Once upon a time, as many tales begin, there was a small band of design thinkers who had lost their way. The woods and fields that they found themselves in were unfamiliar and scary. Some would call this threatening landscape, "business as usual". And wouldn't you know, the rain began to fall as they frantically searched for shelter. They luckily found a cave and dashed in just as the storm reached it's peak. Quickly they worked together to build a fire to get dry and keep the negative wolves at bay. For the moment they were safe. But they all knew that they would need to head back out into the wild once the storm let up.
Sitting around the roaring fire, they used the learning circle technique for group support and discovery they had learned in their Masters program to figure out their next steps. The conversation was reassuring and soon a plan was decided on. They each quickly checked in before they checked out and fell fast asleep. During the night, they tried to keep the fire going, but it eventually went out and the negative wolves howls could be heard coming closer and closer. One by one, the team was awakened by the voices of the wolves. They saw that the fire had gone out, but also that the raging storm had subsided. They quickly gathered their technologies and, armed with only an old flashlight, they headed out to face the dangers that lay ahead.
Almost immediately they were confronted with a pack of negative wolves who pushed them back, back, back toward the cave. Their first thought was to lash out at the wolves and return their negativity. We have all felt this way at some time or another. But one by one, the designers stepped aside and the wolves in their zeal to attack, rushed by them and into the cave. The astounded travelers stood shocked for a moment as the wolves began to fight with each other. The team turned and ran and ran. It wasn't until they were a mile down the path that they realized they weren't being followed and stopped to catch their breath. Ahead of them was a clear path to the goals they had been pursuing when they had gotten lost. As they reflected on the experience, they each realized that all of their action research cycles had somehow prepared them for the negative wolves and their attack. The design team headed back to their offices strengthened as a team for facing the negative wolves together. Later, as their design fortunes grew, they would reflect back with wonder at what they learned about wolves and themselves.
Sitting around the roaring fire, they used the learning circle technique for group support and discovery they had learned in their Masters program to figure out their next steps. The conversation was reassuring and soon a plan was decided on. They each quickly checked in before they checked out and fell fast asleep. During the night, they tried to keep the fire going, but it eventually went out and the negative wolves howls could be heard coming closer and closer. One by one, the team was awakened by the voices of the wolves. They saw that the fire had gone out, but also that the raging storm had subsided. They quickly gathered their technologies and, armed with only an old flashlight, they headed out to face the dangers that lay ahead.
Almost immediately they were confronted with a pack of negative wolves who pushed them back, back, back toward the cave. Their first thought was to lash out at the wolves and return their negativity. We have all felt this way at some time or another. But one by one, the designers stepped aside and the wolves in their zeal to attack, rushed by them and into the cave. The astounded travelers stood shocked for a moment as the wolves began to fight with each other. The team turned and ran and ran. It wasn't until they were a mile down the path that they realized they weren't being followed and stopped to catch their breath. Ahead of them was a clear path to the goals they had been pursuing when they had gotten lost. As they reflected on the experience, they each realized that all of their action research cycles had somehow prepared them for the negative wolves and their attack. The design team headed back to their offices strengthened as a team for facing the negative wolves together. Later, as their design fortunes grew, they would reflect back with wonder at what they learned about wolves and themselves.