In October 2011 LEAD Canada hosted the annual LEAD International Session (IS) in Ottawa. Approximately 125 LEAD Associates and Fellows from around 40 countries gathered to examine Canadian sustainability challenges through the lens of ‘Leadership, Learning and Technology’. LEAD International Sessions are a wonderful opportunity for observers of group behaviour to see how culturally diverse teams from different sectors can learn together in a collaborative way.

On the bus to the IS graduation ceremony, I sat next to someone who said they felt uncomfortable working in groups all the time. I understood because I also need my own space. But would the IS learning journey be as enriching or challenging without learning in groups? One of the concepts LEAD uses is Bruce Tuckman’s model of group dynamics: forming - getting to know each other; Storming – sorting out the way we do things; Norming – coming together as a team; Performing – getting on with the task; Mourning – celebrating and letting go. I was an organiser and a facilitator at the IS and this is how I experienced the learning journey. [1]

Forming

My neighbour once owned a vintage Peugeot car that once belonged to a French singer called Line Renaud. Renaud’s signature tune is ‘Ma Cabane au Canada’. I thought of Line when the IS facilitators gathered in a cabin in the woods on the far side of the River Ottawa in Gatineau. We had 3.5 days to build the team, plan for the working groups and the skills modules, and understand what, why, where, and when we would do, each day, from 16-22 October. I learned that different people need different kinds of information at different times.

Storming

There is a whirlpool on the west of Scotland called the Corryvreckan which is said to be powerful enough to catch a boat and drag a boat down. Usually at the IS there are some whirlpools or storms when participants are working on the final group presentations. This year I all I could see were people singing in the bar. I did, however, notice people removing themselves from potential storms. Perhaps they were thinking what was best for the group or possibly their motive was self preservation. Either way, some turbulence in a large group is natural and it helps people to learn about leadership. I was reminded that people who can build consensus are especially valuable in a team.

Norming

Norming to me is about group culture. Culture is about the way we do things. At a training session in Senegal I heard a LEAD Africa Associate say “the last speaker was the least ‘LEAD-like’ speaker we have had”. That was when I realised that LEAD Associates are quick to understand the ‘LEAD way’ of doing things. When the organisers are planning the IS schedule, one of our main aims is to create the right conditions for a ‘LEAD culture’ to emerge. This year we introduced speed networking, table conversations and encouraged participants to report on the IS using twitter. By the end of the week our group had produced about 700 tweets using the #IS2011 hashtag. Even people who had never used Twitter before started tweeting about the IS.  People left ‘post-it’ thank you notes for the logistics team. Did we norm in Ottawa? I think we did.

Performing

LEAD Fellows are no strangers to performing. The IS programme is designed so that all the activities lead up to the final presentations. This is the moment when the working groups take everything they have seen and heard during the week and distil it into compelling messages about leadership and sustainability. My biggest concerns this year were to a) clearly signpost the different stages of the learning journey and b) to raise awareness of the connections between the different parts of the programme. In Ottawa the participants gave us eight highly memorable interpretations of what they had seen and heard. Each one told a story using different tools and techniques. I was struck by the technical proficiency of the presenters using multi-media and drama to get their messages across.

Mourning 

@Jim_Lord Jim Lord #IS2011 The last bus has left the graduation – I hope we didn’t leave anyone behind

Sunday 23 October: my cousin John Bruce came to collect me at the hotel. We have lived very separate lives -  he in Canada and I in London – and now we are making up for lost time. People were saying goodbye all over the hotel: in the breakfast room; in the bar; at the check-out and in the lobby. It was very sad but what I know is that LEAD Fellows can re-create the LEAD way of doing things wherever they are. They have also already planned their reunions for 2012!

@SarahOBrien Sarah O’Brien My last #IS2011 tweet! Goodbye Ottawa and good luck to the all the #LEAD fellows. I know you will all do amazing things.

[1] With thanks to Bruce Tuckman for his model of group dynamics