Master of the Inbetween

Cliff Smith
Jul 25, 2017 · 1 min read

Recently, in trying to describe what I really do well, I’ve started playing with the term ‘inbetweenist.’ I have varied interestests and a wide skill set in facilitation and communication. I started coming to the idea of inbetweenist because no matter how I tried to pinpoint where I fit professionally, it’s always in between.

Over the past decade I’ve come to discover that rather than ‘not fitting’ into any particular slot, I am the in between. Like antimatter (?) Maybe? I’m not sure. That’s why I’m still working on how best to describe the idea.

If you think of a board with pegs, I tend to be the spaces in between that help the pegs make whatever shape or design they represent.

I’m a facilitator. I help others (in whatever form they happen to take) work better together. In between the fuzzy, undefined ideas and the known, visible, malleable ideas.

An amplifier. I listen well and tell the story back to help the source-hearer have a clearer understanding.

Synthesizer. Conductor. I love the beginnings of things. The ideas. The big picture strategy. Defining and refining the problem, catalytic questions, potential solutions, and plans.

The production and implementation, I am happy to let others organize and implement. I monitor progress. I check in. I encourage. But I prefer to get out of the way early on and let ‘professional doers’ take over the details.

I prefer to travel between the ‘silos’ rather than manage one of them.

Semper Curiosus

Harnessing the power of ignorance

Facilitator, Collaborator, Communicator

Harnessing the power of ignorance

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade