Cultivating Connection and Compassion: Insights on Cultural Humility, Self-Care, and the Enneagram for Conservation Leaders

This newsletter covers these self, others and Earth-related topics:

Connect to Self: Self-care for Supervisors in Conservation

Connect to Others: All about Cultural Humility

Connect to Earth: Enneagram Outdoor Soul Practices

Upcoming Events:

• Navigating Highly Public Challenges and Fostering Supportive Communities in Conservation Leadership for a state agency team.
• Minnesota Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Council - my focus is on Diversity and Inclusion
• Book Launch planning (this isn't conservation, but I'm excited anyway)

Self-Care Strategies for Conservation Supervisors

In our demanding conservation field, self-care is essential. Here are key takeaways from Leftheris Papageorgiou’s workshop on clinician self-care, tailored for supervisors:

• Exercise your own sense of power: Trust yourself and your voice. This isn’t about narcissism, but authentic self-assurance. Be confident as much as open.
• Ask for what you need: ?Just because you have authority doesn’t mean you know it all. When you request support, consider everyone’s needs. Understand what they might have to sacrifice and what they’ll gain. Effective negotiation is crucial.
• Balance your efforts: Never work harder than your team members, but always be present for them. You’ll burn out doing the work of everyone.
• Care deeply: You don’t have to like everyone, but you must care for those you supervise. Your attention, listening, and encouragement are vital.
• Know your limits: Recognize your boundaries and adhere to them. Invite all team members' gifts to the table for the good of all and acknowledge each other’s boundaries.
• Stay light-hearted: Remember not to take ourselves too seriously. Balancing these principles can enhance both personal well-being and team effectiveness in our conservation efforts.ense of power: Trust yourself and your voice. This isn’t about narcissism, but authentic self-assurance. Be confident as much as open.
• Ask for what you need: ?Just because you have authority doesn’t mean you know it all. When you request support, consider everyone’s needs. Understand what they might have to sacrifice and what they’ll gain. Effective negotiation is crucial.
• Balance your efforts: Never work harder than your team members, but always be present for them. You’ll burnout doing the work of everyone.
• Care deeply: You don’t have to like everyone, but you must care for those you supervise. Your attention, listening, and encouragement are vital.
• Know your limits: Recognize your boundaries and adhere to them. Invite all team member gifts to the table for the good of all and acknowledge each other’s boundaries.
• Stay light-hearted: Remember not to take ourselves too seriously. Balancing these principles can enhance both personal well-being and team effectiveness in our conservation efforts.

Contact me for my workshops on self-care, capacity building and navigating future leadership with a focus on wellbeing.

Cultivating Cultural Humility: Insights and Practices for Conservation Leaders

Cultural Humility was one focus of my recent activities. I was lucky enough to attend a short presentation on Embodied Cultural Sensitivity with Dr. Spring Cheng and Dr. Stephanie Mines. Dr. Mines is serving as my advisor for a Master’s in Transformational Business Leadership I am working toward. Then I also taught two sessions of my Cultural Competence and Humility Workshop for a national conservation organization.

In my own journey toward cultural humility, I’m seeing more and more how culture has shaped my habits, perceptions, and ways of being. I grew up in a German family and community and I see the impacts all around, included how deeply it’s been imbedded in my own life and those around me.

Embodied cultural sensitivity teaches us that inclusivity and appreciation require both self-reflection and active engagement, especially with those least like us. This involves identifying and understanding our own cultural frameworks while making generous space for others. It is a radical act of love to appreciate cultures deeply and genuinely and as Mines stated, shifts “every relationship you have.” Open up to one and it becomes easier to open up to others (and even new ways to look at yourself).

One act of compassion I heard in this presentation is that “those most in power actually probably have the most oppressive internal structures.” When I look at politics, I see this clearly. It's hard to have compassion for these individuals, especially when it feels like their goal is to oppress me.

In my recent workshop offering on Cultural Competence and Humility, individuals suggested ways that we can practice more cultural humility in conservation. We emphasized the importance of amplifying marginalized voices, ensuring they are heard and centered in conservation practices. This includes allocating resources to support their contributions. Sensitivity and insensitivity are reflected in our daily interactions, making it essential to approach each encounter with empathy and openness. By engaging with and understanding the experiences of others, we challenge our assumptions and foster genuine connections.

Reach out to me for more on the Cultural Competence and Humility Workshop or my series on Social Location in Conservation.

Embracing the Wild Soul: Insights from Rewilding The Enneagram Workshop

I am a huge fan of the Enneagram and use it in my coaching business. When I saw the title of an upcoming workshop through Enneagram Minnesota, I had to attend. The workshop presenter was Ben Campbell from www.wildenneagram.com. At this Rewilding The Enneagram Workshop, I delved into the essence of my identity and how it shapes my purpose. Here are some key insights that resonated with me:

• Identity: True identity can't be fully captured in words; it is best expressed through presence and what Campbell called “poetic hints”. Living authentically means stepping into and serving the world with our soul's unique gift.
• Vessel: Our soul's work is carried out through a "vessel," and being fixated on our Enneagram type can hinder this journey. The Enneagram helps us wake up to our true purpose by addressing these fixations.
• Nature: Our soul is inherently wild and cannot be confined. Embracing this wild nature and working at the edge of our comfort zone is crucial to living our soul's purpose.

We are asked to journal about when we experience the strongest sense of purpose, how we see the gifts of your type supporting you and how the challenges of our types obscures us from this. I realized my soul's gift to the world is best expressed when I'm present and teaching, witnessing those a-ha moments that arrive. As a Type 7, my positive and approachable demeanor opens doors for deep conversations on challenging topics, especially in conservation wellbeing. However, my tendency to seek new ventures often distracts me from diving into detailed work and staying focused on the great works I already have. Balancing my vibrant energy with focused depth is my ongoing journey.

Campbell gave us nature practices for each type to try and I am sharing them here.

• Type 1: Allocating instinctual knowing/impulse
• Type 2: Go out alone
• Type 3: There is nothing “to do”
• Type 4: Blindfolded string walk
• Type 5: Making contact
• Type 6: Allowing support (lie on your back)
• Type 7: Chose one place and stay
• Type 8: Being Affected
• Type 9: Noticing Allurement/Repulsion

Go out and give these a try!

If you are interested in finding your type, contact me for a coaching session and I’ll send you an assessment. We’ll walk through your type together and I’ll provide some resources for your next steps. If you want an Introduction to the Enneagram for your group, just drop me a message.

Let me know what you think. Please share your thoughts.

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