Here We Are. And Here We Go.
A week ago, TWI began a weekend retreat that brought together board members, staff, grantees, and one of our funders' reflection partners. Our idea was to create a space for a great group of people to come together and cross-fertilize questions, ideas and experiences. We hoped that providing this opportunity might lead to new connections, deepened relationships, and dialogue that would inform our respective work going forward. We also wanted people to have fun and leave feeling both refreshed and energized.
Speaking for myself, those aims seemed to be realized in a big way. It was wonderful to witness all the different connections being made and to experience "the whole" of the Institute in such an engaging, informal way. We had some structured time, of course, but as Edd Conboy described it afterwards (I hope I'm paraphrasing correctly!) the weekend resembled a series of self-organized world cafes. I was reminded once again of the value of not over-scheduling; of having an expansive pace that allows people time to breathe and just be - either by themselves or with others. In those times some of the richest and meaningful discussions bubbled up.
I have found many conversations from the weekend percolating throughout this past week, either talking with other people or reflecting by myself. Conversations that touched on advocacy and assessment, relationships and responsibility, language and learning. Conversations that explored the use of media to spark dialogue and widen perspectives; the nature of what we mean by "leadership" when the term is used so ubiquitously; and the challenges inherent in collaborating across organizations, disciplines, and sectors when our incentive systems reward staying in our silos. And just as importantly conversations filled with humor and laughter.
So, yes, there was a lot of talking going on. But for an Institute passionate about promoting cross-perspective dialogue, that's to be expected! Where we go, what we learned, what comes from the new and deepened connections made will play itself out over time. What rings true for me at this moment is that the weekend felt in many ways like the beginning of a new story of what TWI might become: a "member network" with a shared commitment to, and passion for, process-oriented work.
Such a vision brings with it immediate questions of what "membership" in such a network might mean, particularly what happens to a grantee's sense of membership if they are no longer funded. We weren't going to answer those questions this weekend, but I think the retreat did give us a solid platform for further and deeper inquiry.
A story is emerging of how TWI can become more than the sum of its parts; how it can serve as a wellspring of support and resources not limited to money. A week out from the retreat I feel both excited and grateful to have so many inspiring, dedicated, smart, compassionate, generous (you get the picture) co-authors involved.
Comments
It is really exciting to be a part of such an energetic, synergetic, collaborative collection of thinkers and doers! We(the Interfaith Youth Core) just finished up our own conference in Chicago, and I have to say it was very inspiring to see the dialogues and idea sharing between such different groups of people -- students, organizers, religious leaders, foundations representatives, think tanks, media and IFYC staff people. I am glad that the Whitman Institute and your partners have carved out a space in which creative sharing is really valued. I learned about TWI at a dinner with John Esterle in Chicago at a PACE meeting in October and it has been really fun to keep up with what TWI is doing. Thanks for posting!
Posted by: BeccaHartmanIFYC
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November 1, 2007 10:22 AM
Becca,
Thanks back at you for posting a comment in response. So far commnets have been hard to come by on TWI's blog postings so it's nice to see some feedback! I'll be checking out the IYC site for any post conference summaries. It sounds like it was a great event.
Posted by: John Esterle
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November 5, 2007 1:06 PM