2023-10 - microsolidarity practice program notes

#course

these are my notes and the prompts from the microsolidarity practice program i participated in from oct 3-12, 2023.

i highly recommend you check out the microsolidarity.cc website so you learn about what it is (watch the intro video and read the core essays) before you decide to keep going on this page. that's the best place to start. :)

ps: the course contents are licensed as CC-BY-SA 4.0, so you're free to use however you want, just give credit and use the same license for derivative works.

session 1

▢️ Course content:
https://www.microsolidarity.cc/practice-program

πŸ‘©β€πŸ’» Discussion forum:
https://discord.gg/u9dfEkcpmY

πŸ‘ Gestures:

🧭 Agenda:

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
''* * * * * * * * *
❓How are you feeling?
❓Why did you join this Microsolidarity Practice Program?
❓What do you hope to learn from this program?

🧭 5 mins per person, we'll send a message when it's time to switch

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
intros:

martin (berlin) - organizational design. finding tribe that cares.

victor (san jose) - love it! metacrisis, vibecafe.xyz -> catalyze dyads, crew formation.

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
3 layers of communication / 3 things we can talk about:

  1. Information: about facts, data...
  2. Personal: about feelings, values...
  3. Interpersonal: about our relationship...

exercise -> observe (& follow) the sensor of aliveness/curiosity.

--> introduce yourself without talking about your job. talk about your real/deepest you (to the point you feel comfortable). feel the vibe. what amount of trust is there. how deep can we go?

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
jelger (bergerac, france) - telegram

shockforest.group
life itself

parrot / paraphrase -> why do i loathe it?

(boring. assumes low level of presence/consciousness? activates a kind of focus/striving to prove myself/self-evaluation [school-like])

the guy from -> artem zen. psilocybin. rap.

❓What's going on for you right now? (Mentally, physically, emotionally, etc.)

πŸ” Try giving voice to some of your different parts using the following sentence stems
""A part of me is feeling/thinking...""
""I notice one voice saying...""
""A part of me wants to...""

(Remember your curiosity and paraphrasing)

🧭 5 mins per person, we'll send a message when it's time to switch"

πŸ“ Write some reflections in your own journal:

πŸ” How did it feel today to be in the different groups? What did you notice about the different relational practices? What did you notice about yourself?

i wasn't in my 100% (sleep + coffee), but i still felt like i kind of matched the energy level of the group. so i feel that if i were in my 100%, i'd feel/be more connected, but at the same time, i'd feel a little disconnect in energy. as if maybe i was bringing too much energy/excitement that wasn't met by the group. (or maybe it'd be by some people, but not others).

i'm not sure what really makes us feel connected or not, even though we might have a lot of interests in common. e.g.: simon/christina from RF7.

it seems like something like openness/interest in the other's experiences. but it's a very subtle thing.

++ i appreciate the sharing of practices and light/fluid facilitation.

++ i really like the parts sharing. shows the complexity of the individual. and if clear that you're not looking for advice, create a deep context for connection (with deeper parts of our selves).
IFS -> unguarding into more warmth, compassion, heartful sharing.

other resonant shares:

"the "introduce myself without mentioning your job" exercise really helped me ease into a state of being myself rather than presenting myself."

"it felt so sweet and warm. each person is so full hearted and unguarded. i feel at ease."

β€œcommunity begins with relationship”

"rapid mixing & connecting"

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

πŸ“ "Homework"

▢️ feel free to share on discord what you came up with!

session 2

(3-min journaling)
❓It's one year from today, you're in the best possible community/network/group.

(15-min sharing)
After each sharing (3'), listening partners can reflect back (2') what they hear is important to the speaker, e.g. ideals, principles, values, desires, needs...

5' per person

the nΒ° 1 thing is the people in the community being oriented around meta-systems transformation, not just random projects. 2nd being able to express the alchemy, architect, art, builder, player archetypes.

am i ready to start creating it? building it / doing it no matter what it takes, since it's gonna be worth it...

other people's shares:
artem - "being a leader"
jim - "16-person co-living community"

(2-min journaling)
❓What's blocking you from having the community that you want?

damn. i guess building it is just quite a challenging thing... requires coordination w/ people (on worldviews, values, communication) & money alignment. lots of complexity.

(4-min client sharing, 5 min consultant discussion [behind the scenes], 2 client sharing relfections]
[bts] = turning the camera/mic off.

hearing from my challenge:

consensus building challenges -> 6 people, who have more skin in the game.
meeting people is a strength. a way to go through blocks.

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

πŸ“ Write some reflections in your journal about your experience today

πŸ” How did it feel today to be Client and Consultant?
πŸ” What was made possible in today's relational practices?

love to be in the space of the client. it's great to receive conscious, loving attention to our challenges.
being a consultant was also fun, as an opportunity to put our awareness/knowledge/strenghts to be available for others.

i was able to have a more firm ground in the direction of building the community i envision to be part of.

"beautiful structure. beautiful opportunity. it'll be different every time."
"we got into the details. and that's really lovely"
"it's really cool to hear what your friends have to say, while they clearly care"

"map of relational practices"

sara/jonas:

i got curious about which of these social connection experiments/quick facilitation processes are your favorite!

session 3

❓ What are you bringing with you today? How are your different parts?

CASE CLINIC:

✊Step 0, 3': say hi & choose a facilitator

☝️ Step 1, 10’: Challenge introduction (by case giver)

✌️ Step 2, 2’: Stillness (quiet reflection)

πŸ–• Step 3, 10’ Mirroring - coaches reflect back what came up for them (e.g images, metaphors, feelings). Still not giving advice!
Then, case giver reflects back what happened to them while hearing the coaches reflect.

πŸ–– Step 4, 15’: Generative Dialogue - sharing observations & new perspectives on the case. (You can give advice now!)

πŸ– Step 5, 10’: Round of closing remarks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SAdo3O5QS2GLNce_ll95eNC9abm3Anjx/view?usp=drive_link

▢️ For case-givers: What is one small step you can take with ease in the next 2 days that reflects your insights from todays session?

▢️ For coaches: What are you learning from having witnessed and supported the case-givers? How does it apply to your life? Is there an action you want to take that reflects that insight?

session 4

agency/self-responsibility:

needs into offerings to community:

host case clinic / twerka consulting
(create space for + generate more connection)

a little "map" of relational practices -> what's their purpose.

a crew exploring these practices.

jesse:
ongoing practice.

sara:
connection exercise in the woods.

finding something that brings you joy, holding onto it until the end of the trail.

sharing why.

🌟 What is one need, longing or wish you have right now?

(related to this course, or anything else in your self or community/group)

++

Share your need and why it's coming up for you right now. Explore this with active listening and curiosity-driven inquiry.

Listeners: Parrot & Paraphrase - what do you hear is important to this person?

In your journal, what invitation could you make to another individual or small group to meet this need you have?

πŸ’­ How many people do you want to invite into this? 1 other, 2-4 others, ...
πŸ’­ Is there a practice that can be applied to your invitation to give it structure? Liberating structures, Troika, etc.
πŸ’­ Do you want to invite an ongoing cadence (weekly, monthly, ...) or a one-time thing?

  1. form a crew (up to 6 people) so we can as a group share how intend to and we're implementing these practices in our lives/communities.
  2. map the possibilities - what needs/challenges do they address?
  3. once a week, for 4 weeks. a 1-month experiment.

++ invite anyone in this call with more experience to say what's worked for them before.

do a small practice w/ kosmos crew.

Program Recap Reminder:

☝️ Practices: Check-ins, 3 Layers of Communication, Parrot & Paraphrase, Reflection, Troika Consulting, Case Clinic, Transforming Needs...

πŸ’» Digital: video content, Discord, Zoom, emails...

Retrospective Prompts:

🌹 Roses: What about the facilitation and design did you find supportive or interesting?

🌰 Buds: Where do you see untapped opportunities?

βœ–οΈ Thorns: Was there something that prevented your progress or growth?

πŸ’Ž Gems: Was there something in the facilitation & design that you'd like to reproduce in your own community or work?

➑️ Add your 🌹 🌰 βœ–οΈ πŸ’Ž to the retro board: https://www.reetro.app/board/65278e8120f68af4ff4bc320/65278e9c20f68af4ff4bc3a6

πŸ‘ give a thumbs up on other cards that you resonate with

Final remarks: any closing words you want to share with the group...
πŸ“― Speaking Order: Martin, Sean, Kevin, Victor, Curtis, Melody, Jesse E,
Matt, Jesse M, Jelger, Cassius, Shaneal, Eric, Artem