To investigate how this could work and what it would mean, I hosted a series of meetings around the Future of Education in Trinidad and Tobago. While I had some challenges, I found that a certain magic occurs when human beings gather together and are encouraged to slow down, collaborate and create connections that they may not have noticed or formed in another space. Interestingly enough, I found this same magic years later in Kalinda which cemented my appreciation for slowing down to truly understand the definitions behind the words that are spoken to find commonalities and build alternative futures that work for everyone.

Looking back on that meeting I can’t help but laugh because that meeting was nowhere near what a self-organizing experience should be; I controlled the entire thing from timing to content. To be fair to me, the meeting was far from a complete flop as all participants left happy that they came and one even suggested that I conduct another meeting like this on a national scale; however, it was not a collaborative self-organizing space.

After an autopsy of the first meeting I planned the second which was much closer to a self-organizing space. In the second meeting participants dispersed and reconvened on their own and according to the schedule which was exactly the opposite of what happened in the first meeting where I had to shout and nag participants to follow the schedule. By the time the fifth meeting came around I had complete confidence in the fact that if given the right environment, ie a safe space where it is encouraged to be open and honest, people would discuss, debate and seek out the commonalities in their ideals despite their differing life choices.

1. Despite the fact that I was fully aligned with the theory of collaboration, the practice required skills and attitudes that did not come naturally to the way I operated. During this period I got to notice my rigidity, and realized that although I thought I was open to collaboration and co-creation, I generally wasn’t. One of the first things I noticed about myself was that I usually listened with judgment. On the surface this may not appear to be an issue, but it is one of the four principles of hosting conversations or meetings as described in the Art of Hosting (Corrigan, 2010). Listening with judgment runs counter to the co-creation process as it limits the ideas that enter the conversation, which then limits the wisdom in the room. On the other hand, listening with curiosity opens up the conversation to discover central themes and new blends that may not have been obvious from the onset.

This shift in my thinking helped create the environment that made it possible for participants to be highly involved in thinking through what changes needed to be made in our education system. This high level of engagement is one of two fundamental elements of whole systems change (Holman, Devane, & Cady, 2007) which I was exploring and beginning to understand in a more practical way. There were two reasons I was comfortable with the fact that not everyone contributed to the discussion: the first reason, was because I had welcomed everyone and allowed their voice to be heard in the beginning and at the end of the meeting; everyone had to say something at those times, and the second reason was because I explained in the welcome that the onus for the success of the meeting rested on each individual; it was up to them to bring up topics that they were interested in and direct the conversation. I received validation when at the end of the meeting all of the participants that did not contribute to the discussion approached me to thank me for creating the space and to share their appreciation of the meeting. Having had this experience it is a little easier for me to let go and trust that each participant actually has the experience they desire, even if it doesn’t look productive to me.

Now imagine if every learning space had this magic of connectedness in it and if every Caribbean leader was able to create collaborative spaces in their governments? Imagine what Caribbean life would be in a space that was created for us and by us – one that celebrates us? We already have some examples in our cultural spaces so what are we waiting on?

Corrigan, C. (2010). Hosting in a Hurry (Version 1.1).

Holman, P., Devane, T., & Cady, S. (Eds.). (2007). The Change Handbook (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Written: May 2014

Edited for publication: July 2017