community building

HARD-WIRED FOR COLLABORATION: PHYSICAL TOUCH INCREASES PERFORMANCE

Physical touch stengthens creative problem solving and performance. In Born To Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (Norton, 2009), Dacher Keltner cites research indicating that simply giving a reassuring physical touch (a high-five, a chest bump, a shoulder pat) can increase performance on the basketball court, in intimate relationship, in the classroom, everywhere! Humans are wired to seek collaborative effort to "share the load" of problem solving.

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TRANSITION TOWNS: LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR GLOBAL CHANGE

The Transition Town movement is an example of bottom-up empowerment, local community organization for global climate change. Political action and emotional growth and support are combined with conflict resolution skill training, so that Head, Heart, and Hands are all enlisted in common cause. Listening/Focusing Communities are one model of peer support that could be incorporated into Transition Towns.

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GRASSROOTS GREENING: PLANTING GROWS COMMUNITY

"The One Small Thing" method for Creative Edge Organization involves finding "one small thing" that people find easy to do as a first step in generating the involvement and empowerment that builds community in nieghborhoods and creativity in organizations. A "traffic calming" initiative in San Francisco leads to a green, walkable neighborhood, and, suddenly, there is a community where neighbors, schools, merchants all come together.

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BOTTOM-UP EMPOWERMENT: PENNY HARVEST ENGAGES SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SERVICE-LEARNING

Apathy is avoided when each person in an organization is engaged at their own passionate, individual Creative Edge. Empowerment Organization motivates people "from the bottom up" by finding "One Small Thing" as a first step toward engagement. The Penny Harvest fund-raiser used in elementary schools nationwide is used as an example of using "The One Small Thing" method to motivate children and communities to learn about giving and helping others, life-long philanthropy.

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THE CREATIVE EDGE FOCUSING PYRAMID IN BUSINESS SETTINGS: FOCUSING, LISTENING, AND COLLABORATIVE EDGE MEETINGS

The Creative Edge Focusing Pyramid shows how to maximize creativity, innovation, and mutual support at every level in businesses and organizations. Simple self-help skills of Intuitive Focusing and Focused Listening allow the articulation of non-linear, right-brain solutions at every level of problem solving, with carry-over for conflict resolution, stress reduction, and emotional problem solving at home as well as at work.

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FOCUSING AND BUSINESS: BUILDING COMMUNITY AT WORK

Creative Edge Organizations encourage creative, innovative problem solving from each individual's fresh, intuitive, right-brain thinking by teaching Intuitive Focusing and Focused Listening as basic skills of "emotional and social intelligence." The exchange of Focusing/Listening turns builds feelings of "buy in" and "community" while encouraging innovation, creativity, and diversity.

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