(2022-10-18) Groener Cultivating Relationships Through Projects

Jonas Groener: Cultivating Relationships through Projects. How would project-based collaboration look differently, if we saw it as a means of cultivating relationships (rather than a way to produce results)?

Through working together we get to know each other in a different way, than if we just were to hang out as friends.

All these relationships have different qualities to them; they bring out different aspects of ourselves.

spending my time with people I really trust is just way more fun (surprising, I know) – plus strong relationships are the basis for lasting positive-sum impact.

The conventional way we look at projects

is also very good at putting people under pressure, causing externalities, and brushing over important considerations

the way we look at projects, and the idea we have about what a project is, shapes the context we create for ourselves, which in turn creates the conditions in which we develop. It’s a push-pull kinda situation we got here.

have a more concrete invitation to talk about the challenges we see in the world and to explore what a topic might be, that we are both excited to work on together.

don’t get too excited and go for a huge shiny project right off the bat. Rather go for a small and relatively easy project, that doesn’t require a lot of heavy lifting

What are we both (all) excited about? What is the smallest version of this, that is still a useful contribution?

Once you have done a small first project together the most important thing is to debrief extensively.

I’ve mostly experienced this kind of project-based relationship cultivation in 1:1 settings. I have had glimpses of it in small groups up to 5 people. (group-forming)

You can find a vocabulary for this fractal approach to relationships and community and a great collection of resources here: http://microsolidarity.cc.