Jessica Griffin PCC, CEC, B.Ed’s Post

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~ Søren Kierkegaard Yesterday, I had the privilege of facilitating a Futures Thinking workshop for Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations and Imagine Canada’s Region Roundtable, where local nonprofit leader imagined what the sector could look like in 2036. The conversations and ideas generated during the workshop were engaging, thoughtful, and inspiring because the leaders in the room understood a key leadership skill: navigating paradox. The session required participants to hold the tension between the fact that data is backward-looking while creativity is forward-looking. Foresight emerges when we can hold both past learning and future possibilities at the same time. To support this challenging cognitive process, we used a tool called Rich Pictures. Rich Pictures invite participants to use drawings and symbols, rather than words alone, to illustrate a situation or system. Drawing allows us to think through symbols instead of language, tapping into different neural pathways that can open up more holistic, nuanced, and innovative ways of understanding complex systems. As an educator and facilitator, I have often witnessed how people’s self-perceptions about their ability to draw can influence participation in exercises like this. And yet, even though many leaders initially expressed discomfort or uncertainty with the approach, as we moved deeper into the process, I witnessed their ability to navigate paradox once again: I may not consider myself an artist. And I can still draw the vision of the future I want to help create. I’m deeply grateful to both the leadership at ECVO and the nonprofit leaders in the room for trusting me to guide this collaborative visioning process. I truly believe that by thinking boldly, creatively, and collectively, we can begin taking the steps needed to bring that future to life.