Are we engaging the people that care about our mission?

Principles are nuggets of wisdom; basic truths to guide and inspire us. We can use them as rudders when the waters are rough or as a litmus test when making decisions or developing strategies. Margaret Wheatley developed 10 principles, they emerged from a lifetime of experience with groups and research in creating healthy communities
(including organizations). Principle #1 states: "People support what they create." Hmmm...think about it. This principle encourages us to engage people who care about what we are doing in figuring out the next step or how to address a conundrum. When life gets complicated and challenging, we often want to exert more control over what is happening. Can we be brave enough to open up to those around us, to the deep wells of creativity and experience available through others? Control often yields failure, while engaging others can lead to unexpected results. People with talents show up; resources emerge; unlikely collaborations unfold; and people feel ownership in the results. Think about what you have been involved in and your level of commitment afterwards. Constrict or open; yoga poses or tight muscles; isolation or community support. The possibilities certainly make the risk worth it. A structure that invites full engagement is the World Cafe process (see below). What processes do you use that engage the people that care about your mission?

Interested in the other principles? Watch Margaret present all 10 principles in short (less than 2 minutes each) YouTube video clips.
Principle 2: People act responsibly when they care, (1:23) "Are we working on an issue that people truly care about? How do we know they care?"
Principle 3: Conversation is the way human beings have always thought, (1:50), "how often do we use conversation rather than a more technical problem solving process? Where do our conversations occur?"
Principle 4: To change the conversation, change who is in it, (0:51), "are we stuck in this conversation? Do our conversations go 'round and 'round and lead nowhere? What new people could we invite into the conversation?"
Principle 5: Expect leaders to come from anywhere, (1:36), "when have you been surprised about who stepped forward as an informal leader?"
Principle 6: Focusing on what is working gives us energy and creativity, (2:32), "When have we been most energized for our work? Why did we have so much energy? What is possible here, and who cares?"
Principle 7: The wisdom resides within us,(1:55),"do we look inside our community expecting to find the answers there? Or do we look outside for best practice?"
Principle 8: Everything is a failure in the middle, (1:42), "how do we react to times of failure when we see our progress suddenly disappear?"
Principle 9: Humans can handle anything as long as we're together,(1:04), "Are we paying attention to our relationships? Are we supporting each other? How often do we gossip, judge or scapegoat?"
Principle 10: Generosity, forgiveness and love,(1:55), "if someone would observe our community, would they see those qualities in us?"