Hi Barb,

The first time I visited the United Kingdom, I took "the Tube" (the underground subway) from the airport to the center of London. 

"Mind the gap!!! Mind the gap!!!" a recorded voice warned urgently. I must have looked puzzled, because a kind woman held out her hand and helped me into the train. She told me the Gap is the space between the train and the platform, where a person might trip or where things could drop, never to be seen again. 

In times of transitions, we also need to mind the gap, the gap between where we are and where we are going.  

Ask any leader how to mind the gap during times of change, and they will likely mention "communicate clearly, provide vision and direction, offer support, manage resistance," and so on.  

My Gap-Minding suggestion this week is to empower the people affected by the change, whether they are employees or board members or volunteers or clients. 

And one of the best ways to empower them is lead Liberating Structures activities, which make it quick and simple for groups of people to contribute ideas and shape their future. For example, you might use the following Liberating Structures during times of organizational change:  

• 1-2-4-All to identify things that need tending to during the change process
• Nine Whys to find a powerful common purpose that resonates with those afffected
• TRIZ to playfully examine what could be done to make the transition fail, and to choose next steps that could prevent those failures
• Conversation Cafe to engage everyone in making sense of challenges
• 15% Solutions to discover and focus on what each person has the freedom and resources to do

Try one of them in your next meeting! Yes, you can! The links give step-by-step instructions. 

Involving everyone in a transition not only includes their ideas and feedback, but also empowers them to take ownership of their roles in implementing the changes. Their sense of ownership and commitment will ease the transition for everyone. 

Liberating Structures bridge the gap between the present and future, by involving people. Mind the gap -- accept their help.  

Warmly,

Barb Bickford

Transitions and New Beginnings retreat

Are you going through a personal transition? Perhaps you are facing retirement, a loss, a new job or role, a change in a relationship or a health challenge. 

Give yourself the gift of rest and restoration on the weekend of April 5-7, 2024. We'll explore your transition by using conversation, painting (no skill required!), gentle movement and more. Learn more here OR go directly to the registration page. Early bird pricing ends March 5th. 

Liberating Structures

If you have never tried liberating Structures (LS), you can experience their power by attending LS user groups or joining an Intensive!  

• The Washington DC LS User group generally meets online on the second Wednesday evening of the month. 
• The Central Texas LS User group meets online on various days and alternates between late morning and late afternoon.
• LS Intensives progress through about 20 liberating structures in 2 or 3 days. To express interest in one, sign up here. 

Better Communication for more Effective Healthcare

The next course is in June, which should give people working in or affiliated with healthcare more time to arrange time to attend. Learn more and register here. 

"YES AND" 101 for Healthcare & Mental Health Visionaries

Using improv in healthcare can improve communication. In this free online workshop, you will discover how simple experiential activities promote complex learning. Noon to 1:30 PM ET / 11 AM CT / 9 AM PT. Register for February 15th or register for April 18th.  Led by Beth Boynton, RN, Medical Improv Pioneer, & Certified Applied Improvisation Practitioner.

Surfing & Leading Change: Finding the Beacon in the Fog

In this online master class, Danny Ceballos will address the challenges you may be facing in leading change efforts. 1:30 ET / 12:30 CT / 10:30 PT, Wednesday, 2/21/24,  Register here! 

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Mind the Gap in Meetings

Transitioning between activities in a business or non-profit meeting is crucial for maintaining productivity and keeping participants engaged. Here are some tips to facilitate smooth transitions in meetings:

1. Foreshadow transitions before the meeting by distributing an agenda with times established for each agenda item. Distributing materials for people to read before the meeting can also help avoid that drop of energy when people have to be brought up to speed on a topic.  

2. Signal transitions during the meeting by using verbal cues like “moving on to the next topic,” by displaying a slide with the next agenda item or by summarizing the key points of the last topic and how they relate to the new topic.

3. Insert an activity such as a short break or short paired conversations either to reflect on what was achieved and how it aligns with the meeting's objectives or to share ideas about the new topic.

Help your meeting participants make a smooth transition -- mind the gap! 

Want more tips? Access Ten Tips to Foster Online Engagement.

Photo credit: Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash
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