My obsession of late is foraging wild mushrooms…something about the weather conditions in late summer have made this a spectacular year for mushrooms here in southern New Hampshire. The woods are full of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes. I only know one edible species – black trumpets. Every time I go for a walk… Read more
Author: btener
Renewing Our Collective Memory of How Things Change
One of the books on my summer reading list is Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities. She explores what it means to sustain hope amidst difficult times. Many of her themes are around how our minds and cultural ways of thinking and sharing information can constrain our sense of what is possible…. Read more
Presentations versus Conversations
In these times, we need ways to understand and navigate complex and inter-related challenges, such as adapting to impacts of climate change and shifting systemic patterns of racism. No one person, organization, or set of expertise can come up with the best solution or path alone – we must find ways to do “collective sensemaking”… Read more
Navigating Change with Collective Sensemaking
In the news lately, I frequently hear commentators talking about how a particular event or action is unprecedented, such as three hurricanes so close together or the actions this Administration is taking to deregulate quickly. These times call for us to practice ‘collective sensemaking’ to more clearly see what is unfolding and avoid being caught in denial… Read more
Questioning to Question Our Assumptions
Asking powerful questions can spark people’s intrinsic motivation to learn, contribute and create positive change. They also allow organizations and networks to tap and synthesize the knowledge, experience, and perspectives of many people in a system, organization, or community. Today I taught a workshop called The Art of Strategic Questioning, with a group of about 30 people who do… Read more
Resources for Small Groups in Turbulent Times
The last few weeks have left a lot of people feeling overwhelmed and concerned about proposals and policies addressing issues and values they hold dear. A request came through a list serve I’m on asking how to create small groups to help people deal with a sense of overwhelm and take action. I’m sharing here… Read more
Quotes That Lead in New Directions
True to the name of our business – New Directions – we seek out ideas, tools, and ways of working together that can enable us to create a thriving future distinct from the harmful ways of the past. The following is a compilation of quotes gathered along the way in 2016: How We See Our… Read more
The Joy, Necessity, and “How To” of Micro-Collaborations (Part 2)
In a time when social media and larger forces are creating more division, pulling us apart from those who are different and rewarding “every man for himself” world views, we need friendship, co-creation, and circles of support to embody and model that another way is possible. There are many ways to start this, from wherever… Read more
The Joy and Necessity of Micro-Collaborations (Part 1)
Many people are familiar with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Behind these legendary creative books and mythic worlds is a remarkable story of collaboration. These two writers met in the English department at Oxford University in the mid 1920’s, and discovered… Read more
Setting Strategy Via a Participatory Approach
While listening to the stories of friends working in a range of institutions, such as public schools, corporations, and non-profits, I hear increasing frustration with how strategy gets determined by a small group “at the top” and rolled down. The people who implement a strategy or new program often do not have a voice to… Read more