Guest post — Finding Ways to Invite Others into the Vibrancy Work

Guest blog by Christoph Hinske, ISC Senior Fellow

Just today, while accompanying my daughter in her first day in kindergarten, I had an experience of how to invite others into our work. I met another parent, and we had a 10-minute conversation. He asked me what I do for work. I reflected right away on a conversation I had the day before in one of our “global vibrancy network circles” on how to best frame our “work” for specific target groups.

The father I was talking to works as a state-certified assessor and instructor for future teachers in German schools. Thus, I told him that I am working as a freelancing assessor of organizations, currently focusing on finding abundant educational forms. His eyes lightened up.

When explaining what I do, I did not use the term abundant, but used my hands, and asked him if he knows schools that, when he enters the building, he feels either “yuck“ or “yeah.” I reinforced these words by rising my left or right hand and doing a body gesture (scarce/ abundant). He was very convinced that he had had both experiences, giving me several examples of each. I went on, mentioning that we are working globally to identify the “yeah-schools.” I also shared that we have started to find them in many didactical traditions, cultures, and countries. I actually did not say much more nor did I use any specific wording or knowledge. He was thrilled.

As he was leaving the kindergarten a little later, he passed by and asked me to contact him if we want to search for schools in Germany, as he would be happy to be part of this project. I told him I would love to do so, and that we are currently setting up the structures to invite people like him to participate. He smiled.

I gained four key insights from this brief experience today:

1. We are on the edge of redefining what “good education” looks like, independent from educational approaches.
2. The importance of the reflective space that I have with the global vibrancy network.
3. The importance of searching for the possibility to “give target-group-specific elevator speeches“ and share our work. People are thrilled to contribute to our work.
4. The power of our work since we are addressing a pain that nobody else is having a “pain killer’ for… we might have one.

Note from Jim:  Please share stories with me about experiences you have had with sharing the work of Vibrancy and how you engaged others in it.