Book Update
The book talk on January 22 for Philly's JWI Young Women's Impact Network went great. It was cool having an event on the fourth floor of the Free Library of Philadelphia on the Parkway (I didn’t even know they had a fourth floor)! This group of young women had such thoughtful questions and comments.
I also wanted to share that Shel Horowitz wrote a beautiful review of the book in the January edition of his publication, The Clean and Green Club. It has several great highlights and takeaways from the book.
JGo – Part 2
In the last podcast episode we met Jason “JGo” Gordon, the co-founder of Written Out Loud and an expert on belonging. In Part 2, JGo shares a few of his experiences working with adults (including young adults) and how that relates to finding his purpose.
YouthBuild
One project JGo described was called YouthBuild, sponsored by the Department of Labor. This DOL initiative works with youth who are high school dropouts—many who have been incarcerated at some point—to complete their GED, get workforce training, and find jobs.
JGo contributed to a new curriculum for the youth earning their GEDs. He also helped create a culture of learning, team, and belonging to support those efforts. Many of the young people in this initiative did not have a high opinion of themselves when they joined the program. Some of them had a really hard time with the work; but they kept showing up because they felt like they had a place where they belonged. That sense of belonging motivated them to continue in the program, even as they still struggled to get their primary needs met. They were part of something bigger than themselves and felt that they were stronger together.
It was refreshing to hear about a government program that felt like such a great use of tax dollars. JGo’s expertise helped create a program where young people get another chance to move forward in their lives while experiencing the power of a supportive team.
From Work Group to Team
In another example, JGo’s employer is doing a big educational technology rollout and they hit a (major) snag—one that creates hours of work that needs to be done in a short timeframe. The company rents an Airbnb and gets the whole team of 6-7 people set up around a big table in the living room to work on this project together. After many long hours, they accomplish their goal. That’s not the important part for our story, though. JGo noticed that this group of people—which had always called itself a team—suddenly became the most tightknit team he had ever worked with. It was a result of facing this challenging, high pressure situation together. It illustrates the origins of the word “compassion” which means “to suffer with.”
This is repeatable in a workplace environment—and it may even be worth repeating in a nonprofit environment. Consider the deep bonds that were created during the 26-day occupation of the federal building in San Francisco led by Judy Heumann in 1977. (There is amazing footage of this in the film Crip Camp. Here’s a clip about it.) On a micro-scale, maybe even adding a challenge to write “x” number of advocacy letters before the end of each chapter meeting—for any organization that works for change. We can imagine a wide range of options in between but tackling challenges in a way that brings us together—that would be a powerful energy source. The power of belonging.
Belonging on Purpose
JGo realized recently that his purpose is to help people understand that they can belong (and that it's actually not that difficult). He wants to help people fight the “pandemic of loneliness” by understanding a little more about what we’re all looking for. With that goal in mind, JGo created a “CHEAT” code to build belonging: Compassion, High expectations, Equity, Authenticity, and Trust (each with a few practical actions). Here are a couple examples.
Authenticity
JGo created a micro-credential course on authentically introducing yourself. Maybe you’re wondering what that’s about. Why would people need such a course?
Picture the work environment. A common introduction consists of your name, role, and department or company. But none of that really tells people who you are. JGo taught people how to share something personal about themselves that was also relevant to the moment. For example, if it’s around the holidays, your introduction can include a family tradition you’re looking forward to. Sharing something personal can create an immediate connection in a way that just giving your name and title could never do; and it lays the groundwork for a trusting relationship.
Another powerful activity is called “Step In.” The facilitator of this activity calls out a characteristic and anyone who identifies with it will “step in” to the circle. People look around to see who shares this commonality, and then everyone steps out until the next characteristic is called. It helps people see where they fit in—and also where they are unique. It creates a safe space, where people can be seen as who they authentically are. There’s an amazing video showing how this exercise helps people who appear very different see their commonalities (thanks to Jill Konrath of What’s Really Possible for bringing it to my attention).
Trust
Of all the elements in the CHEAT code, trust might be the biggest challenge today. Technology has played a role in breaking down the connections and trust between people. We spend less time together and more time in front of screens. But we need to be connected. JGo envisions a world with more trust. You may have heard the phrase, “Fail fast, fail often.” (It was very popular within startup companies for a while.) JGo has started encouraging people to “trust fast, trust often.”
Conclusion
From my perspective, what the world needs most right now is the ability to connect across differences. When I hear people talk about the problems that need to be solved, they often speak in dichotomies. That is no accident—we are continuously targeted by “divide and conquer” campaigns—but we can counteract these divisions by building a sense of belonging. That is why we need the work that JGo and many others are doing.
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