Keying into it
Rapid growth can feel overwhelming — but lately, the overall tone in meetings with our blossoming The Outside team is ‘We’re up for it’. There are lots of difficult conversations, sure, as we distribute tasks, bring on new team members, decide fees, negotiate our understandings of equity, design our theory of change for scaling innovation over time, and evolve our approach with clients.
We’re well underway in 2020, and we’re looking ahead to a year full of opportunity and growth. This includes engaging the many parts of ourselves. The self who is comfortable leading on the edge. The self who chatters in circles, internally, fixated on what sometimes feels like an impossible to-do list. And the self whose domain is discontent — I want my contribution to be a little different / I want my contribution to maintain itself as it is / I want a little more ‘x’ / I want a little less ‘y’. And layered on top is the personal: the self-doubt, procrastination, and uncertainty we all reckon with.
What if we reframe our thinking so we can see that each piece of ourselves is keyed-in to the work?
As the work calls us onwards, these are all layers of ourselves we integrate and bring into the room. This is a time of significant change in and all around us. So let’s take a page from Audre’s book, as always. Let’s gather together and connect all part of ourselves, our teams, our communities and organizations and rise to the occasion.
Here’s to all the many ways we survive and teach. Here’s to doing it!
