Part of the PfP leadership development & principal support process is a 2 day community building workshop.
Community building
The community building workshop is based on Peter Block‘s seminal work Community: The Structure of Belonging. It’s the same philosophy which underpins the work we do in 5th Place with team effectiveness. One of the differences is in 5th Place we incorporate EFT / tapping.
6 conversations that matter
The workshop engages the group participants in a series of dialogues with each other known as the 6 conversations that matter. These are the conversations through which the community is transformed. As Peter says in his book, they are the conversations that produce something more than just talk:
- Invitation conversation
- Possibility conversation
- Ownership conversation
- Dissent conversation
- Commitment conversation
- Gifts conversation
It was wonderful to be a participant in this space, rather than a facilitator. The vastly connected and deeply wise Dr Rama Naidu from the Democracy Development Program was our facilitator for the 2 days of the workshop. If you are able to attend any of his workshops, do so, it’s a beautiful experience.
Lesiba Bodiba poem “I gotta get up”
One of the other business partners in my circle is Lesiba Bodiba. He showed up with this great gift of a poem on the last day of the community building.
I gotta get up
Sometimes
I say I don’t want to go to work today
I’d rather stay home and play video games
But if I want to earn my salary
If I want not to be disciplined
If I want not to be labelled
If I want not to be named and shamed
I gotta get up
I may be down
But I am not out
Wow, I have the fire and desire
I gotta get up
When things are tough
When the going gets tough
I know that tough problems don’t last
But tough people do
I gotta get up
When the path is gloomy and unmelodic
I embrace music and lights
I am not jaded by illusion and delusion
I gotta get up
I am surrounded by people who can nourish others so that they can flourish
With these people
I will go above and beyond like a land rover
I gotta get up
Come into my company
There is elation and elevation
I transform pain into gain
I gotta get up
I am annihilating the vestiges of low self esteem
Removing the remnants of self-hate
Pushing beyond the frontiers of poverty
I gotta get up
This affliction is for a moment
Weeping may endure for a night
But joy comes in the morning
I gotta get up
There is ululation on the horizon
I have the vim to go on
The vigour to move on
The zeal to ride along
The zest to venture forward
I gotta get up
May our inspiring footprints be indelible
May our wisdom permeate
May our humility percolate
May we leave this world in a much better shape underpinned and underscored by joy and love and peace
I gotta get up
I gotta get up
About the author
5th Place
5th Place is a dynamic organization that's passionate about emotional fitness. We're the creators of Shape of Emotion, a revolutionary tool that's changing the way we understand and manage our emotions. But we're not just about theory - we're about practical, tangible change.
We offer Emotional Fitness Classes and courses that help individuals, from children to adults, build emotional resilience and well-being. For our younger audience, we've created the Vibarealm, a vibrant universe that encourages a healthier interaction with emotions.
Join us on this journey to emotional fitness and let's make the world a better place together.