Part One: Preparing

A guide to staying grounded in complexity

prepare(v.)

mid-15c., “set in order or readiness for a particular end,”

Intransitive sense of "make (oneself) ready beforehand" is from c. 1500.

The sense of "bring into a particular mental state with reference to the future" is by 1520s.

Last week I wrote an introduction to a guide to staying grounded in complexity. Part One of this guide focusses on preparing for working with complexity.

I said this was what I wish I’d had when I first started doing this work. That is particularly true here, because I did not fully anticipate how or how much I would need to prepare myself to convene a sensitive discussion, facilitate a complex workshop or hold a difficult space.

Etymology is a tool I use often, and the idea that to prepare is to “bring into a particular mental state with reference to the future”, echoes all the way from the 1500s to today. This pleases me greatly. Humans have been seeking ways of doing this for at least hundreds of years.

I’d love to hear your thoughts…

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Part One: Preparation

Preparation ideally begins long before you really begin. But the preparation that matters most is not the agenda, the stakeholder map, or the slide deck. It is you.

This does not mean the logistics aren’t important. They matter enormously because unresolved logistics create stress, and stress narrows your capacity to be present. Know the room if possible. Know where people will sit (or where you will move them if required). Know where you will sit or stand. Arrive early enough that you have time to properly land, so the space feels familiar before anyone else enters it. Remove every practical uncertainty within your gift, so that your attention is free for everything that can’t be controlled (no matter how hard you try). Acknowledge if you can those uncertainties.

Then turn inward, even briefly.

Think about what you eat that day. Not as an afterthought or as a punishment but as a deliberate act of self-care. You need to be energised but not jittery, present but not sluggish. Your body is your instrument: treat it accordingly.

If you can, take some time before to move in a way that feels good to you. That could be as simple as some stretches or a dance in the kitchen. It will settle any nerves and help you remember that the world is larger than the space you are about to enter.

There may be times when you do not have the luxury of intentional preparation before you step into complexity. This might be because of a situation which develops rapidly or unexpectedly, or because your life circumstances do not allow for that.

I have facilitated while grieving, while caring for my young children, while in situations with a lot of flux. I did not dance in the kitchen those days. I didn’t plan what I would eat carefully. The last thing I want for this guide is to add to your list of ‘should dos’. I already know that list is too long.

So, please consider these suggestions as gentle invitations only. When life is busy and your mind is occupied, all you can do is what you can. Know who will be with you: colleagues, allies, people you trust. Let them support you. Ask for advice if you need it. You do not have to carry this alone.

And when the nerves come (because they will come) you have practices to return to. Breathe. Hold yourself gently. Press your feet into the ground. Trust yourself.