• Collaboration works. Generosity of spirit
• Being listened to

Welcome and check in

Pere led us in check in today, practicing the O…H….M breath and sounds

 

Governance

Michelle, Dee and Mic spoke

What is: A Not for Profit Company limited by guarantee. A registered charity with DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient status) – what are the opportunities for members in this structure?

Our intention: Currently we have a 3 member board structure and we want to explore equal opportunity for ownership / membership, so people start to feel real buy in – and all of us are part of it. We may have regional teams forming and responding to what’s needed locally.

Our commitment: to explore what structure best serves the organisation and its purpose as we move to a more selfTorganising structure, with our new pillars. So this structure will stay for the next 12 months as we explore what is needed.

Roles

We created a list of all the work Jeder currently does, in the organisational work (that keeps us ticking along) and the ‘project’ work. We clustered them into groups, and headlined them, as our first step to creating roles that separate people and position. Roles can be held by more than one person and a person can hold more than one role.

We have identified people to host and to help develop the role statements for each roles (second column). Once this has been done, then a process to invite who will take on these roles.

NAME:

Geek Gurus

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Leigh Dunscombe

NAME:

Stage Coaches

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Frank Martin Mel

NAME:

Preppers

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Mel Mic, Barbara

NAME:

Social Butterflies/Fun police

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Felicia Rach, Barbara

NAME:

Board Bots

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Felicia Dee, Everyone

NAME:

Money Bags

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Michelle Kerry

NAME:

Governance Gladiators

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Michelle Kerry

NAME:

Organisational Oracles

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host – Mic Frank

NAME:

Doc Jocks

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host – Mic Felicia, Kerry, Dee

NAME:

Design & Development / DADs

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host – Mic Peregrin, Kerry

NAME:

Learning Guides

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host – Pere Mic, Frank

NAME:

Word Wizards

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

HostTPere Frank

NAME:

CoSsies

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Kerry Rachel, Mic, Fel

NAME:

Vision Vanguards

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Dee Mic, Michelle

NAME:

Membership monkeys

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Kerry Rachel, Mic, Fel

NAME:

Projectors

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Dee Michelle, Fel

NAME:

Host Masters

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Dee Michelle & Frank

NAME:

Show Ponies

ROLE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Host: Dee Barbara

Purpose revisited

We checked in again on our purpose: Why does Jeder exist in the world? After conversation, we settled on 4 potential statements, leaving them again to consider overnight.

 

• The heart of change
• Hearts of change
• Heart of change
• Hearts and minds for change

Introduction to integrated consent decision making

Proposal – clear and ‘ripe’ proposal

Roles: proposer, facilitator, harvester

Removing the proposal from the proposer, write proposal on piece of paper and physically separate the paper from the proposer. The facilitator ‘directs’ the process, keeping participants to the guidelines of the process.

 

Any clarifying questions? Proposers answer if they are able or say ‘not specified’

 

Reactions – this is an invitation for each person to speak, going around the circle, giving their reactions (feelings, thoughts) to the proposal. All must speak, so there are no unspoken reactions that can halt the process in later rounds. The facilitator chooses whether to speak a reaction or not.

 

The harvester takes note of reactions.

 

The proposer is then invited to create a new proposal if necessary, based on the material spoken in clarifying questions and reactions rounds. If no, then straight to objections, if yes, then begin process again with new proposal.

 

Objections any objections based on risk of harm to individuals or the collective?

 

If no objections, seek visual confirmation (the only option here is thumbs up). If visual confirmation is withheld, go back to reaction rounds. If there are objections, facilitator will assess if it is a valid objection, asking for the wisdom of the group if they choose. If valid, then the proposal is not supported.

Welcome and Check in

Our final morning – checking in with ‘What is alive in you now?’

 

Purpose revisited

After checkTin, we revisited our collective purpose again, with the question: where are we each at with the 4 draft versions of the purpose statement. After a round of reactions, and a proposal using consent decision making, a new purpose statement was proposed, and supported by all members present. It was the culmination of several hours of collective work and coTcreation over 2 days.

Jeder… at the heart of change

Proposals

We used the consent decision making process for some new proposals, refined from Tuesday.

Membership Framework proposal

– brought by Dee (and developed with a team)

Dee will host a discussion on Slack to co/create the membership framework

• Along with the host of Governance Gladiators, incorporating original proposal and contributions, and including the whole membership picture
• Find the right fit or place for this membership work within roles
• Invite passion

Alongside benefits, here are some proposed contributions of Jeder Collective members (all need more work – reactions from original proposal in brackets)

• Keep collective contribution of 0T20% of all income earned (a cap on contribution? Is this a separate proposal? What about employee/consultant contribution?)
• Broad reciprocal support (in Stage Coaching role)
• Contribute to organisational roles
• Participate in regular Jeder Governance and Team meetings (what is the purpose of these meetings?)
• Complete AoH training within 12 months (who pays? Plus 1 more learn stream, and personal development stream, over a longer period?)
• Attend 1 Jeder retreat per year (make a contribution to?)
• Commit to the 4 pillars of Jeder (and purpose?)
• (What about a review date?)

Stage Coach Proposal

– brought by Frank (and developed with a team)

Frank will invite a Jeder collective member to host a conversation on Slack to develop a peer mentoring/coaching network within Jeder – using this proposal as a starting point.

Purpose: establish a peer mentoring/coaching network in Jeder as a starting point for a conversation

Aim: support all members of Jeder. Identify what they find satisfying and rewarding, what are their personal and professional development needs and how the Jeder collaborative can support them.

 

Mentoring is defined as a long term relationship based on personal connection for the basis of the conversation. Coaching is a short term relationship based on skills transfer in a specific area of work or personal/professional development.

 

The framework is yet to be determined and will emerge from the conversation. The following elements are offered for inclusion

• A network is established for peer mentoring relationships
• CheckTin for network members will be on a weekly basis
• Critical information emerging from mentoring relationships is captured (in a deTidentified way). Themes, patterns, emerging issues, work opportunities are identified
• It will take time for data to emerge. This will require mentors to record what they are hearing and experiencing in relationships
• Connector role T an informal referral process
• Coaches T people in the Jeder collective identified as having skills in a range of areas who can pass on knowledge and skills in a one to one relationship

What questions do we still have?

(Most questions were turned into next wise steps – see below)

• Role host Hosting roles – how, when, who will be engaged?
• Our next get together? Date, Place/ Loomio? Where and when is the next together?
• How do we let everyone know what’s happened here? Communicating to those not Communicating to all – purpose and pillars, roles. Connection across teams
• What can I do tomorrow to keep going? How do we keep this energy flow? How do we keep the momentum? Beyond the
• Where will all the collected data be?
• Who is going to hold the whole?

 

Next wise steps

• Summary of the harvest from the gathering and how we are moving forward

– Dee, Michelle and Mic

• Traffic control/hosting the conversation on Slack about the gathering and where to from here? – Pere
• Create membership role – done, Dee hosting
• Distribute ‘what we want to do in the future’ material to the appropriate role hosts – PP
• Offer a Zoom conversation to ‘catchTup’ – Felicia
• Add Vision Vanguards as a role to hold the whole – done T Mic, Michelle and Dee as hosts
• Take team/project conversations to Slack – Dee
• Start channels related to each role – role hosts
• Introduce decision making process on Slack (and Loomio when appropriate) – all role hosts
• Invite others in to participate in role hosting or team around a role, explain roles – all role hosts
• Send role statement example to all role hosts – Mel
• Develop role statements including title, purpose, accountabilities, metrics – all role hosts
• Begin conversation about next gathering in six months for 2 days (and future gathering biannually 5 days and 2 days) – Social butterflies hosted by Felicia and Rach
• Invite members individually into the new paradigm – Dee
• Start conversation about team and governance meetings on Slack – Michelle, as GG host

It’s evolutionary. Just do the next step, and it will become clear. Trust each other

 

Check out: What’s emerged for you?

• The power of the collective – energy and everyone It’s been an awesome 3 days
• We’re all in good hands
• The purpose, pillars, roles and decision making will take us No expectations about who joins us now!
• Generosity of spirit – how welcoming and kind everyone was to me, being new
• Collective growth, and the individual growth for I always feel energised by the conversations, Grateful to Mel and Jane for holding us through. Really grateful to be part of this group
• Beautiful flow, the level of commitment and energy of the It was easeful and energising to host. Really beautiful.
• I can see everything now – all the pieces are The invisible has been made visible, Easeful, even if there were crunchy spots. Cannot think of anyone else who could have hosted us. Purpose Partners brought us so much. Now it’s all out there.

• The way you guys tacked the Ease with which you got to what to do and what’s possible, a great job
• Clarity, vision, purpose, goals and a sense of future that’s not too far I have so much energy today. Grateful to all of you for being my back and filling in for what I couldn’t do myself. I could do another 3 days!
• The terrain you have traversed, up hills, a little rocky, and you can see everything at the If we work in novel ways and get in flow, the external work reflects the internal. What you create is as real as anything in the world. A privilege to host you and a joy to have you around Ari!