Creating An Elephant Friendly Zone.

If given the choice would you choose six big or six small elephants? Your response may depend on whether you are recruitment staff for a circus or safari expedition or thinking of elephants in the meeting room. Many of us have heard, and may have even used, the phrase elephants in the room -the issues, comments, questions or topics that people don’t want to say out loud for various reasons. Perhaps words are unspoken due to perceived conflict, a clash of personalities, or a moment of self doubt in your own knowledge and power. Essentially elephants are THINGS NOT SAID.

So what does the size of elephants have to do with anything? A colleague of ours once asked us if we would choose six big or six small elephants. She said- there is always going to be elephants but we can decide on the size of the elephant. The bigger the elephants the less space in the room. We couldn’t agree more (thanks Cathy). Now take a moment to literally picture elephants increasing in size before your very eyes. If elephants are not spoken and instead given time to grow in size – how would people move in a room? How would people feel free and open to focus and concentrate on the important work of Raising the Village?

The objective is NOT to have an “elephant free zone” but to create a small elephant friendly zone if you will. Decreasing the size of elephants can be supported by the group facilitator AND the group.

Responsibility of the facilitator(s) is to:

• be aware of when energy changes in the room, watch for change in body language
• acknowledge what is witnessed and bring it out in the room for clarity
• speak the unspoken question or concern
• guide the conversation with an open principle
• provide various ways for elephants to cleanse themselves (i.e. provide a written evaluation sheet asking participants to share any elephants, posting a sheet on the meeting room wall, or maybe it’s repeated use of the language and concept – given that the concept lands well with the group).
  

Responsibility of the participant’s is to:

• speak directly to any personal elephants – issues and feelings- rather than “side talk” or after meeting talk. Bring those elephants forth- you’ll be amazed at how “speaking your truth” in an open way benefits the whole group.
• voice any elephants they notice herding in the room
• ask for a process to bring up elephants in the room
• celebrate those that speak up – see their opinions as value-added to the group growth

Village Raising Question:
Creating an elephant friendly zone takes courage, insight, and perhaps a desire to walk on the “wild side”. What are your ideas for welcoming elephants into the room?