Susan is a member of Warriors for the Human Spirit, an Art of Hosting Facilitator, and Circle Work Facilitator, and Samoan Dialogue Facilitator.
Susan works with community groups, congregations or organizations who are shifting from the traditional linear problem-solving paradigm to working with the complexity of our times. This body of work helps organizations, community groups and congregations face where you are stuck – the patterns that keep you isolated or repeating similar issues.
All of work in this service area is based on the belief of everyone is equal in the circle, bringing important insights and questions to the process. Sitting in a circle is key to shift roles to a shared power of all being invited and welcomed into the circle based conversations.
Building trustworthy spaces to hold and explore vital questions lead to more in-depth understanding and generative solutions. Civic conversations are expanded to be more inclusive, approaching complex and often “divisive” topics in ways that de-escalate and change the conversations.
Congregations and Organizations often experience unforeseen secondary issues due to problem solving that moved too quick and was too narrow. Removing the barriers of reactivity, “we’ve always done it this way”, or the need to be an “expert” is necessary to actually listen to current needs that are here in this moment.
These are generative processes that develop a greater capacity to understand and work with different environments that are arising, i.e. Cynefin Model.
Learning to hold tensions and inviting in diversity of views and voices strengthens the solutions that we pick to apply to these emerging situations that call for greater discernment and understanding. These include bodies of work from:
Margaret Wheatley’s new work:
- Who Do We Choose To Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, and Restoring Sanity.
- Warriors for the Human Spirit is a program that shifts us from being the expert to listening to the rising needs from the community. Act with dignity, kindness, generosity, sense of humor and openness.
Art of Hosting:
Generative conversations is based on the development of key questions. Rather than solving or finding the one best solution, the art of hosting focuses on ways to engage the range of perspectives and differences. This exploration is done in both large groups and small groups, building relationships and allowing collective wisdom to arise from those involved.
- World Café – focus on one specific concern, issue or question
- Pro-Action Café – a team building process that supports a more creative and deeper exploration of a project, creation of a new idea or question
Circle Work Facilitator:
- Restorative Conversations for Families, Community Groups, Congregations, or Organizations
- Talking or Support Circles
- Wisdom Circles
Samoan Dialogue Circle:
Being able to give time and space for a range of perspectives and differences creates a stronger foundation to take the next step. This structured dialogue process is interactive and allows for both inner and collective wisdom to arise.
Solutions by Joshua Troy, LLC