I used to believe that being in balance within your body, mind, spirit and emotions is what sets you up to have amazing experiences in life and work. 2021 was a good reminder that sometimes it can be the other way round. As we were just getting used to living with Covid, the second wave hit our family and we lost our Dad in May. He was a beacon of health and good living and it just swept him away in 3 weeks. I cannot begin to reflect on the year without feeling this lump in my throat of the biggest loss of my life. Life changed for all of us in many ways and I just felt so scattered with bits of me being pulled in all directions - but my Dad's consistently lived values and habits helped me navigate the chaos.
For my Dad, work was worship. All work was important. He genuinely loved getting up and ready for work and would come back looking so content - as if he had given his 150% every day. He would not shy away from doing anything - my Mom fondly remembers how he would iron her clothes every morning or make their early cup of tea. He was driven for excellence always pushing for better and at the same time he was so great at relationships - this did not mean he was soft with people but he was patient, enabling - asking questions instead of giving answers and was never afraid to tell the truth. He admitted when he was wrong and vowed to do better the next time.
This year, my work helped me find grounding. Every time I prepared my space, opened the zoom meeting, played the music, saw people coming in, experienced all emotions and heard people say things like "I don't know what you are doing but this space feels so safe.."...."I came in blue I am leaving so energised..."...."I feel amazed how much we achieved in this time..."... "it did not feel like work".....it filled me with joy, hope and energy.
Looking back at early 2021 I had envisioned a year where I would consciously invest in my learning, I would take up bold assignments, I would generate work that is longer term with a group and I would bring more creativity in my online spaces. As I look back I am so surprised to see that I lot of what I had hoped for actually happened. Here is a quick flashback of the kind of online work I did, the amazing folks I worked with and what I learnt along the way:
1. A year-long global exchange of alumni of international education seminars
Having co-facilitated 5 education seminars over the past few years, my amazing co-facilitator Alevtina and I designed and hosted the first ever global exchange for their alumni of the Academy. Along with 5 online circles scheduled right ahead of the year from March to December, we also created a separate Facebook group to engage with folks through the year. It was so amazing to see every 2 months, enthusiastic folks from Latin America, Europe, South and East Asia come together to exchange ideas, projects, country situations and inspiration with each other. Though we noticed that Facebook as a platform is not so engaging anymore - people longed for connection and wanted to keep coming together. We engaged the alumni in the planning, design and also facilitation. We offered a variety of formats to keep up the "newness" and closed out with a lovely Christmas themed celebration!
2. A training on "facilitation" for political/ social sector partners of a global foundation
With 2 amazing colleagues from South Africa, we designed and co-facilitated a 2 week long global online training on facilitation. The whole experience from back end collaboration to the meticulous planning down to who will play the music or take screen shots to holding the space for an amazing group of facilitators from across the world was so uplifting for me. A parallel whatsapp group helped everyone to stay engaged before, during and post the workshop. Google drive offered a common accessible work area for the sessions. For my own sessions, I did pilots to test out my designs and also made my first 20 min video! I learnt a lot about collaboration, trust, planning, design, empathy, platforms, Spotify playlists(!) and how it is so important to keep the experience as "light" and less stressful as possible for the learners.
3. A 3-month long leadership development for a corporate
Along with my colleagues at Bullzi, we did some amazing work online that build on our experiences in 2020. We designed and co-facilitated a three month long leadership development programme for a cohort of about 20 leaders including assessments, trainings, coaching and an online "live" simulation. I was a part of some of the trainings and the online simulation. It was a super intense experience to come up with creative yet effective designs, to cater to the needs of different levels of experience, to work together with other colleagues with quick turnarounds and changing timelines. My highlight will be one of the planning calls where we came up with the idea of doing a "trust exercise" online with a blindfold, water bottle and a glass! I learnt a lot about these core leadership topics from my colleagues. I learnt about harsh corporate realities. I realised how much I value being prepared and that sometimes my drive for getting things done can make me closed to other ideas/ perspectives.
4. A global online circle on "grief in the collective" for the Genuine Contact community
Along with my dear and wise colleague Nancy, we designed, piloted and co-hosted a 3.5 hour online circle on qiqo chat (a cool platform that integrates Zoom and Google slides). Amazing what made me sign up for this topic in 2020 little did I know that it will be so alive for me the next year. Nancy and I went through an amazing journey working together for almost 9 months coming together regularly to connect, learn and explore this topic together. We also hosted a pilot since it was the first time we were working together and it was beautiful to see the design come alive so meaningfully. I learnt a lot from this whole process - how to hold space with a full heart and yet not get overwhelmed, to accept that everyone processes grief differently and hence chooses to show up around such a topic differently, the healing silence brings, how co-facilitators can support each other to create a magical experience.
5. Enabling collective strategic focus for a non profit
One of my favourite groups who I have done strategy work with (twice in the last 8 years) recommended me to another group - a group of passionate lawyers working to bring justice closer to all. After being in touch for over a year, we finally came together from October for a series of conversations for greater collective strategic focus. They were all in office and I was at home. It reminded me of the wonders of people physically being in the same room together - the banter, passing of food/ drinks, water spilling near the projector.....how I loved it! It was bilingual - english and hindi - we worked with Miro and a whiteboard/ post its. I send them over a box of goodies to liven up the space. As is with strategic conversations, it was intense yet very inspiring - always challenging me to see how to keep everyone included, engaged and feeling valued. Now I am working with the group over the next few months to integrate the strategy into their day to day.
While the above were the more intense, I also loved hosting spaces for purpose/ value conversations, a learning session on "methods to the madness" with Quest Alliance and a couple of connection circles with fellows of the Community Connect Fellowship. I have loved all the conversations I have had with so many peers about their own upcoming sessions and facilitator dilemmas.
Creating my own storyline of the year, looking back at my Google calendar month by month and writing about all the varied experiences always fills my cup and gives me the energy and will to move with courage into 2022 - I feel like my dad coming home at the end of a hard & fulfilling day at the office - with a big smile and a bag of goodies!
[A big thank you to my family for adjusting their routines, locations and handling all my crazyness and all the pats on the back for the job well done:) I love you! To Shankar and Chotu Bhaiyas for feeding me so well and giving me energy...To my dear sisters and friends who steady my emotional rocky boat...To Ayan to keep my inner child alive.....and my best bud Parth who continues to be my stellar witness and guide...]
