#APConnect – Constellation B January 2022 (Re)-Connections Day by Lynne Taylerson

Re-Connecting

Dozens of Advanced Practitioners (APs) from the #APConnect Constellation B community came together for a vibrant Connections Day to get 2022 off to an energised start around the theme of ‘connection’. The theme is one highlighted in Brené Brown’s new book, ‘Atlas of the Heart’ , which the APs have been working with, which defines connection as:

the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

The day gave APs the opportunity, as lead facilitator Lou Mycroft puts it to:

develop grounded confidence by practising the courage to walk alongside one another, listening with love and respect to each other’s stories.

APs from across the FE sector collaborated in Ideas Rooms and Thinking Environments to support each other as they clarified and consolidated the quality improvement and community-building work they have been undertaking since September 2021.

We encouraged APs to:

• Review and articulate their #APConnect project as a practice of values
• Take stock of their own leadership potential
• Position themselves as an influential agent of affirmative change (a ‘lightmaker’) within their organisation.

Ikigai

During the day, APs worked to frame their Ikigai, a process which roughly translates to finding joy in life’s purpose, locating your value, worth and passion.

This is a perfect activity to undertake at the start of a new year, so why not join the APs in formulating your own Ikigai?! Here’s how you can do that.

Wholehearted Living

Then, an analysis of Brené Brown’s Guideposts for Wholehearted Living encouraged APs to identify personal guideposts which they could reflect on as part of their development as a leader and lightmaker. To do this, the APs completed the Wholehearted Inventory – and we’d invite you to do this too!

They noted which three ‘guideposts’ they most needed to work on as a result of the personal inventory and the (anonymous) findings are summarised in the Menti poll here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Values

In the afternoon, the focus fell on ‘living our values’ and we began by asking APs which values they most wanted to practice in their work.

The Menti poll on this yielded some fascinating results which chimed well with the Wholehearted Living inventory outcomes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This reflection was logically extended with a Values Line workshop, allowing APs to first spend some private reflection time, and then join together in breakout thinking spaces to frame Values Line questions centred on their quality improvement project areas. This activity allowed APs to reframe and refocus the next stages of their projects with values at the centre.

We posed the question:

‘What might [WORKSTREAM] look like, as a practice of [VALUE]?’

We then invited APs to share two- or three-Values line questions each stemming from their reflections and community dialogues.

The results show what powerful thinking they did and the impact areas they will be focussing on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We closed the day, in accustomed style by asking ‘What’s live in you?’ to allow APs to transition back into regular life and workspaces, energised and refocussed. The work done during the day will enable the APs to gather and collate their ‘impact stories’ which will be presented in the ‘Fabulous Fifty’ reflections and celebrated at the #APConnect conference showcase on Friday, 25 March 2022 (bookings now open!)

For all Constellation blogs see here.