Idealist’s journey
Companion
2018-2019
Throughout the year, we are challenged to take what we have learned and experienced with us. As
we open ourselves to new ways of thinking and ideas that will take our work to a new level of impact
and excellence, it is important to take time to reflect and create space to collect our ideas, ah-ha
moments, and plans. We invite you to enhance your City Year experience by reflecting, writing and
thinking throughout your year.
THIS BOOK CONSISTS OF FOUR PARTS:
IDEALIST’S JOURNEY
Guided reflection exercises to connect to yourself
SPARK DISCUSSIONS
Process to develop a compelling question and engage in conversation
BELOVED COMMUNITY
Activities to connect to City Year and our communities
LEARNING JOURNAL
Open space to connect to your learning
INTRODUCTION
RETURN
37 Ending Well
THE JOURNEY EXPLAINED
5 The Flame of Idealism: City Year’s
Leadership Development Model
7 Goals of the Idealist’s Journey
8 Structure of the Journey
9 Idealist’s Journey Session Overview
DEPARTURE
13 Crafting A Personal Leadership
Mission Statement
14 Group Learning Agreement
16 Identity Circles
18 Reflecting On The City Year Jacket
THE ROAD OF TRIALS
21 Personal Privilege Profile
24 Owning Our Shadow Mission
26 What Is My Dragon To Slay?
28 Understanding Collusion
30 Developing An Attitude of Gratitude
31 Sand Into Diamonds
32 Revisiting Mission, Shadow Mission &
Dragon
33 Appreciative Inquiry
34 Getting To The Balcony On The Road
Of Trials
38 Systems Thinking With The Iceberg
Model
40 Mission, Shadow Mission & Dragon A Final Reflection
41 Getting Back To The Balcony—The
Return
42 Revisiting Identity Circles
FINAL THOUGHTS:
THE SPIRAL JOURNEY
JOURNEY
IDEALIST’S
JOURNEY
JOURNEY
INTRODUCTION
“SAND INTO DIAMONDS” FOUNDING STORY
Once upon a time, there lived a brave young pilot. This pilot flew all over the world to
interesting lands, meeting interesting people. One night, as the pilot was flying high above
the Sahara Desert, the engine of her plane suddenly stalled. Amazingly, she was able to eject
from the plane and parachute to the ground.
As the pilot awoke the next day, she tried to remember what had happened the night before.
As she regained her bearings, it dawned on her that she had no idea where she was, no idea
where the closest village was located. She could be hundreds of miles from the nearest
desert village or it could be just around the nearest hill. She fought off the despair and gloom
and tried to summon her usual resolve and courage. She knew one thing for certain: she had
to get going in some direction, any direction. If she just stayed, she would surely die.
And so she started. Mile after mile. The brilliant desert sun was glaring down on her and
reflecting off the searing sand. And she continued on.
Eventually, the sun went down and she continued to walk through the night. She went as far
as she could before resting. Soon, she woke to the morning sun once again. Her throat was
parched. Her skin was dry and burnt. But she continued on. No food or drink. No water in
sight. By noon she could continue no longer and collapsed. But no sooner had she fallen to
the ground than a vision appeared before her.
At first she thought she was just delirious. But the image was so clear, so vivid, so real. And as
it became clearer she realized it was a genie. And the genie spoke.
“I will only say this once. Do not despair. Do not give up hope. Just listen and do as I say and
you will survive. In the end, you will be both happy and sad. But first, reach down and pick up
some sand. Heed my words and continue on.”
The genie disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. It must have been a mirage, thought the
pilot. But it seemed so real. So vivid. And although the genie had spoken only briefly, the pilot
remembered every word. It brought her a new sense of energy and hope.
She reached down and picked up a handful of sand and continued on. Mile after mile. The
hot desert sun was ablaze in the sky. The heavy dry wind ripped over the land. She continued
on. And when she once again reached the point where she could go no more, at the top of a
dune, she fell and tumbled down the other side.
Lo and behold, she stumbled upon a village in an oasis. Upon seeing the condition of this
unusual stranger emerging out of the desert, the natives came out to help her. They gave her
water and rest and food. She had made it. She had survived.
Now that she was replenished, her thoughts drifted back to the mysterious vision from the
night before. Was it real? She reached into her pocket to pull out the sand. To her great
surprise the sand had turned to diamonds. As she thought back to the words of the genie, a
smile crossed her face.
“In the end you will be both happy and sad.”
Yes, she was happy. She had survived. And she had a handful of diamonds. Yet she was sad,
because she had not picked up more sand.
– AUTHOR UNKNOWN, ADAPTED FROM “THE PARABLE OF THE PEBBLES”
1
COMMENTARY
Sand into Diamonds reminds us that the idealistic path is fraught with setbacks and
frustrations. But every experience along the way, every struggle, even every mundane
moment, provides us with a treasure trove of wisdom, ideas, and experience to draw upon
further down the road. Invariably, there is little opportunity for perspective at the time of
each experience, and little to which we can compare. For this reason, it is best to take in
as much as possible from each experience and opportunity, to fill up your pockets with
the “sand” of idealism, and to keep moving forward. Time and perspective will turn those
experiences into a valued asset as you take on the difficult paths ahead.
Diamonds are made of pure carbon, an element that is fundamental to all life. Carbon
is a common substance, yet diamonds are rare, precious, indestructible—the hardest
substance on earth. This story of sand turning into diamonds exemplifies the way in
which ordinary, everyday experiences become, over time, the source of our knowledge
and strength.
City Year can be an intense and demanding experience that will keep us busy from dawn
to dusk. The Idealist’s Journey was written with a clear intention: To give each of us
regular opportunities in the midst of all this activity to step away from the demands of
delivering service, pause, and practice the skill of staying present and awake to what we
are experiencing, what lessons we are learning, and what meaning our service has for
each of us personally.
We recognize that we can open up spaces for reflection during City Year, but we can’t—
and won’t—force anyone to reflect if they do not want to. We extend a sincere invitation
to each of us to engage in the inner work illuminated here. Whether we make the most of
these opportunities is up to each of us.
This Idealist’s Journey is yours and will include your personal goals and reflections. We
believe that idealistic leaders possess a deep and powerful awareness of our own inner
thoughts, feelings and beliefs, and the purpose of the Journey is to keep us aware of
those inner dimensions of our experience this year. In these pages, you will encounter
exercises, tools, and concepts to help idealistic leaders through a year-long service
experience.
If we truly believe that everyone can be great, then we must always remember to put this
ideal into practice by assuming, finding, and appealing to the greatness in everyone,
especially ourselves. Everyone has something to offer, something to contribute, even if at
first they do not know it, or we cannot see it.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of personal, communal, and societal
transformation. We are honored to have you with us, and grateful to know that whatever
trials and challenges lie ahead, we will confront them together.
2
For we move—each—in two worlds: the inwards of
our own awareness, and an outward of participation
in the history of our time and place.
–JOSEPH CAMPBELL
3
THE JOURNEY EXPLAINED
THE
JOURNEY
EXPLAINED
4
The Idealist’s Journey (IJ) is an invitation to connect with our own deepest sense of
purpose and live a life of integrity in which we align our daily actions with our own
deepest intentions and aspirations. It requires a commitment to curiosity, active listening,
and deep learning, in which we allow the insights and beliefs of others to inform and
expand our understanding of the reality in which we are immersed.
In this opening chapter, we provide context to explain how the Journey fits into the
bigger picture of leadership development at City Year, as well as the tools and concepts
that are central to this experience.
1.
The Flame of Idealism: City Year’s Leadership Development Model
2.
Goals of the Idealist’s Journey
3.
Structure of the Journey
4.
Idealist’s Journey Session Overview
THE FLAME OF IDEALISM: CITY YEAR’S LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT MODEL
City Year’s leadership development model recognizes the interconnected nature of social
change and individual transformation. The Flame of Idealism demonstrates how City
Year integrates the dual focus of making the outer world better through service, and the
inner world better through personal reflection and growth.
City Year seeks to develop idealistic leaders by cultivating the Flame of Idealism that
burns in each of us. Inspired by our colleagues in military service, we have borrowed the
U.S. Army’s “Be, Know, Do” leadership development model and adapted it to that purpose.
The model asks us all to grapple with the following key questions:
•
Who do I want to BE?
•
What skills do I need to KNOW?
•
What can I DO to affect change?
The model recognizes that every AmeriCorps member grapples with these questions
while immersed in City Year’s unique culture of idealism, which is grounded in the
organization’s core values. All of these elements are integrated into the model to cultivate,
focus, and sustain a lifetime of idealistic leadership.
DO is the outermost level of the flame (think of this as the part of the flame that touches
the outer world). The opportunity to engage in full-time, front-line service provides us
with the experiences and relationships to develop us as powerful leaders.
KNOW is the next level within the flame. Our ability to create service impact is influenced
by the trainings, coaching, self-directed learning opportunities, and performance
management process designed to support your growth.
BE is nested within DO and KNOW. By giving each of us the opportunity to reflect as
individuals and in small groups on important questions of purpose and meaning-making
over the course of service, The Idealist’s Journey allows us to stay focused on how we are
being as we do our service.
5
The entire Flame of Idealism is fueled by City Year’s culture & values.
OUR CULTURE provides inclusive practices that allows us to work powerfully together
while sustaining our idealism on a daily basis. This includes elements of the City Year
experience like the red jacket, serving in teams, and power tools.
OUR CORE VALUES represent the deepest beliefs and highest aspirations of our
organization. We strive to ensure that these values animate our culture, inspire our
actions, and inform our decisions on a daily basis. A list of City Year’s values can be found
in the Beloved Community section, page 58.
Service
Whole School Whole Child
Learning & Development
Competency-based learning, training/
coaching, self-directed learning,
performance management
Reflection
The Idealist's Journey and Spark
Discussions
culture & values
Immersive context
Core values, uniforms, PITWs,
Founding Stories, team-based service,
corps experience
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GOALS OF THE IDEALIST’S JOURNEY
The Idealist’s Journey seeks to integrate four aspects of our developmental experiences.
Intentions
& Integrity
Mindfulness
IJ
Diagnostic
Capacity
Social Justice
Consciousness
MINDFULNESS
It is easy to get overwhelmed and distracted in our work. IJ provides a space to
consistently practice mindfulness by helping us stay present in our daily experiences and
our personal aspirations for who we want to be as leaders. It also gives us a space to step
away from what we are doing in order to consistently stay aware of how we are being.
INTENTIONS & INTEGRITY
To develop as leaders, we must connect with and articulate our own sense of mission, our
values, and our personal goals. This inner clarity should be the source of the intentions
we bring to our daily work, and we must strive to stay connected to those intentions
rather than just reacting mindlessly to events around us. Similarly, we must strive
constantly for integrity by aligning our daily actions with our own personal intentions.
DIAGNOSTIC CAPACITY
The term “diagnosis” is borrowed from the medical field, where it describes the process
of examining a person or problem in an effort to accurately identify underlying causes.
For example, when a patient enters a doctor’s office and complains of chest pains, the
doctor does not immediately throw the patient onto the operating table and commence
open heart surgery. Chest pains are a surface-level symptom that could have dozens of
different underlying causes, and the doctor must first engage in a process of diagnosing
the true cause of the symptoms before recommending an appropriate and effective
treatment. Similarly, at City Year we must resist the urge to jump right into “treating”
problems before taking the time to fully analyze and understand the underlying nature
of the problem. By developing our diagnostic capacity, we strengthen our effectiveness
by ensuring that we are focused on addressing the actual underlying causes of the
challenges we encounter in our service.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CONSCIOUSNESS
The journey invites us to operate with a powerful social justice consciousness throughout
our City Year. The microcosms of the schools in which we serve are windows into macrolevel social justice challenges operating powerfully in America’s civic life. Our year of
service is just a moment on our own personal journeys to confront the great social justice
issues of our era. It compels us to investigate the deeper forces that drive daily events in
our communities, and to stay present to the uniquely personal path we each must walk to
confront these deeper challenges during our City Year and as leaders for life.
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STRUCTURE OF THE JOURNEY
The Idealist’s Journey is inspired by Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” framework.
Campbell was a comparative mythologist who studied myths and stories that have
been told by an incredibly diverse array of world cultures since the dawn of human
history.* After studying thousands of myths from different peoples, places, and times,
he came to the insight that all human beings since the beginning of time have been
telling essentially the same story over and over again. He called this universal story “The
Hero’s Journey.” This framework, it turns out, has profound relevance to the process of
developing as a leader. Inspired by Campbell’s work, The Idealist’s Journey is divided into
the following three distinct stages:
1. DEPARTURE
Departure
Road of Trials
We depart from the ordinary world that we have
always known and set off on an adventure into a
future shrouded in mystery.
2. ROAD OF TRIALS
Return
We encounter a series of tests and trials that push us
past our known limits, and in the process discover
a hidden wealth of strength, insight, wisdom,
courage, and skill that we never knew we possessed.
3. RETURN
We return “home”—whatever home may mean to each of us—newly empowered to put
our newfound gifts of strength, knowledge, and wisdom to use in ways that allow us to
more powerfully be of service to others.
This three-stage process describes the journey taken by famous mythical heroes from
Odysseus to Luke Skywalker to Katniss Everdeen. It also aligns with the experiences of
real-life civic leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Cesar
Chavez, and others. Ultimately, it is a helpful framework for understanding the journey
each of us will take this year at City Year.
* Learn more about Joseph Campell through his three best-known books: The Hero with a Thousand
Faces, The Power of Myth, and Myths to Live By.
8
IDEALIST’S JOURNEY SESSION OVERVIEW
Idealist’s Journey sessions happen roughly once every two weeks, occur in small groups,
and last for 60-90 minutes. They are facilitated by “IJ Guides,” who are responsible for
creating a powerful, safe space for reflection and for facilitating the conversation. IJ
sessions provide two types of spaces for reflection:
•
Personal Reflection Space: We reflect on personal questions, struggles, and
challenges through exercises, and then discuss that inner work as a group.
•
Practice Reflection Space: A member of the group presents a personally
meaningful question designed to spark discussion that allows for the exchange of
wisdom among participants.
9
The purpose of every Idealist’s Journey Session is to engage in deep learning, not to solve
problems. Deep learning develops us as leaders by compelling each of us to surface and
question our own assumptions, arrive at new insights, engage with multiple perspectives,
and strengthen our capacity to diagnose, understand, and navigate ever greater levels
of complexity in the world around us. When we jump too quickly to solutions, or get too
10
A bit of advice given to a young Native American at
the time of his initiation: ‘As you go the way of life,
you will see a great chasm. Jump. It’s not as wide as
you think.’
–JOSEPH CAMPBELL
11
DEPARTURE
DEPARTURE
12
CRAFTING A PERSONAL LEADERSHIP MISSION STATEMENT
PITW#179 BECOME YOUR MESSAGE
A first task of our Idealist’s Journey is to craft our own personal leadership mission
statement. This brief, clear mission statement will articulate our highest aspirations
regarding who we each want to be as a leader.
There is great power in clarity. Once we articulate our highest aspirations for ourselves as
a leader, we are able to hold ourselves accountable on a daily basis and push ourselves to
develop toward our own vision of what we aspire to be.
Guidelines for writing a leadership mission statement are as follows:
•
Begin with the phrase, “My leadership mission is…”
•
In its final form, it should be no more than 1-3 sentences long.
•
It should represent a vision that we are constantly striving toward, not specific tasks
or quantifiable goals.
•
Finally, this mission statement should be larger than our involvement with City
Year. Because we are all bigger than any specific job or role that we will ever hold, for
this exercise we are encouraged to connect with the fullness of our aspirations as a
human being.
In the space below, work out a draft of your personal leadership mission statement. You
are welcome to jot down some general thoughts in the extra reflection pages in the back
of the workbook before crafting a finished version below.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP MISSION STATEMENT
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GROUP LEARNING AGREEMENT
PITW #175: DON’T MAKE ‘EM GUESS.
The group will spend time exploring the unique questions, struggles, and challenges of
the group members, providing each of us with meaningful opportunities to support and
challenge our peers and ourselves to become better leaders.
The potential of this space to promote learning, insight, and transformation is profound,
but it is critical to recognize that the Idealist’s Journey space will only be powerful if we—
the members of the group—commit to its purpose. For that reason, each group begins
the Journey by setting intentional group norms. The goal is to generate a collective
agreement that will govern how our group learns together for the rest of the year.
A group learning agreement should articulate the following:
•
What are the goals of this Idealist’s Journey group?
•
What values will we uphold when participating in this space? (see p.52, IJ Discussion
Norms)
•
How will the group prepare to ensure our time together is purposeful and successful?
(ex. Guides will send out a reminder email two days before every session; we will
bring our Idealist’s Journey Companion to every session; presenters will prepare in
advance)?
Hear the responses from your peers to help form your group learning agreement.
14
SAMPLE GROUP LEARNING AGREEMENT:
The goal of our group is to provide the support and challenge we each need to become
effective, self-aware civic leaders. We promise to learn together with honesty, courage,
respect, and understanding. We agree to bring our workbooks to every session, to show
up on time, and to really try to help presenters learn as much as possible about their cases
or questions.
Write down the final version of your group’s learning agreement so you can revisit it
throughout the year.
15
IDENTITY CIRCLES
PITW #50: WE MUST NEVER LOSE THE HUMAN ASPECT
OF WHAT WE ARE DOING.
In these first weeks, we are invited to take a moment to become fully aware of who we
are as we begin this journey. In the space below, take a moment to reflect on the most
important elements of your current identity. Who are you? Possible answers might
include “Daughter,” “Artist,” “Athlete,” “Latino,” “Religious,” “Straight,” etc. If it is a part of
who you are that feels integral to your identity, add it to the list below.
Then, on the next page, write your name in the circle at the center of the page. Add the
various elements of your identity that you just listed. The goal here is to create a graphic
representation of your own identity—who you are at this early moment in the journey.
16
IDENTITY CIRCLE DIAGRAM
Feel free to add circles or leave some blank, as it is relevant to you.
Your name
17
REFLECTING ON THE CITY YEAR JACKET
PITW #158: IT’S A PRIVILEGE FOR ALL OF US TO SERVE AT CITY YEAR.
At the end of basic training academy, we are given the City Year red or yellow jacket. It is a
powerful symbol of our commitment to serve our county and community.
At our Jacket Ceremony, we will be asked to dedicate our year of service to a person or
purpose that is meaningful. Who or what will we select for this dedication? Why? In the
space below, take a moment to explain and reflect on your decision.
Whomever or whatever you dedicate your jacket to should be a constant reminder of why
you chose to serve a year.
18
And the day came when the risk to remain tight
in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to
blossom.
–ANAÏS NIN
19
THE ROAD OF TRIALS
THE ROAD
OF TRIALS
20
PERSONAL PRIVILEGE PROFILE
PITW #91: CITY YEAR IS DEDICATED TO HELPING BUILD THE “BELOVED
COMMUNITY” DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SPOKE OF.
We are invited to go a bit further in reflecting on how our own identities influence our
experiences of privilege and oppression in our lives. By sharing some thoughts on how it
has influenced our experiences, it can help us understand each other and build stronger
relationships.
The Interaction Institute for Social Change* developed this exercise to reflect on
dynamics of privilege and oppression in our lives.
Dimensions of Diversity: Aspects of identity based on group membership, such as
race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or physical functioning. These aspects
of identity may or may not be visible or obvious to others. Membership in some groups
result from birth. Others result from circumstances or experiences that you have little or
no control over. Still other groups may be a matter of choice.
Unearned privilege: Systematic advantage that is granted based on the Dimensions of
Diversity. This creates dominant/up/agent and non-dominant/down/target groups in
a society. These advantages are real and exist whether or not a person from a privileged
group makes a conscious, deliberate choice to seek or act on the privileges or whether the
person is even aware that s/he benefits from such systematic, structural advantages.
In the Dimensions of Diversity column, add any additional dimensions that are
important to your identity.
In the My Identity column, list the description of your identity.
In the Power Dynamics column, identify how society generally views your identity. If
your identity group is advantaged/benefits from unearned privilege, that is an agent/
dominant/up identity group. If your identity group experiences discrimination/
oppression, that is a target/non-dominant/down identity group.
In the last column, identify some of the specific unearned privileges that accompany
your agent/dominant/up identities and some of the challenges that accompany your
target/non-dominant/down identities.
Remember, this exercise is designed to begin an ongoing process of reflecting on
dynamics of privilege and oppression in our lives. Achieving a higher consciousness
around these matters is a life-long process that is vital to our ability to be effective in our
work.
* © Interaction Institute for Social Change, 2011 (www.interactioninstitute.org). May be copied with
acknowledgment of source.
21
DIMENSION OF
DIVERSITY
Example:
Physical
functioning
MY IDENTITY
Able-bodied
POWER DYNAMICS
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Gender/gender
identity
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Race
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Ethnicity
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Socio-economic
status
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Sexual
orientation
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Physical
functioning
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Language
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
Dominant/agent/up
Non-dominant/target/down
22
IF YOU’RE “DOMINANT,” LIST PRIVILEGES THAT COME WITH THAT IDENTITY.
IF YOU’RE “NON-DOMINANT,” LIST CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH THAT
IDENTITY.
Can go anywhere without considering physical barriers; do not have to plan/call ahead to be
sure I’ll be able to get into a building or access a restroom; do not have to miss events or ask for
meetings to be moved because of accessibility concerns
Do not have to negotiate with my employer about the definition of reasonable accommodations to
do my work and who will pay for them
23
OWNING OUR SHADOW MISSION
PITW #1: CHALLENGE CYNICISM - WHEREVER YOU FIND IT.
Earlier this year, we crafted our own personal leadership mission statements.
This exercise asks us to do something different but equally important—own our personal
shadow mission. Every flame casts a shadow and light and shadow always co-exist and
are deeply interdependent. We cannot truly understand our light without understanding
our shadow, and until we consciously choose to own our shadow it may undermine
our impact in ways that we don’t see or understand. Your shadow leadership mission
statement should express what happens when we do the exact opposite of living up to our
own highest ideals
•
Begin with the phrase “My shadow mission is…”
•
Articulate the choices you make when you choose not to align your actions with
your leadership mission.
•
Note that a shadow often results from the withholding of light, as opposed to the
spreading of darkness. In other words, if part of your mission is an intention to
“spread love,” the choice to not do this is a choice to “withhold love,” and not to
“spread hate”.
•
A clear shadow mission should “get you in the gut.” You should recognize it as
an accurate description of a part of you that is uncomfortable and unpleasant to
confront.
Here is an example:
My leadership mission is to practice courage and compassion in honoring—and helping
others to honor—the sacred interdependence of our world.
Now here is the related shadow mission:
My shadow mission is to practice cowardice and disconnection in disregarding—and
helping others to disregard—the sacred interdependence of our world.
Remember, when we own our shadow, we strengthen our ability to consciously make
choices that minimize the role this part of ourselves plays in our efforts to lead and serve
others.
In the space that follows, craft your own personal shadow mission:
24
What was a situation where your actions aligned more with your shadow mission than
your personal mission statement?
How can you live out your personal leadership mission—and not your shadow mission—
over the course of the journey ahead?
25
WHAT IS MY DRAGON TO SLAY?
PITW #114: SEEK TO MOVE OUT OF YOUR “COMFORT ZONE” AND INTO
YOUR “CHALLENGE ZONE.”
City Year is often a place where you get a chance to “slay your dragon”—and grow. You get
many opportunities to do difficult, personally challenging things. For those that are shy
and tend to always follow, the dragon to slay might be to speak publicly and lead. For those
who tend to lead, the dragon to slay may be to learn to follow others and work effectively
in a group. Eleanor Roosevelt said that “you must do what you are most afraid to do.”
Each of us has a “dragon”—a personal challenge that limits our ability to exercise
leadership. This year of service is an opportunity to dedicate ourselves to slaying that
personal dragon, with an understanding that this difficult, challenging personal work has
a direct and profound impact on our ability to powerfully serve others.
Some of us may struggle with shyness that makes it hard to speak up and be heard; others
may struggle with extroversion that makes it hard to quiet down and listen. Some of us
may struggle with a belief that our voice does not matter, or that we are not as brave as we
need to be; some of us may struggle with a belief that we alone possess the truth, or with a
tendency to judge ourselves and other harshly.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
What is one aspect of yourself that profoundly limits your ability to be a powerful and
effective leader?
26
What could you do this year to slay that dragon within yourself? Think about specific
strategies you could use, and how you would know that you had succeeded in this quest.
27
UNDERSTANDING COLLUSION
PITW #90: CONSTANTLY PUT YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES
“MOCCASIN” EVERYTHING.
Often, we think that conflict occurs when disagreements arise, and we very often see
those disagreements as the result of one person being right and the other person being
wrong. From this perspective, the only way to end the conflict is to convince the other
person to agree with our perspective. Because the problem lies with the behaviors or
attitudes of the other, the only path to peace is to change someone else.
The Anatomy of Peace model* suggests that many conflicts are the result of something
more complex than simple disagreement. Conflicts occur when two individuals
repeatedly take actions that actively encourage the very problems they say that want to
avoid. They call this model collusion: “A conflict where the two parties are inviting the
very things they’re fighting against.” In other words, we are likely contributing to the
situation that is causing us so much frustration. Case Study:
One of my teammates, Josh, is regularly late for events, and does not seem to be working
very hard. Josh’s behavior is both undermining the quality of my team’s service and
creating a lot of animosity within the team. The next time it happens, I express my
frustration with a sarcastic remark which Josh dismisses. All our interactions during the
day are laced with thinly veiled anger. When Josh asks to help out with a task, I let him
know that I’ll be fine without his help. It’s not long before Josh stops making offers to
help, and later I notice him lounging around doing very little while the rest of the team
takes care of business.
It is tempting to see this is as a simple conflict: I am working hard; Josh is not. He
needs to change, and my only option is to try to make him see the error of his ways.
The Anatomy of Peace model suggests that we take a closer look at this situation. From
this perspective, the conflict with Josh is the result of collusion: there is a pattern of
behavior at work here, and both parties are taking actions that perpetuate the problematic
behavior.
3. I DO
• Passive-aggressive
interactions
• Thinly veiled anger
• Keep Josh out of the
group
2. I SEE
•
•
•
•
•
An object
Uncaring
Irresponsible
Lazy
Self-centered
4. JOSH SEES
•
•
•
•
An object
Inconsiderate
Mean
Unwelcoming
1. JOSH DOES
• Shows up late
• Dismisses my
frustration
• “Too cool for school”
* To learn more about the concept of collusion, read The Anatomy of Peace and/or Leadership and Self
Deception by the Arbinger Institute.
28
From this perspective, the interdependent nature of the problem becomes clear. If both
sides continue to take these actions, it ensures that the conflict repeats itself again and
again.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
Pick a specific incident or situation that relates to a personal conflict, and describe it
briefly here:
Now, try to present the underlying dynamics from that specific incident by filling in the
chart below (start in Box 1 on the lower right side):
3. YOU DO
4. HE OR SHE SEES
2. YOU SEE
1. HE OR SHE DOES
29
How might you be contributing to the continuation of this conflict?
DEVELOPING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
PITW #166: ALWAYS THANK PEOPLE—RIGHT AWAY!
We must practice being grateful. By doing so, we are able to stay inspired and energized
in the face of adversity, humble in the face of success and achievement, and patient in the
face of obstacles and setbacks.
For this exercise, we are invited to spend a few moments developing an attitude of
gratitude towards all we’ve experienced thus far on your Journey.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
Think about all the people you have met, the opportunities you have been given, and the
lessons you have learned. At this moment on your Journey, what are you grateful for, and
why?
30
SAND INTO DIAMONDS
PITW #159: THIS IS HARD. BE STRONG.
This exercise comes from our founding story about a pilot who survives a plane crash
in the middle of the desert. Alone and afraid, the pilot experiences a vision of a genie
who tells the pilot to take heart and keep walking, as she will survive this difficult trial.
Strangely, the genie also tells the pilot to fill her pockets with sand, which she does even
though it makes walking more difficult. After a very difficult journey, she arrives finally
at an oasis. When she reaches into her pockets after her trial has come to an end, she
realizes that the sand has turned into diamonds. She is happy to have the diamonds—but
suddenly sad that she did not pick up more sand during her trials in the desert.
The meaning of the parable is simple: The path we walk may be difficult, but our struggles
and challenges can provide a treasure trove of wisdom and insights that will be invaluable
on future journeys.
Consider how you are turning your own sand into diamonds. Take a few moments
to think about a major trial you have encountered in your journey. This could be an
experience from this year or a challenge from your past. What lessons can you learn from
that trial? How have you been transformed? What leadership lessons will you take from
that struggle? Remember, a key element of our leadership development is the ability to see
trials as opportunities to learn and grow. Through this process, the trials we face facilitate
the transformation that turns us into better leaders.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
31
REVISITING MISSION, SHADOW MISSION & DRAGON
PITW #182: DON’T BE AFRAID TO EVOLVE YOUR THINKING.
At this point midway through our Journey, it is critical that we take a moment to revisit
some of the important personal work that we did at the start of the year. Are we living
our leadership missions? Are we owning our shadow mission? Are we doing the work we
must do to slay our dragon?
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
Review the leadership mission statement you wrote at the start of the year. Does it still
ring true? If not, how would you change it to accurately reflect your highest aspirations
for who you want to be as a leader? If so, have you been living your mission every day?
Why or why not?
Review the shadow mission that you crafted at the start of the Road of Trials. How
effective have you been at staying conscious regarding this aspect of yourself? Is
there anything you would like to work on in the months ahead regarding your shadow
mission? If so, what?
Review your response to the question “What is my dragon to slay?” How are you doing in
your efforts to slay this dragon? How can you stay engaged in this struggle in the months
ahead?
32
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
PITW #121: USE EVERY EXPERIENCE AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
Throughout this leadership development experience, we have been asked to focus
on experiences that we have found difficult or challenging. This exercise is different.
Appreciative inquiry is an opportunity for each of us to recall a time when we felt most
effective, alive, present, and connected to purpose. This can be a meaningful exchange
with a student or peer, a successful initiative you completed, or a challenging situation
you handled with grace. The key criteria is that it stands out in your mind as something
notably, memorably positive.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
Tell the story of this experience; be as specific as you can. What were the most
meaningful and powerful elements of this experience? What do you think this positive
experience means for your future?
33
GETTING TO THE BALCONY ON THE ROAD OF TRIALS
PITW #161: SYSTEMATICALLY PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE FOR YOURSELF
AND OTHERS
Our days are incredibly busy and full of endless details related to our service. It is time
to once again get off the dance floor, get to the balcony, and reflect on how our daily
experiences fit into the full picture of our City Year. To learn more about getting to the
balcony, see page 51.
Draw a map that represents your City Year to date. It can include important experiences,
lessons, people, places, relationships, interactions, etc. that you have had so far on your
journey. You can use arrows or lines to show the sequence in which these experiences
happened or to illustrate the relationships between different images. What have been
the most important aspects of your journey so far? What lessons can you take from this
balcony perspective on your experiences?
Draw a map of the rest of your City Year. What do you predict you will experience
during the remainder of your journey? What do you want to accomplish? What are some
important events you foresee? Where do you see yourself at the end of the year?
34
Change is inevitable, but progress is a choice that
we make.
–MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN
35
RETURN
RETURN
36
ENDING WELL
PITW #181: MAKE IT BETTER
Our City Year will soon be coming to an end, and the time has come to turn our attention
to a vitally important question: What do I need to do to end this Journey well? The final
months of service are always a very busy time of year, and it will be all too easy to sprint
through these final weeks having never really grappled with the full meaning of the
Journey’s end that is rapidly approaching.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
What do you need to do to bring this experience to a personally satisfying close (i.e. your
own personal needs for closure and completeness)?
What conversations do we need to have with students, teammates, staff or others before
graduation arrives?
37
SYSTEMS THINKING WITH THE ICEBERG MODEL
PITW #71: SHARE YOUR THINKING PROCESS WITH OTHERS.
The iceberg model is a tool designed to challenge us to look beyond surface-level events
to think deeply about the sorts of underlying patterns, structures, and ways of thinking
about the world that consistently produce those events. When we take the time to inquire
into these underlying systemic forces at work, we not only deepen our understanding
of important events, but we also have the potential to illuminate new strategies and
approaches to bringing about positive change.
WHAT IS SEEN
EVENTS
What is
happening?
PATTERNS
WHAT IS GENERALLY
UNSEEN
What has been happening?
What are the trends?
STRUCTURES
What is influencing or producing
these patterns?
MENTAL MODELS
What values, beliefs, and assumptions have
informed and produced these structures?
Identify an experience you have encountered during your year. Examples might include a
current event or an experience with a student, etc.
38
Reflect on patterns. Use the iceberg model to look at the different layers of the incident
you have selected. Is this incident part of a larger pattern or trend? What might be causing
this trend?
Reflect on structures. What physical objects (building design, room layout),
organizations (schools, businesses, communities), policies (laws, regulations), rituals
(ingrained behaviors that are usually not consciously undertaken) might be influencing
the event?
Reflect on mental models. What do you see as the attitudes, beliefs, assumptions,
and expectations that either produced these structures or that allow them to continue
functioning unchallenged?
39
MISSION, SHADOW MISSION & DRAGON - A FINAL REFLECTION
PITW #182: DON’T BE AFRAID TO EVOLVE YOUR THINKING.
After nearly a year of full-time service, we are reaching the end of the transformational
civic rite of passage that is City Year. It is important to take a moment to reflect—one last
and final time—on questions that are critical to the inner work of leadership development
we have done this year.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
Review the leadership mission statement you wrote at the start of the year and revisited at
mid-year. How well did you live your mission over the course of your City Year?
Review the shadow mission that you crafted in the middle of the year and revisited. How
effective have you been at staying conscious regarding this aspect of yourself? What
lessons did you learn this year about owning and working with your shadow mission?
40
Review your response to the “What’s your dragon to slay” exercise that you completed and
revisited at mid-year. Did you succeed in slaying your dragon this year? Why or why not?
GETTING BACK TO THE BALCONY—THE RETURN
PITW #161: SYSTEMATICALLY PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE FOR YOURSELF
AND OTHERS
As your year ends, let’s once again get off the dance floor, get to the balcony, and reflect
on the full arc of our journey this year. To learn more about getting to the balcony, see
page 51. To revisit your reflection during the road of trials, see page 34. In the space below,
draw a map that represents your full City Year. It can include important experiences,
lessons, people, places, relationships, interactions, etc. that you have had on your journey.
What have been the most important aspects of your journey so far? What lessons can you
take from this balcony perspective on your experiences?
41
REVISITING IDENTITY CIRCLES
PITW #50: WE MUST NEVER LOSE THE HUMAN ASPECT OF WHAT
WE ARE DOING.
Way back in the early weeks of this journey, we were invited to reflect on our identity
using the identity circles activity. How have we been transformed at the deepest level of
self?
In the space below, take a moment to once again reflect on the most important elements
of your current identity. Possible answers might include “Daughter,” “Artist,” “Athlete,”
“Latino,” “Religious,” “Straight,” etc. If it is a part of who you are that feels integral to your
identity, add it to the list below. The goal is to re-create a graphic representation of your
own identity—who you are at this early moment in the journey.
Once you’ve completed the activity, take a look back at your answers on page 16, and take
a moment to reflect on whether or how you have been transformed by the journey this
year.
INVITATION TO CREATIVE REFLECTION
If essay-style writing is not your thing, you are invited to reflect by drawing pictures,
writing poetry, finding a partner or small group for a quiet discussion, or any other
process that allows you to engage with the spirit and meaning of this question without
disturbing anyone else’s reflection.
42
Your name
Feel free to add circles or leave some blank, as it is relevant to you.
Revisit your initial identity circle activity and compare that response to the version you
have just completed. What does that comparison suggest regarding the ways that you
have been transformed by your journey this year?
43
FINAL THOUGHTS: THE SPIRAL JOURNEY
Throughout our lives, we will find ourselves standing at the beginning of many adventures,
and—months or years later—reaching some ending where it is clear that one phase of our
journey is finished and another is about to begin. In some ways, all beginnings feel the
same—there is the familiar mix of anticipation, fear, and excitement that we all felt in our
first days at City Year. All middles feel the same as well—full of exhaustion, doubt, and a
commitment to persevere. And each ending can bring the same mix of sadness, satisfaction,
regret, and excitement that we feel now.
We know that our Journeys are in no way over as we bring this City Year to a close. May we all
accept our next call to adventure with renewed energy and enthusiasm, able to bring to our
next journey all the hard-earned skills and insights we developed this year. And may we all
remember the value of pausing regularly to get to the balcony and attend to our own inner
development as leaders even as we try to make positive change happen in the world.
44
IJ EXERCISE CALENDAR
DATE
TOPIC
PRESENTER
Leadership Mission
Statement
Group Learning
Agreement
Identity Circles
Jacket Reflection
Personal Privilege Profile
Owning our Shadow
Mission
What is my dragon to slay?
Understanding Collusion
Attitude of Gratitude
Sand into Diamonds
Revisiting Mission, Shadow,
Dragon
Getting to the BalconyRoad of Trials
Reflecting on Guidance
Ending Well
Iceberg Model
Revisiting Mission, Shadow,
Dragon
Getting to the BalconyReturn
Revisiting Identity Circles
45
46
49
INTRODUCTION
50
Before the Spark Discussion
During the Spark Discussion
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER SPARK DISCUSSIONS
51 After the Spark Discussion
52
THE CHALLENGE ZONE AND THE BALCONY
53
DISCUSSION NORMS
54
IJ QUESTION FINDING PROCESS
Create a “Spark”
55 Brainstorm Questions About the Spark
Improve the questions
56 Pick the Best Question
Create a brief and powerful “Spark Question”
Pause to Prepare
SPARK
SPARK
DISCUSSIONS
SPARK
INTRODUCTION
THE IDEALIST’S JOURNEY CRITICAL REFLECTION CYCLE
For each IJ Session, one member of the group is designated to be the presenter for that
week’s Spark Discussion. The task of the presenter is to prepare a personally meaningful
case, question, or challenge for the group to explore together. It can be hard to understand
what to reflect on, how to reflect together, and what to do with insights gained from
reflection conversations. City Year has developed the Idealist’s Journey critical reflection
cycle to help. It breaks down the steps for a presenter before, during and after leading a spark
discussion.
“The power to question is the basis of all
human progress.”
–INDIRA GANDHI
49
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER SPARK
DISCUSSIONS
BEFORE THE SPARK DISCUSSION
STEP #1: QUESTION FINDING
The presenter’s job is to identify a personally meaningful question to spark a conversation
that generates feedback, support, guidance, and learning.
We call this step question finding. The presenter brings this question that has been on
their heart and mind to the group. When it is your turn to present, your IJ Guide can help
you prepare to confidently lead a powerful session.
DURING THE SPARK DISCUSSION
STEP #2: POWERFUL PRESENTING
A powerful presentation has the following three characteristics:
Clear
The presentation is not confusing, convoluted, or vague. When the group hears the
presentation, everyone should understand exactly what they are being asked to discuss.
Consider what context is needed for everyone to join the discussion.
Concise
The presentation is brief, focused, and thoughtfully structured to present enough
information for the group to dive into the discussion. Reflection time is limited, and long
presentations reduce the time available for group discussion.
Compelling
The presentation should truly matter to the presenter. It should be something that gets the
presenter “in the gut”; he or she must feel that this is an important issue, and that a group
exploration of the topic would be a valuable use of time.
50
STEP # 3: ACTIVE LISTENING
Once the presenter has powerfully presented, the next step is to engage in active listening
because this is an opportunity to have a group of peers dedicate their time and attention
to exploring an issue that we find personally meaningful. We will define active listening
in this setting as “a person’s willingness and ability to hear and understand.”
STEP #4: CRITICAL THINKING
The simple definition of critical thinking is “thinking about thinking.” The goal here is to
push past our first reactions and default assumptions, and open ourselves to alternative
perspectives and deeper ways of thinking about the world around and within us.
AFTER THE SPARK DISCUSSION
STEP #5: REFLECTING ON KEY LESSONS
The next step for the presenter is to reflect on the rich discussion had by the group.
This may involve spending time in solitary contemplation, sorting through all that was
discussed. Or it might involve continuing the discussion with group members outside
the Idealist’s Journey space or with friends and confidants completely disconnected from
City Year—in an ongoing effort to process the session and arrive at a cohesive personal
understanding of the challenge that will inform beliefs and guide future efforts.
STEP #6: ALIGNING BELIEFS AND ACTIONS
Once the presenter has selected the key lessons from the session, it is important to ensure
they apply their learning to their beliefs, intentions, and actions. It can help to revisit the
conversation with the presenter’s IJ group or another confidant and ask for their support
in accountability toward changes to the presenter’s future actions.
51
THE CHALLENGE ZONE AND THE BALCONY
We recognize that in our increasingly complex and fast-moving world, we must all learn
to cycle rapidly between action and reflection if we are to exercise leadership effectively.
The following two concepts allow us all to understand and talk about action and reflection
with clarity and power.*
THE CHALLENGE ZONE
Consider the chart below: the vertical axis measures tension, and the horizontal axis
measures time. Most individuals, most of the time, will stay in the pleasant, comfortable
zone near the bottom of the vertical axis. In this space, interactions are always polite and
pleasant, but very little real learning occurs. City Year believes that in order to develop as
leaders, we must each strive to live in the “challenge zone.” This is the place where we step
into unfamiliar situations, take on new levels of responsibility, confront uncomfortable
issues, and ask new and difficult questions—all of which compel us to think and behave in
new ways. Of course, it is possible to go too far; when we venture into the “chaos zone” we
become overwhelmed, ineffective, and burnt out. Leadership development at City Year is
about learning how to live in that challenge zone where we are forced to learn and grow
in powerful and sustainable ways.
Chaos Zone
Tension
Challenge Zone
Comfort Zone
Time
GETTING TO THE BALCONY
We recognize, however, that there is more to leadership than simply taking action.
Effective leaders make it a priority to regularly step away from the action in order to gain
perspective, insight, and wisdom. In addition to learning how to step into our challenge
zones, we must also learn how to get to the balcony. Here’s what that means:
Imagine we are attending a dance, and we are out on the dance floor. We are swept up in
the action around us: the rhythm of the music, the energy of the crowd, the dancing of
the people around us, the flashing lights, and the movement of our own bodies. We are
caught up in the flow, deeply engaged in the moment.
Now, imagine that we head upstairs to stand on a balcony overlooking the dance floor.
52
Suddenly, we see the same situation from a whole new perspective. We can see that
we were in the middle of a small group dancing right in front of the band, and now we
realize that there are other groups spread around the dance floor, and several individuals
standing off to the side not dancing at all. Getting to the balcony provided a wealth of new
insights into what was really going on around us.
To become an effective leader, we must all learn how to alternate between the balcony and
the dance floor. We know that if we stay on the balcony, we may have important insights
into the situation at hand but we will be unable to affect events on the dance floor. If we
stay always on the dance floor, we are sure to be missing important large-scale patterns
and forces influencing our situation. To exercise leadership effectively, we must learn
how to move rapidly between the two. We will make a move on the dance floor, then
quickly get to the balcony to observe how our actions have influenced the situation… and
then get right back on the dance floor to make our next move. Our City Year will give us
daily opportunities to practice this crucial leadership skill.
DISCUSSION NORMS
We believe the following discussion norms are helpful in creating spaces that can contain
productive conversations about inclusivity, social justice, and personal growth.
SAFE SPACE
Idealist’s Journey sessions are intended to open up a powerful space at City Year for
learning together. It is important that conversations are confidential, but general themes
can inform wider discussions at the site. This means that outside the group, participants
should speak in very general terms about key themes that were discussed without
providing details or specifics.
LISTEN DEEPLY
Listen for understanding, not to prepare a rebuttal. Don’t interrupt people as they speak.
Acknowledge what you have heard before going on to make another point. When you
hear something that is different from your own thinking or analysis, accept the speaker’s
description of their experiences as real for them, even if you have not experienced it or do
not understand it.
MAKE “I” STATEMENTS
Speak from your own experience rather than speaking for or about others, or generalizing
your experience assuming that it applies to others. Avoid statements like, “Everyone
knows that…” “We all feel that…”, or “We’ve all experienced…”
STEP UP/STEP BACK
If you tend to talk early and often, challenge yourself to step back to make space for
others. If you tend not to talk, challenge yourself to jump in.
KEEP IT HERE/ANONYMITY
Exercise good judgment and respect if people share personal stories. Carry away what
you learned without sharing who said what.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE
When we disagree, challenge the statement or the behavior instead of the person. Avoid
53
using blame, shame and guilt on ourselves or others. Try saying “…yes AND…” rather than
“….yes BUT…” to make space for different views to be heard.
BE WILLING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE
Do not mistake discomfort for a lack of safety. It is possible to be safe and uncomfortable
at the same time. Lean into the discomfort to see what you can learn.
ENABLE EMPATHY AND COMPASSION
Respond to others’ mistakes, errors, or lack of understanding with empathy and
compassion. We may say something without intending to harm or offend, but harm or
offense may result anyway. Use these occasions as teachable moments to highlight the
difference between intent and impact.
EXPECT AND ACCEPT A LACK OF CLOSURE
You might leave IJ sessions with more questions than answers, and that is okay. We
should both expect and accept a lack of closure, and keep an eye out for the seeds of
questions, thoughts, ideas, and connections that we might explore and build upon in the
future.
IJ QUESTION FINDING PROCESS
The following process is informed by the work done by an organization called The Right
Question Institute (RQI). “Question Finding” can help us identify important questions that
illuminate key challenges embedded within complex situations. Take the time to develop
a high-quality question to ensure a more powerful learning experience for everyone in
your group. A clear, concise, and personally compelling question generates a focused,
engaging, and high-energy conversation. If you have questions, you can ask your fellow
IJ group members or IJ guide for help and support.
Identify important questions that illuminate key challenges embedded within complex
situations.
CREATE A “SPARK”
A spark is a simple, declarative sentence (NOT a question) that captures the essence of
an issue that you find personally compelling. This can be a situation you are struggling
with, a question that’s been nagging you, an experience you haven’t fully processed, a
current event that feels relevant to our service, etc. What matters most is that the spark
captures an issue that you genuinely would like to explore to achieve greater insight and
understanding.
54
BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPARK
The goal here is to generate a set of questions that could provide powerful ways into
exploring issues connected to the Spark you’ve created.
•
Ask as many questions as you can (aim to generate at least 10 questions)
•
Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer any question
•
Write down every question EXACTLY as it is stated
•
Change any statement into a question
•
This works best when done with a partner or small group
IMPROVE THE QUESTIONS
•
If you’ve created any statements, change them into questions
•
Change any close-ended (“yes or no”) questions to open-ended
55
PICK THE BEST QUESTION
•
From the list, choose the three questions that you personally find to be most
compelling.
•
From those three, pick the one question that you want to focus on for your
presentation to the group. This is the question that gets you in the gut and it would
be very meaningful to you to explore the answers to this particular question.
CREATE A BRIEF AND POWERFUL “SPARK QUESTION”
This entire process leads up the creation of this clear, concise, and compelling Spark
Question that powerfully presents the issue that you want your group to discuss.
PAUSE TO PREPARE
A facilitated pause gives space to process before sharing thoughts. After a spark question
has been presented to your group, take some time to examine the question and explore
your perspective. Use the space below to organize your thoughts before contributing to
the conversation.
BEFORE DIALOGUE, THERE ARE 4 THINGS YOU NEED TO PROCESS:
listen and
understand
56
review prior
knowledge
connect to your
experience
construct your
response
BELOVED
COMMUNITY
59
INTRODUCTION
73
CLOVER
60
LEADERSHIP COMPASS
74
WSWC THEORY OF CHANGE
62
CITY YEAR PLEDGE
76
64
CITY YEAR VALUES
GIVING AND RECEIVING
FEEDBACK
WHY I SERVE
78
G.R.O.W. PLAN
68
REFLECTION ON LEARNING
79
END-OF-YEAR REFLECTION
69
70
COMMUNITY ASSET
MAPPING
71
OUR LOGO, BRAND AND
UNIFORM
72
PERSONAL BRAND
COMMUNITY
In our Founding Story we recognize that a “Beloved Community” is built upon profound
human connectedness and a transcendent harmony and love among all people. This City
Year of yours is one to reflect upon, learn upon and connect with others. Throughout your
City Year, there is time to for reflection, learning, and connecting with others. There will be
moments to remember, ideas to capture, and opportunities to practice idealism. We hope
these pages help you do so.
COMMUNITY
INTRODUCTION
“BELOVED COMMUNITY” FOUNDING STORY
Desegregation is only a partial, though necessary, step toward the ultimate goal which
we seek to realize. Desegregation will break down legal barriers, and bring men together
physically. But something must happen so as to touch the hearts and souls of men that they
will come together, not because the law says it, but because it is natural and right. In other
words, our ultimate goal is integration which is genuine intergroup and interpersonal living.
Only through nonviolence can this goal be attained, for the aftermath of nonviolence is
reconciliation and the creation of the beloved community.
– DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., 1958
I do not think of political power as an end. Neither do I think of economic power as an end.
They are ingredients in the objective that we seek in life. And I think that end or that objective
is a truly brotherly society, the creation of the beloved community.
– DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., JULY 13, 1966
The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved
community.
– DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., DECEMBER 3, 1956
COMMENTARY
Among Dr. King’s most compelling visions is that of a Beloved Community—a
community in which people of different backgrounds recognize that we are all
interconnected and that our individual well-being is inextricably linked to the well-being
of others. Dr. King knew that the goal of social change is not tolerance alone, or even the
recognition or enforcement of human or civil rights, or an improved economic condition.
These are necessary but not sufficient steps in the path to human progress. We cannot
rest until we have bridged the divides of prejudice and mistrust that lie within the human
head and heart. Invariably, these final, resilient divisions are social and personal. Dr.
King reminds us that reconciliation is a both a process and a final destination. The road
to the Beloved Community is the difficult road of reconciliation among people who have
been in conflict and negotiation. The Beloved Community is reconciliation achieved—a
profound human connectedness, a transcendent harmony and love among all people.
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LEADERSHIP COMPASS
As one of our longest-standing and most time-tested frameworks, the leadership
compass provides us with a common language to understand work styles, both our
own and those of our teammates. This common language can be used to improve team
functioning while also fostering self-awareness and personal growth.
NORTH
ACTION
WEST
ANALYSIS
EAST
VISION
SOUTH
EMPATHY
Highlight your personal leadership compass directions.
USE THIS SPACE TO CAPTURE THE LEADERSHIP COMPASS DIRECTIONS OF
YOUR TEAMMATES:
PRIMARY/STRONGEST DIRECTION
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
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WEAKEST DIRECTION
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
•
What personal insights did you gain about your own work style and preferences from
the leadership compass activity?
•
What insights and information about your teammates did you gather during the
activity?
•
How might the leadership compass inform or improve the way you approach your
service and team this year?
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CITY YEAR PLEDGE
Our pledge helps guide our actions and decisions, reminds us of our responsibilities to
uphold organizational values, and reflects the ideals we hold dear.
•
What sections of the pledge am I fully living up to? How?
•
What parts are challenges for me and why?
•
How can I work on my ability to live the pledge or close the gap between wonderful
rhetoric and day-to-day reality?
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I PLEDGE to serve as a City Year member to
the very best of my ability,
TO HONOR the rules and expectations
of City Year,
TO RESPECT my colleagues and the
people and communities we serve,
TO PROVIDE excellent service,
TO LEAD by example and be a
role model to children,
TO CELEBRATE the diversity of people, ideas
and cultures around me,
TO SERVE with an open heart and
an open mind,
TO BE QUICK TO HELP and slow to judge,
TO DO MY BEST to make a difference
in the lives of others,
And to build a stronger community,
nation and world
FOR ALL OF US.
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CITY YEAR VALUES
City Year’s core values represent the deepest beliefs and highest aspirations of our
organization. We strive to ensure that these values animate our culture of idealism,
inspire our actions, and inform our decisions on a daily basis. They serve as our north
star, empowering us to stay true to ourselves through changing times as we strive to
achieve our mission. Use the spaces below to explore your connection to our values and
how they are connected to your year.
SERVICE TO A CAUSE GREATER THAN SELF
We dedicate ourselves to addressing shared civic challenges through unified action.
STUDENTS FIRST, COLLABORATION ALWAYS
The success of the young people we serve is our preeminent goal, best achieved by
working in partnership with others who are dedicated to the same cause.
BELIEF IN THE POWER OF YOUNG PEOPLE
We are committed to harnessing one of the most powerful forces for positive change at
work in the world today.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL
We dedicate ourselves to building a more just, equal, fair, and compassionate world.
LEVEL FIVE LEADERSHIP
We aspire to develop a culture of Level Five leadership across the organization, fostering a
blend of great humility with intense professional will.
EMPATHY
We strive to constantly walk in the moccasins of others.
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INCLUSIVITY
We embrace differences as strengths that magnify our capacity to achieve shared goals.
UBUNTU
I am a person through other people; my humanity is tied to yours.
TEAMWORK
We strive to work powerfully together in a unified effort to achieve our goals.
EXCELLENCE
We hold ourselves to the highest standards as we strive to execute our mission and
steward our resources.
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CITY YEAR VALUES AND YOU
•
What has your life taught you about what is precious and valuable?
•
What gives you the greatest meaning in life or work?
•
In summary, my Core Values—what I value and stand for as a person/leader—are:
•
How do those values come out in your work and life? What observations or insights
can you make between City Year’s values and your own?
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WHY I SERVE
As an organization dedicated to service to a cause greater than self, we have many tools
to help us develop our own reason we are here. Each of us has personal motivation and
reasons we are committed to serving. The “why I serve” statement is a testament to our
intrinsic motivation and the foundation of why we do this work. It is also a powerful
tool for communicating and inspiring others to serve as well as ourselves. The idea is to
check back in on and perhaps update our reasons for being at City Year and serving our
communities.
I SERVE BECAUSE…
•
Does my statement still ring true to me?
•
What do I want to add or subtract?
•
How has my internal drive and motivation evolved?
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REFLECTION ON LEARNING
After any learning occasion, whether it be Summer Academy, Basic Training Academy
(BTA), or a retreat, it can often feel overwhelming to try to absorb everything that you
learned and figure out how to apply it to your service. It can also feel equally exhilarating
to have all of this new knowledge and know that soon you will be applying it to how you
approach your work. Amid these feelings, it is imperative to reflect on what lessons you
gained or what you need more clarity on in order to be a successful civic leader. Your
understanding of the concepts and practices will support the organization’s overall
learning and will hopefully help us all remember that we should not fear mistakes, but
embrace them as learning opportunities.
Reflecting on your learning and development experience, answer the following questions
to help improve processes in the future.
•
What about your experience worked well to positively influence your learning? Why
did it work?
•
What about your learning experience did not work well and had a negative impact on
your learning? Why didn’t it work?
•
What learning environment and style was most effective for you?
•
What considerations will you make in creating learning environments for your team
or your students?
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COMMUNITY ASSET MAPPING
Asset mapping provides information about the strengths and resources of a community,
and can help us think about how to build on these assets to address needs and improve
health. Additionally, asset mapping promotes community involvement, ownership, and
empowerment. A community asset or resource is anything that improves the quality
of community life, including the capacities and abilities of community members;
a physical structure or place; a business that provides jobs and supports the local
economy; associations of citizens; and local private, public, and nonprofit institutions or
organizations.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE STEPS TO CREATE AN ASSET MAP:
•
Define community boundaries.
•
Determine what type of assets to include.
•
List and organize the assets of groups and individuals on a map.
•
What do you see on the map?
•
What are the underused assets and resources?
•
Where are the most obvious gaps, and how might they be filled?
•
Historically, what may have contributed to the current state of the community?
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OUR LOGO, BRAND AND UNIFORM
Some of the more visible aspects of our City Year culture are our logo, uniform, and
brand. These pieces provide access points for others to ask and learn about the work we
do and ultimately, the students we serve. They are often the first things people see or
think about when City Year comes to mind.
•
In your Idealist Handbook, read the descriptions and
explanation of our logo, brand, and uniform. What are
your initial reactions to the inspiration and purpose of the
brands?
•
What does the red or yellow jacket symbolize for you? Your
students? Your community?
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PERSONAL BRAND
Each person has an evolving personal brand. It needs to be authentically and intentionally
cultivated, developed, and cared for. At City Year we aspire to help each and every person
be aware of and build their own personal brand.
•
What is my personal brand at City Year?
•
What are 3-5 specific words I would use to describe my brand?
•
Would others agree with these words?
•
What perceptions of me are real?
•
What practical steps can I take to build and enhance my brand?
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CLOVER
The Clover Model highlights four essential elements or leaves that people of all ages need
in order to thrive, learn, and grow: Active Engagement, Assertiveness, Belonging, and
Reflection. It offers a lens through which we can better understand our students, our
colleagues and ourselves. Although there are key times during childhood and young
adulthood for specialization across these four leaves, a person’s development is dynamic
over a lifespan. The Clover Model recognizes that we are all a work in progress, thus
providing a perspective on both youth development and how the tasks associated with
nurturing each leaf develop, grow and change over time.
AS
What does it mean to work from a strengthbased developmental approach?
•
How would a balance of these leaves help you
be a better leader/learner and community
member?
SE
•
RT
IV
EN
ES
S
BE
ING
RE
FL
EC
E
E T
TI V E N
AC G EM
A
NG
L
G
ON
TI O
N
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WSWC THEORY OF CHANGE
At City Year, our work is guided by the Whole School, Whole Child Theory of Change. The
WSWC theory of change shows how the service that we provide to students and schools
will help lead to our long-term impact outcome: 80% of all graduating 9th grade students
in the schools we serve will be free of early warning indicators. Additionally, the dualbeneficiary aspect of our service model is such that we can expect to see our services and
strategies affect the same intermediate outcomes in AmeriCorps members.
WSWC SERVICES
School partnership supports
Student engagement
Academic services
Student progress monitoring
CORE STRATEGIES
Consistent near-peer support
Feeder pattern over multiple years
Developmental learning environment
Formative experiences
Positive relationships
Identity formation
INTERMEDIATE
OUTCOMES
Agency
Durable skills
LONG-TERM IMPACT
OUTCOME
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Students enter 10th grade
prepared to successfully pursue
their high school diplomas.
CONNECTING THE WSWC THEORY OF CHANGE TO OUR STUDENTS:
•
How do you see the WSWC theory of change intermediate outcomes developing in
the students you are supporting?
•
Thinking about a specific student and their developmental needs. How can the
intermediate outcomes inform or enhance the supports you are providing that
student?
CONNECTING THE WSWC THEORY OF CHANGE TO OURSELVES:
•
In what ways has your City Year experience shaped or informed your own identity
formation?
•
How has your experience at City Year changed or enhanced the sources of your own
intrinsic motivation?
•
What durable skills have you learned or acquired during your experience so far at
City Year?
•
How could the intermediate outcomes inform or modify the goals you have for
yourself during your City Year?
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GIVING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK
“Inevitably when serving as part of a team, conflicts will arise. Thinking through your past
experiences, tell me about a time when you had to work through conflict as part of a team.”
Sound familiar? This is one of the questions that is in the City Year AmeriCorps member
interview. It is a critical question because its intention is to uncover your ability to give
and receive feedback.
LISTEN
EVALUATE
LEARN
COMMUNICATE
EXECUTE
Pick a specific time where you had to give critical feedback to a peer, leadership, or
outside source (teacher, parent etc.) and describe it briefly here.
Pick a specific time where you had to receive critical feedback from a peer, leadership or
outside source and describe it here.
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Pick one of the aforementioned scenarios and answer the following questions:
1.) Did it follow the feedback loop model?
2.) What stage in the loop, if followed thoroughly, could have made the feedback given or
received more effective?
3.) What stage of the model is the most difficult one to adhere to?
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G.R.O.W. PLAN: THE FIRST STEP TO PREPARE FOR YOUR POSTSERVICE JOURNEY
Career development is an integral component of the AmeriCorps member experience.
By providing opportunities to learn from different perspectives, gain crucial professional
skills, and access to meaningful relationships, City Year seeks to guide and empower
AmeriCorps members to plan and pursue a purposeful career. No one will be more
invested in your career development than you.
A G.R.O.W. plan is designed to help guide you in developing a futuristic outline for
your medium to long-term post-service journey by identifying opportunities as well as
barriers to overcome and choosing your possible and immediate paths forward.
A G.R.O.W. plan is not static nor will it necessarily have a simple, linear progression—it’s
meant to be returned to throughout the year, to be updated or completely re-written, to
be reflected upon and help you focus attention on making progress on your post-service
plan within your timeline. You may have clarity on your career or education plan now
but through your service experience gain a deeper level of self-awareness that points you
in a new direction. Or you may have never considered where your career is headed or
how service fits into your longer term path—consider this plan an opportunity to write
down those uncertainties and fears and generate ideas that will keep you motivated
towards finding your purpose and seeing all opportunities as learning experiences.
GOALS
REALITY
OPTIONS
WAY FORWARD
This is the end point,
where you want to
be. This could be 10
years from now, 4
years from now or
next August—set the
goal based on your
own level of clarity.
The goal has to be
defined in such a way
that it is very clear to
you when you have
achieved it.
Where are you
now? What’s your
current reality?
What are the issues,
the challenges, the
positives, and how
far are you from your
goal?
Once you have
identified obstacles
and issues you are
confronted with,
what are ways that
you can utilize your
strengths to work
towards addressing
them? These are
ways to help you
make progress.
These are the action
steps of the Options,
which will lead you
to your goal. Forward
thinking.
GOALS
REALITY
OPTIONS
WAY FORWARD
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END-OF-YEAR REFLECTION
While this City Year comes to an end, there is much to celebrate and much to reflect
on. Take the time to consider the impact you have made on your students, your school,
your team, and yourself. Consider your months in service and how you have overcome
obstacles, found joy despite hardships, and celebrated successes of your students and
your team. This year may not have been an easy one, but it was certainly a purposeful one
that has made a deep imprint on you and many others.
•
What is something that surprised you about this year?
•
What did you learn about yourself?
•
What advice would you give to someone starting their City Year?
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Throughout the year, you will hear from City Year leadership and champions, deepen your
connection with your work, develop yourself both professionally and personally, celebrate
the achievements of our students and peers, be moved and inspired by the talent and
passion within our community.
We encourage you to use this learning journal as both an information and reflection toolto capture thoughts, insights, and ideas that will help to ground and guide you through the
year ahead.
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JOURNAL
LEARNING
JOURNAL
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JOURNAL
INTRODUCTION
“WATER” FOUNDING STORY
The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.
In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present
When you are content to be simply yourself
and don’t compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.
– FROM THE TAO TE CHING BY LAO TZU, AS TRANSLATED BY STEPHEN MITCHELL
COMMENTARY
Water is a powerful metaphor for social change, seeking the lowest level and therefore
touching and connecting all things, flowing around what it cannot move, making good
things grow, acting as a solvent on things that are stuck, and putting out fire—such as
the anger that can too easily consume change agents and the causes they are passionate
about. Water is also the ideal metaphor for an idea coined by Robert Greenleaf: the
“servant leader,” who leads through service, example, and assistance rather than through
power and authority. Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher (circa 600 B.C.) has provided us with
a metaphor and a blueprint to improve the world and live as a servant leader—Simplicity.
Fairness. Generosity. Flexibility. Presence. And above all, equanimity—an unshakable
sense of security in one’s self. When we have mastered these skills, breaking down social
barriers, building community, and effecting meaningful change will follow.
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SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
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FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
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KEEP TRACK OF YOUR JOURNEY
JANUARY
THIS BOOK BELONGS TO
City Year helps students and schools succeed. Fueled by national service, City Year
partners with public schools in 28 urban, high-need communities across the U.S. and
through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams
of City Year AmeriCorps members provide research-based student, classroom and schoolwide supports to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school,
ready for college and career success. A 2015 study shows that schools that partner with
City Year were up to 2–3 times more likely to improve on math and English assessments.
A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is supported by
the Corporation for National and Community Service, local school districts, and private
philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals.
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