Thanks for this Georgie! So much to respond about. I particularly resonated with the idea of 'find a role' when in a big group of others you don't know yet. I've often found this useful myself. Having been writing about Host Leadership for a decade and more, it strikes me that what may put some folk off this is the idea that 'someone else ought to be doing it'. Well, if it needs doing and there's no-one else, then get going. Good guests always seek to help their hosts, and getting stuck into making sure something happens, people know where to be, helping move things along, these are all wonderful ways to both participate and also 'scaffold' some interactions with others. Indeed, people have told me that one way into this is to put yourself in the host's shoes and simply start acting to introduce people, point up what's happening, asking about what people are looking forward to and are hoping for, and so on.
Thanks for your thoughts Mark, and I'm not surprised this resonated given the cross-overs in our work! It is a great point that people often turn away from responsibility even when it generally is great for the individual in terms of their opportunities. I have always found the 'taking a role' to be the best way to get to meet a lot of people because it affords so many permissions.
Yes indeed. I think your phrase 'taking a role' is key - it's not 'being given a role'. We can act to take a role and people will very quickly respond to it in my experience. The permissions come with one's own action, not as a gift from someone else.
Thanks for this Georgie! So much to respond about. I particularly resonated with the idea of 'find a role' when in a big group of others you don't know yet. I've often found this useful myself. Having been writing about Host Leadership for a decade and more, it strikes me that what may put some folk off this is the idea that 'someone else ought to be doing it'. Well, if it needs doing and there's no-one else, then get going. Good guests always seek to help their hosts, and getting stuck into making sure something happens, people know where to be, helping move things along, these are all wonderful ways to both participate and also 'scaffold' some interactions with others. Indeed, people have told me that one way into this is to put yourself in the host's shoes and simply start acting to introduce people, point up what's happening, asking about what people are looking forward to and are hoping for, and so on.
Thanks for your thoughts Mark, and I'm not surprised this resonated given the cross-overs in our work! It is a great point that people often turn away from responsibility even when it generally is great for the individual in terms of their opportunities. I have always found the 'taking a role' to be the best way to get to meet a lot of people because it affords so many permissions.
Yes indeed. I think your phrase 'taking a role' is key - it's not 'being given a role'. We can act to take a role and people will very quickly respond to it in my experience. The permissions come with one's own action, not as a gift from someone else.