A Manner of Speaking by Bonnie Neugebauer
96 A MANNER OF SPEAKING EXCHANGE MAY/JUNE 2017
Copyright © Exchange Press, Inc. All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864.
A Manner of Speaking Photograph by Bonnie Neugebauer
www.ChildCareExchange.com
by Bonnie Neugebauer
Fourteen strangers. Five days. How does it happen? How does a small group of virtual strangers become a family in such a short time? What are the enabling factors — what structures, motivations, strategies contribute to the alchemy? Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) lived such a transformation. Seven new Global Leaders who had never met together before — Temesia Tuicaumia, Torika Delailoa, Jackie Bennett, Jessica Staines, Siva Prasad Behera, Savy Lach, and Shabreen Nazmeen Nisha, with Sheldon Shaeffer, GL Regional Coordinator and Mark Elliott, GL Program Director with Patti Smith and previous cohort Global Leaders Karma Gayleg and Analesi Tuicaumia and Roger and I — met for the first time face to face in a typical hotel meeting room on a simmering Monday morning. Fourteen strangers. By Friday we had shared e xpertise, family stories, dreams, meals, adventures, laughter, and tears. By Friday there was a palpable connection that enabled impassioned questions and supportive responses; we could see our future together.
So what were the elements for transformation? • Being Welcomed into the Story As leaders in the World Forum, those of us with WF history established, through our contributions and ways of being, an environment that focused on our values — children, differences, spirit, relationships, and change. We brought the World Forum to life. • Being Vulnerable, Feeling Safe Mark’s voice and body language brought strangers together. He carefully constructed a shared knowledge base, a structure for relationships and support for the work ahead. And then he pushed comfort zones through paired interviews and group critiques of presentations, all the while creating a profound safety. • Engaging to Build Connections New Global Leaders contributed to the climate of trust and respect, putting their feet in the water and sharing their ideas and work and asking questions. They engaged. With every conversation we committed to each other in an ever-deepening way. • Balancing Group Needs and Individual Attention Sheldon met individually with each new Global Leader to listen and advise. Through these conversations individual work was formulated and individual needs and challenges were addressed. • Shared Experiences Most of us were new to the ARNEC experience or to Cambodia, so we were all new together and became a home base for each other during the conference. Each of us was out of our element in some way, so on some level all together, we were set for adventuring and maximizing opportunities to explore the conference and the context. It wasn’t magic that we came to feel so connected to each other; it wasn’t by chance. Strategies, motivations, and structures were in place. When we encounter others with our most open and authentic selves, in an environment of respect and safety, families happen. This is the World Forum. Bonnie Neugebauer is founding editor of Exchange magazine and co-founder of the World Forum Foundation. You’re invited to visit Bonnie’s Global Café: WorldForumFoundation.org/cafe
“We all met each other for the first time and made connections in such a short period of time. Yes we made a new FAMILY. . . . Getting to know each other, we can positively change the world together being Global Leaders.” Shabreen Nazmeen Nisha, Fiji
Copyright © Exchange Press, Inc. All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864.
A Manner of Speaking Photograph by Bonnie Neugebauer
www.ChildCareExchange.com
by Bonnie Neugebauer
Fourteen strangers. Five days. How does it happen? How does a small group of virtual strangers become a family in such a short time? What are the enabling factors — what structures, motivations, strategies contribute to the alchemy? Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) lived such a transformation. Seven new Global Leaders who had never met together before — Temesia Tuicaumia, Torika Delailoa, Jackie Bennett, Jessica Staines, Siva Prasad Behera, Savy Lach, and Shabreen Nazmeen Nisha, with Sheldon Shaeffer, GL Regional Coordinator and Mark Elliott, GL Program Director with Patti Smith and previous cohort Global Leaders Karma Gayleg and Analesi Tuicaumia and Roger and I — met for the first time face to face in a typical hotel meeting room on a simmering Monday morning. Fourteen strangers. By Friday we had shared e xpertise, family stories, dreams, meals, adventures, laughter, and tears. By Friday there was a palpable connection that enabled impassioned questions and supportive responses; we could see our future together.
So what were the elements for transformation? • Being Welcomed into the Story As leaders in the World Forum, those of us with WF history established, through our contributions and ways of being, an environment that focused on our values — children, differences, spirit, relationships, and change. We brought the World Forum to life. • Being Vulnerable, Feeling Safe Mark’s voice and body language brought strangers together. He carefully constructed a shared knowledge base, a structure for relationships and support for the work ahead. And then he pushed comfort zones through paired interviews and group critiques of presentations, all the while creating a profound safety. • Engaging to Build Connections New Global Leaders contributed to the climate of trust and respect, putting their feet in the water and sharing their ideas and work and asking questions. They engaged. With every conversation we committed to each other in an ever-deepening way. • Balancing Group Needs and Individual Attention Sheldon met individually with each new Global Leader to listen and advise. Through these conversations individual work was formulated and individual needs and challenges were addressed. • Shared Experiences Most of us were new to the ARNEC experience or to Cambodia, so we were all new together and became a home base for each other during the conference. Each of us was out of our element in some way, so on some level all together, we were set for adventuring and maximizing opportunities to explore the conference and the context. It wasn’t magic that we came to feel so connected to each other; it wasn’t by chance. Strategies, motivations, and structures were in place. When we encounter others with our most open and authentic selves, in an environment of respect and safety, families happen. This is the World Forum. Bonnie Neugebauer is founding editor of Exchange magazine and co-founder of the World Forum Foundation. You’re invited to visit Bonnie’s Global Café: WorldForumFoundation.org/cafe
“We all met each other for the first time and made connections in such a short period of time. Yes we made a new FAMILY. . . . Getting to know each other, we can positively change the world together being Global Leaders.” Shabreen Nazmeen Nisha, Fiji
