As 2023 drew to an end, we at Project DEFY held our annual Closing Circles from 21st to 24th December 2023. Over the years, our year-end Closing Circles have become our quintessential way to place our entire year’s journey into a “complete circle” as we embark on the next one.
As an organization, if we had to pick one key learning that we would want to carry in the coming year, it would be the capacity to listen and not just hear. And this is what we did across these four days, we heard keenly with intent. Not only the team members, and learners but even our organizational partners, advisors and our well wishers were kind enough to participate as they lent their time, voice and insights.
Our first day was dedicated to our organizational partners, advisors and our extended community of well wishers whom we warmly address as “Friends of DEFY”.
Though our trusted advisors have always “steadied our ship”, this was one of the few occasions when they got to interact with the entire team to understand their viewpoints and journey at Project DEFY. Through the day the team members got a chance to align themselves with the vision of our advisors.
During the course of this session the advisors shared their feedback on the importance of exhibiting clarity and seamless execution of goals. Apart from this the team received critical feedback regarding the need of consistently communicating our impact with internal and external stakeholders.
On the same day, a point of appreciation from our session with our partners stood around how each stakeholder inspired each other through good and bad days. At the end of the session, there was a general consensus on mutual trust and accountability being the two important factors that would drive our future success.
Lastly, in our session with Friends of DEFY, we got an opportunity to share our future plans with them while also answering their questions pertaining to our vision. Towards the end we collectively brainstormed over areas of possible collaboration for future endeavors.
Our Learners, Nook Fellows and the communities lie at the heart of our movement. On day 2 of the Closing Circle, the team listened to stories of and from learners about their journeys within and outside the Nook. Apart from this, some of the Nook Fellows shared their experience of what it meant to be part of the Nook movement while also sharing critical feedback. Particularly, the team learned about what it means to establish community-centric models in different contexts.
On the same day, our various learners got the chance to personally share their stories, experiences and journeys. Many learners recounted their tales of resilience, triumphing over biases, and making choices that mirror their unique paths.
As we concluded the day, the team realized the importance of having more nuanced conversations about the various communities where our Nooks function. The second such insight from the day was the need to increase knowledge sharing among various nook ecosystems.
On the 3rd day, the team collectively took the space to introspect on the dynamics of our functioning as members of an organization. We wanted people to share their perception of the workplace from the viewpoint of inclusivity, a place where everyone felt heard, secure, and where everyone’s concerns were met. In the conversations and activities, different people voiced how they felt in several interactions. A key takeaway was the need to initiate a space for further exploration of unmet expectations.
Another key insight as a follow-up to the discussions revolved around nurturing a space where people of all genders and beliefs felt a sense of respect and dignity. To achieve this, it was decided that a series of conversations would follow with the intention to create safe spaces in the workplace environment.
Before ending the day, a final session was held where team members came together to celebrate, both, their wins and the failures they encountered over the course of the year.
The fourth and the final day of our closing circle began with the team collectively introspecting over the key observations from the first three days.
Few of the positive observations revolved around the team’s ability to bring up tough conversations and receive critical feedback. The absolute essential requirement of creating a culture where people feel free to express their opinions. As a caveat, it was also mentioned that we should not just stop at the point of self reflection and criticism, but rather identify and exhibit required affirmative action.
The next part of the final day was designated on collectively imagining a possible new identity for Project DEFY. To achieve this, all team members reflected on where we are at the moment, where we imagine to reach and what changes need to be brought in to move towards that future reality.
The team members carefully laid down the present processes that need improvement and also those which suffice our current vision but can be leveraged to build our future identity.
The concluding session of the closing circle was regarding the trade-off between passion and efficiency, at the level of an organization. The team members while being divided in groups were involved in a decision making process to evaluate a potential collaboration opportunity that Project DEFY is offered
This session allowed the team at large to reflect on some of the parameters that one has to consider while making such a choice. Some of the parameters that team members highlighted included, alignment of values and mission, understanding of the domain area and taking cognizance of one’s own capacity, both from a human and financial perspective.
