Community Spaces
Members are highly encouraged to try and organise their work around the following spaces, but we realise that this is not always possible. The People and Culture circle continually reflect on how we can make improve the balance. Please note that the long-term impact these spaces have is significant. Building our muscles around engaging in feedback, conflict, burnout, emotional baggage etc. as well as continually building connection, trust and psychological safety will save us a lot of time and energy in the longer-term
Why we're here
This is a space for us to reconnect to our purpose together and remember why we're doing what we're doing - our fellow animals. It's a space to feel some of the emotions we tend to detach from in order to do the work such as sadness, grief and anger, as well as emotions such as love, joy, and reverence we feel for/about our animal kin and our connection to them.
We start with someone reading this short text we have co-created over the years out loud, followed by a minute of silence and then open the space for anyone to share anything that feels alive in them.
It's not a space for back and forth dialogue or debate, though if something someone shares triggers a thought or feeling in you, you are welcome to share that.
All Core and Associate Members are invited to join the minute silence from when they join ATT, including those working remotely.
When there are more than 12 participants, the group splits into smaller groups for the open space after the minute silence.
Matrix
This is a space to strengthen the 'relational infrastructure' or connections between pairs in the organisation by asking each other Ground of Health questions and offering appreciative feedback. A space to also ask for and offer 'differentiating feedback' to each other in the eyes and ears of the group. We do this regularly as an organisation.
When the number of participants increases beyond 12, we split into smaller groups.
Some circles also have a regular Matrix space based on their needs.
It's recommended that circles consider having a regular or ad hoc Matrix space when they have more than 2 members.
New Associate Members are invited to attend the organisational Matrix sessions once they have completed the Matrix onboarding videos, attended a follow up practice session with People and Culture and done their Culture Onboarding session.
Depending on their engagement with the organisation, Associate Members can be invited by their Circle Lead in consultation with ATT Culture. Associate members must also complete the Matrix onboarding videos, attend a follow up session with People and Culture and complete a Culture Onboarding session before they attend a Matrix session.
Matrix Onboarding Videos. When watching the videos, make sure to note down any curiosities or questions you have around the practices. During the follow up sessions, you'll be able to ask your questions and practice some of the practices.
The last minute of video 3 has been cut off for some reason and we're working to repair it. In the last part of the video we stress the importance of using the Appreciative Feedback form 'When you did X, the impact on me was Y and the impact on our connection was Z', because we use the same form when providing more difficult differentiating feedback. And its easier to do it here when there are no hard or hurt feelings in contrast to when there are.
*Definitions of Matrix Leadership and Ground of Health from the Foundations of Self-Organisation course by Evolving Organisation and Matrix Leadership Institute
Silent Sitting Circle
This is a space to:
help the group regularly process and release emotions individually and collectively
be witnessed in our feelings and feel seen and heard
share thoughts, feelings, ideas, reflections and tensions we want the group to know about ourselves, our work, the team or the organisation and our place in it
process everyday interpersonal tensions and tensions with the group
provide feedback to the group e.g. alerting the group about needs that aren’t being met or something that could be working better
get feedback for yourself - sitting with your tension and finding you don't end up sharing is important feedback for you
share joyful, celebratory and positive emotions not just negative emotions deepen our connection and trust as a group.
New Core and Associate Members are invited to join after their culture onboarding and having watched the Matrix videos
Learn more about what this circle is not a place for and the agreements of attending here.
Community Discussion Space
This is a regular space to go deeper into any differences that emerge in a Matrix differentiating feedback session, or another other culture or people related topics that feel alive in the organisation.
Associate Members are invited to attend once they have completed the Matrix onboarding videos, attended a follow up practice session with People and Culture and done their Culture Onboarding session.
Depending on their engagement with the organisation, Associate Members can be invited by their Circle Lead in consultation with ATT Culture.
Appreciative feedback and values embodiment
During our celebration sessions we open up the space to offer each other appreciative feedback, celebrate wins, both at an individual and team level, and share how we've seen each other embodying one or more of our ATT values.
At ATT, like elsewhere, we will encounter negative experience over time. Negative experiences tend to have a 5/10x larger impact on people than positive experiences. A space for appreciative feedback can help build a strong 'ground of health' and emotional wellbeing which can help act as a counterbalance
Associate Members are welcome in this space
Community and wins ProofHub channels
The community channel is for discussion, reflections, resources and information flow related to our org wide community spaces (matrix, community discussion space etc.) and our org culture more broadly.
The wins channel is to celebrate, appreciate and share things we're proud of personally and as an organisation.
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