THE PODCAST: FEB. 4/20

LAYING THE STRUCTURE FOR EQUITY IN CHANGE WORK: UNDER THE HOOD OF BUILDING A BUSINESS

For episode nine of season two, Tim and Tuesday explore the foundations they’re laying in change work. As practitioners, it’s possible to set up our own structures in a way that creates the DNA of the world we want — even when growth is rapid. How can we work together to enact whole new principles of business?

Together, Tim Merry and Tuesday Ryan-Hart are THE OUTSIDE—systems change and equity facilitators who bring the fresh air necessary to organize movements, organizations, and collaborators forward for progress, surfacing new mindsets for greater participation and shared impact.

2.09 —— SHOW NOTES

Tim: As we grow, we’re putting in place legal structures to support our work and build the principals of our organization.
Tues: It’s the idea that we are a fractal of what we are trying to do in the world. In this period of year-turning, there is always a space of reflection and putting your mind to where you want to be going forward. Often, with our clients, there is a pace and urgency. We could be swept along by the work and if we don’t pause and reflect and be intentional, we’ll just get more of what we are seeking to shift in our clients. Inner reflection for the organization cannot be left to chance.
Tim: We often find ourselves asking for things that the professions we are working with are like, “what?” One that was interesting for me recently was when we were sitting down with the lawyers to pull together our subcontractor contracts. We are getting to draw up contracts that reflect our values and the relationships we are building with our subcontractors.
Tues: We want this to happen to everyone we work with. I hope their work gets better and deeper and more nuanced.
Tim: One of our principals is generosity and we are trying to institutionalize / legalize it.
Tues: One of the things we’ve done recently was brought The Outside principals to our team - how we want to be as an organization: Generosity, Love, Clarity, A society that serves all & Collective.
Tues: I am not building a white organization; that is not what I am here to do. This is a declaration so folks know what we are intending, which is not a white organization. I am here to build an organization that actually knows how to work in difference because we are deeply different from each other. And very explicitly, that means racially.
Tim: We’ve been actively seeking senior members for our team that are people of colour and building apprentices into The Outside.
Tues: We are still looking for folks who have the capacity to be ‘managers of one’ and even that is evolving. I can feel like we are weaving something that is far more than individual folks doing really great work to deliver a project. We are developing a weaved fabric of people and work that will take a wide net that will move things forward.
Tim: We really hope that what we shared today will help you to think about how you form your team(s), how you build out your organization or your practices in relationship to others, how that’s manifested, not just as a set of principals or practices, but how that’s manifested in structures and legality.
Poem: “to all you young poets” from the book milk and honey, by Rupi Kaur
Your art
is not about how many people
Iike your work
your art
is about
if your heart likes your work
if your soul likes your work
it’s about how honest
you are with yourself
and you
must never
trade honesty
for relatability.
Song: Los Ejes De Mi Carreta by Atahualpa Yupanqui

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Find the song we played in today’s show—and every song we’ve played in previous shows—on the playlist. Just search ‘Find the Outside’ on Spotify.