RTV # 45 Tips for group toys

A Year of Raising the Village. Week # 45: Tips for Group Toys.

Toys, they are not just for children's play. Toys can increase participation in community or organizational meetings.

This list, from Meeting Excellence by Parker and Hoffman, contains several key toys whose use and interpretation are flexible:

• soft squeeze rubber ball


• Koosh ball, nerf ball


• slinky


• Rubik's cube


• yoyo


• wooden cup with ball on string


• train whistle


• clapper

In our bag of tricks we also tend to include toy animals, mirrors, Disney characters (big symbolism usually!) and blocks. We've used a ball to signal when it is someone else's turn to share/talk on an agenda (keeps people awake on on their toes too)! We've heard of people who use noisemakers to liven up the space and acknowledge each contributer with positive (and loud) feedback. "That was easy" buttons have been popular when decisions are made. We've placed play dough and pipe cleaners on the table to recharge mental energy and for a guaranteed splash of fun.

One of the most effective use of toys came in one of our recent workshops on Collaboration and Authentic Engagement, we asked participants to create group definitions using bags of toys/props as metaphors. The activity was challenging enough to stretch people's thinking yet fun enough to generate much laughter and creativity. One particularly intense group stuffed a slinky full of other toys in an elaborately explained process. The description unleashed a great dialogue that uncovered many of the key components of working together that people were wrestling with.

Toys, fun AND a massive adult engagement tool!

Raising Village Question:

What's one of your fav meeting "toys?"  How do you use it?

RTV #36 - 10 Secrets of Sustained Innovation

A Year of Raising the Village - Week 36 - 10 Secrets of Sustained Innovation in Collaborative Groups.

Ever heard the term "design by committee" or "coblaberation" or "groupthink?' Just because you gather a bunch of people together does NOT ensure that the resulting dialogue and action will be stellar. In fact, there is a danger that the sum won't even add up to the individual parts let alone exceed them! Someone recently told me that there is just as much chance that a group is defined by it's weakest link as it is defined by its strongest.

What's the lesson here?  Don't take group work for granted.  A community is not made just by rubbing shoulders together...nor is it evidenced by collective, unattached agreement. Partly based on the work of Keith Sawyer (Group Genius, 2007), here is RTV's insight into what activities keep groups innovative.

10 secrets of innovation in Collaborative Groups.

1. Build spaces for creative conversation - we dedicated a section of our book to this (pg 130-137) and provide ideas for framing talking time.
2. Allow time for ideas to emerge ...go slow to go fast, you can't rush creativity and innovation.
3. Balance improvisation with planning - sustain a core vision with long term goals to help avoid being fragmented with a million great ideas. Use that vision to intelligently select the ideas that have the most value and traction.
4. Don't put all your eggs in one basket - generate many ideas and keep several of them active. When times change, you'll be better prepared to be responsive.
5. Seek diversity - a wide range of knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives in a group increases the chances for innovation.
6. Act like a network, not a clique. Once you head down the road of homogeneity with a "member" mind-set, the more you will risk group think and stagnation. Have fun together - but not too much fun. There is often an illusion of group effectiveness when group cohesiveness is high. Instead - grow, learn, adapt, connect, challenge and evolve!
7. Share leadership by ditching a rigid organizational chart - bring your strengths, not just your job title.
8. Measure the right things - evaluation has the potential to be a meaningful tool for sustaining engagement and blossoming further innovative ideas. 
9. Seek the unexpected - both your greatest success and your biggest learning (aka mighty disaster) are often things that weren't part of the original plan. Examine your experiences to find the differences that make the difference.
10. Know yourself, know your group and THEN pick your process.  ***

RTV #31 - Find What Binds You!

A Year of Raising the Village: Week #31: Find What Binds US Together!

What binds us together?

Great question to ask when making summer time S’mores or a great question to ask a team, organization or group when they want to find out what the glue is that holds them together. Often the bind is found in a common purpose or cause that each person finds relevant on an individual or collective level. Once this is found, people tend to reach out to include others in the common cause (much like the marshmallow working with the tasty duo of wafers and chocolate).

In his book Exploiting Chaos: 150 ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change, Jeremy Gutsche talks about engaging people with four levels of messages and impact. This ultimately leads to the change we seek.

The four levels of impact are at the:

1. Functional level: directs people what to do (i.e. don’t litter)
2. Incentive level: offers a compelling reason (if you litter you will be fined or we will reward people who report littering)
3. Emotional level: helps people remember your cause – keep the memory of your message alive. (Connect the emotions via a story or describe the personal impact that litter has).
4. Cultural level: goes beyond being remembered and gets to the actual action, engagement and change. This includes getting to know your stakeholder view intimately (i.e. in Texas they trademarked a slogan “Don’t mess with Texas” which appealed to the people living there - reducing litter by a whopping 72% over five years. 10-15% was originally projected as an ambitious target).

A cultural connection becomes a reflection of your group’s lifestyle. It aligns with the identity and beliefs of the people you are working with. What you create and what you offer speaks WITH people (not at) and empowers people to use their own voice to forward the movement. It binds you together with one common and compelling vision and helps people champion your work. And in the case of S’mores...it’s a delicious and satisfying blend of oozy-gooey goodness!

Like this? Post your comment here, or give it the juicy thumbs up on the RTV facebook or twitter page. Help Raising the Village become a tasty cultural connection!

Village Raising Question: What binds you with community and has you get involved?

RTV #14 Embrace Change. Spark Change

A Year of Raising the Village - Week #14. Be the change you wish to see!

Einstein said that we can't solve problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. That means that if we want to see change we have to change ourselves. Change isn't easy for many people. (that is probably an understatement!) As a village raiser, we have the opportunity to set an example by being agents of change. Carla Rieger, a Vancouver based "creativity catalyst" (http://www.artistryofchange.com/) recently shared her top 3 practices in what she describes as the artistry of change.


Choose your attitude.
Fish! (by Stephen Lundin) also does a great job outlining how attitude is all about choice. Feelings are things we can't control, but when it comes to how we approach and respond to situations - we are in the driver's seat. Ask yourself: what attitude are you choosing right now? What attitude do you want in your life more often? What attitude do you want to model in your home, workplace, neighbourhood and community? What attitude will it take to raise the village?


Let go and lean into problems.
Rieger suggests that if the roller coaster of life starts to go downhill, act as if you are confident about dealing with the situation until you also feel confident. It's a "fake it until you make it" or "think it and you'll be it" scenario. Actions and feelings are intertwined. Psychology suggests that the brain tells the body how to feel and then the body acts accordingly. As the roller coaster starts going downhill, pry your white knuckles off the bar, lean into the rapid change in altitude and FEEL (don't resist) the thrill. Recently, a group of innovative village raisers came together getting ready for ACTION! They had talked and explored and researched and were narrowing in on a project that had some exciting potential. The closer the group got to making a decision, people resisted, hesitated and pulled back with increasing force, Rieger calls these folks change-challenged. Take her quiz to find out if you are change-challenged or a change artist - and LEAN in.

Think in possibilities.
Creative thinking can be learned and practiced. Books (and apps) are filled with brain games to generate ideas, create new opportunities and improve old products or processes. Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko is just one resource that we use to break out of traditional patterns of thinking and play around in the innovation sandbox. Gamestorming by Gray, Brown and Mucanufo is another one that has tools for groups. Ask "what if" more often.

Ghandi said be the change you want to see. Can't argue with that! Einstein and Ghandi were pretty smart and both changed the world!

Related blogs:
Take the Change-agent Challenge
Be a Mischief-maker


Village Raising Question: What's the change you are going to be?

Be a Mischief-maker

Be a Mischief-maker!
Photo Copyright Tammy Dewar

We are huge Seth Godin fans. His little nuggets of counter-intuitive thinking evoke something deeply motivating and, to be honest, uncomfortable. His opinions shoot out like little burrs that get stuck in the brain and, frankly, bug us until we translate his “business” and “marketing” focused brilliance into something that is relevant as community developers.

His book “Tribes” appealed first because of the title with it’s very village-like sound.  For the first two/thirds, we found it validating and aligned with our penchant towards change and innovation; it was like preaching to the converted. By the time we got to the last 100 pages we were feverish with anticipation to sink our teeth into something.  He did not disappoint.

After closing the book we were determined to be more of a mischief-maker than I ever was before. He convinced us that leadership requires more bravery and if we want to change things, improve things and create a better future…we simply have to do things differently than what has been done before.

“If you are not over the top, you’re not going to have any chance at all of making things happen.”  (pg 86)

When we look around at the work done in the area of the early years and the people who have done the work, we want to celebrate the consistent, focused, caring diligence of these individuals who GET it (that our society can prevent many social issues by investing in quality early years for children). We are also compelled to shout out a call to action: Let’s not work our tails off to maintain the status quo! 

Usually fear gets in the way of positive change. Along with fear of the unknown (which takes a little confidence) there is the fear of being criticized. Lets not worry about potential criticism when we make great things happen. Lets reframe criticism as an earned “ badge of honour” because it means we have blown away people’s expectations. Let’s raise a little mischief and start being remarkable.

Village Raising Question:

How can you create something that critics will criticize because it challenges the status quo?

Early Years Community Developers as Linchpins

Over the past 5 years, attention and funding directed towards the early years has gone up and down and around like an awkwardly executed cartwheel. Whether we are on our feet, tail over teakettle or suspended in mid-flight, there are people passionate and committed to keep the early years momentum alive.

We call these individuals Early Years Community Developers. They are people who know that quality investments in the lives of young children have huge payoffs now and far into the future. Sometimes these people feel demoralized by the lack of value attributed to this work locally, nationally and globally. It can feel (like our hero Dr. Clyde Hertzman describes) that we are going up a down escalator.

What if Early Years Community Developers took a linchpin view in order to respond to life’s on-going cartwheels or the up and down escalator rides? Seth Godin’s describes linchpins as people that our world needs more of and who are indispensable, not cogs in a wheel and not easily replaceable. He suggests that typical linchpin contributions are to:

o Over deliver results – to be generous
o Contribute emotional labour – to be enthusiastic
o Connect more people with more ideas – to be constructive
o Find the things that motivate you to do your best work – to be remarkable.


Generosity can help us to reframe events such as funding cuts and organizational changes. As we give generously of our time, expertise and passion to communities, the value, recognition and respect for the potential of the early years will only grow.

Our enthusiasm will result in an increase in creativity, flexibility and innovation. This will be infectious within communities, among our colleagues and into the homes of families.

We can be constructive by becoming more proactive and less reactive to situations. Creating a future where children are honoured is at stake – we want to be in the drivers seat.

Being remarkable is about having our efforts add value to the early years sector – and making a bigger difference is what we are all about!



Village Raising Question:
What are your strengths that have not yet been fully contributed that would make you a linchpin?