Restoring my hope in organisations

On Monday afternoon, I rocked up to begin my traineeship with UnLtd. Following being accepted onto the SES program, a program designed to equip you with all the skills needed to support social entrepreneurs.The placement was a tough one to bag. It consisted of a video application, CV, interview, research piece and presentation. I traveled down to Birmingham to deliver all I had armed myself with. Aim and fire.

The talent in the interview waiting room was high calibre and after not having a formal interview for the past three years, my interview skills were, lets say, a little rusty but I wasn’t letting that put me off. I gave it my best shot and left the rest to the gods of recruitment.

I had first come across UnLtd when I attended one of their events a couple of years back. It was in the Google campus (the venue speaks for itself). UnLtd’s mission is to “reach out and unleash the energies of people who can transform the world in which they live” I.e social entrepreneurs.

So back to Monday afternoon. After successfully securing my placement on the program, my journey was to begin in Woodbrooke Quaker study centre. A place which was, in my imagination, was what “The Priory” clinic would very much look and feel like. The place was absolute peace. From the grounds that surrounded it, to the organic tea bags and even the people who managed the day to day comings and goings. The staff didn’t call themselves “staff”, they were labeled as “friends”. I mean what else?

I have to admit from this point on my anxieties started to ease though I was slightly apprehensive that the training days would be starting at 6 am doing a downward dog in the garden.

However, I was proven wrong. I was greeted by a group of people who over the coming days would become friends and even supporters of my own dreams and goals.

You could tell everyone was quietly anxious. All possessing the subtle desire to be accepted by their peers. However, by some magic, the facilitators, one by one, melted those anxieties away. With exercises and activities that would begin to expose the real qualities of the person within.

Image: getting busy with my peers

This is the first thing that struck me about the organisation, they didn’t want the glossed up version of ourselves that we tend to present to the world. They wanted you, you and all your human-like qualities. Throughout the week, we shared stories of failure, adversity, creativity and inspiration. We spoke about leaders who we admire, favourite quotes and learning preferences.

It was a unique experience and for the first time, I felt truly appreciated for who I am and for what I could bring to an organisation. They created the space for you to be, well you.

You wanted a break, you take a break. You needed coffee, you get coffee. You want to change your learning environment, go for it. Remembering there are 10,000 acres of beautiful gardens surrounding you.

The funny thing was, this feeling of appreciation quickly manifested into another emotional state. I felt an urge to give back. As if we had some unspoken agreement of respect and reciprocity. I wanted to do more, give more, care and even listen more. It created an atmosphere so very rare in the world of business. The goal wasn’t to be the best or compete or get one over on the other trainees. The goal was equality. To discover one another in the room as well as be discovered and eventually recognise, how we can all become a piece of a puzzle that fits, pulling our skills together to get the best results.

I left the space feeling not only, did I know myself a whole lot better but also I knew my peers and I had the excitement that we could use this knowledge to coordinate oursleves to solve problems to make the world a better place.

Entrepreneurship but even better, this was social entrepreneurship.