Craft the Conversation

Business as usual? It's becoming increasingly difficult.

Once you recognize the signs of collapse, it´s difficult to pretend you don´t.

So, how do you move forward when you see the clear and urgent need to adapt?

Most corporate founders and CEOs are concentrating on fiddling while Rome burns.

Their approach is to pursue growth while it's still possible, and adapt only when change is forced upon them. 

This is exactly the kind of thinking that has brought us to this point.

Leaders of smaller businesses and community non-profits are more nimble, but far less insulated. They will feel the impacts of uncertainty or unexpected changes sooner.

 

Truth: if you own or lead a small business or manage a community-focused non-profit organization, you are more likely to struggle to stay afloat in increasingly troubled waters.

 

But there's a way to sail ahead that is better for you, your people, and the planet.

 

By having the love, courage, and moral imagination to carefully initiate a conversation about collapse, you can can make changes now and become a leader at the forefront of the shift.

Ignoring our reality restricts our ability to innovate and adapt.

The longer we delay acknowledging it, the more dangerous it is -

for our businesses, sure, but also for the safety and well-being of all of us.

I work with women who want to bring people together to face the future in more caring, creative, and collaborative ways. 

 

As women, we recognize that we are more likely to address the emotional needs of our employees, clients, and stakeholders, and we are often more adept at creating safe spaces for honest and respectful sharing. 

 

And this is exactly what is needed to initiate and facilitate a meaningful conversation around collapse that can be transformative for everyone involved.

 

I firmly believe that it is women who will embrace this opportunity to light the way forward. My focus is on supporting them.

"I´m still processing how powerful it was. It energized and connected us like nothing ever has. It strengthened our shared humanity. Together, we are embracing a much broader view that goes far beyond our business.

Because we are aware, we have a responsibility to do things differently, and help our clients change, too. We are consciously and actively shifting, approaching this with curiosity and creativity.

Maya gave me truly insightful guidance throughout this process. Without her help, we would not have experienced this transformation in our understanding, our relationships, and our mission." 

Liza - owner of a consulting firm in the U.S.

Starting a collapse conversation at work can be moving and motivating for everyone.

But please don´t jump in without full awareness of the risks and how to avoid them. 

Preparation is key. It must be approached with intention and awareness.

¨Looking back, I can see that I came in hot. My presentation was flawless in terms of content.

But it wasn´t a conversation, really. It was an ambush. I had excellent data, and crushed anyone who disagreed.

I was reprimanded by managers two levels up. Though I wasn´t fired, it was made extremely clear to me that talking about collapse in any way was unacceptable.

After that, it was hard to stay. I left within a few weeks.

I struggled for months. I no longer trusted myself. Maya helped me pick up the pieces.

Now, I have a new job. We openly discuss how systems are crumbling before our very eyes and how to adapt. I am happy that I found a much better place for me, but the process was painful.¨

S. - former sustainability risk analyst in the U.S., now a futures analyst

And she´s not alone. I have worked with others who made the mistake of speaking casually of the metacrisis in a group setting at work - and helped them deal with the unfortunate aftermath, from sidelining to being forced out.

Let's skip the drama, and do it right together. 

If your awareness of reality is pushing against the business-as-usual mindset,

you have two choices:

 

🔷You can simply continue on until something comes along to force an unexpected and potentially devastating shift.

 

🔷You can choose to lead a conversation that can transform the future of your organization and community.

 

 

 

Creative adaptation can't even begin until someone speaks up.

 

Craft the Conversation is designed to guide you through two stages of preparation: 

 

Stage 1

🔷acknowledge what is happening in the world and how you are responding

🔷assess how various foreseeable crises may impact you and your work, including all stakeholders

🔷fully anticipate all possible repercussions caused by the conversation

🔷hold an initial exploratory conversation with a colleague you trust

🔷make an informed decision about whether you are the right messenger, and if this is the right time

 

Part 2:

🔷select the ideal allies who can support your initiation of the conversation

🔷anticipate and prepare needed support structures 

🔷select the most relevant participants for the initial conversation

🔷choose the most beneficial details (day, time, tone, etc.) 

🔷sow the seeds of curiosity and solidarity rather than resistance and division (this is a big one!)

🔷describe and leverage key insights for deeper shared understanding

🔷create a supportive structure for the next steps

 

Though there are a lot of moving parts here, the reality is this:

You can imagine, design, schedule, and facilitate a carefully-crafted collapse conversation at work within a week or two.

And things can shift dramatically after that in all kinds of positive ways.

 

With a background as both a business owner and a non-profit leader, and years of experience guiding others through grief and devastating change, I offer a compassionate understanding of how to clearly communicate about collapse and hold space for what emerges.

 

Every workplace is unique. It has its own culture, way of doing things, and rules for engagement. 

 

Even if you feel confident and trusted, and have a deep understanding of the shared mindset of your workplace,  you might not recognize how the concept of collapse can be destabilizing to anyone considering it - especially those beginning to understand it fully for the first time. 

"I was feeling this ache in my stomach. I knew things were clearly going in the wrong direction in terms of the climate, and that there would be devastating consequences.

As a consultant working with business leaders, I needed more honesty about this for myself as well as my clients, but it felt like a huge risk.

Maya gave me valuable advice about the questions I could ask to gauge their readiness. I started with one client who I suspected would be receptive.

It was like opening a door. The conversation got very real, very quickly. It really shifted our connection, leading to a more open and reality-focused way of working together.

 I feel relieved and empowered just knowing how to broach the subject and take that next step when it seems right. And I am now using Maya's tips to intentionally choose new clients who are more likely to be aligned by addressing this in our first conversation."

Denise - business consultant in Canada   

The Craft the Conversation series includes:

🔷 a one-hour exploration and strategy session with you over Zoom 

🔷a follow-up 30-minute Zoom session to assess the conversation outcomes and craft next steps

🔷 ongoing support for 30 days via email, text, voice, or video message (your choice) 

 

We plan together before and after your collapse conversation, giving you all you need to prepare for it and helping you keep the support and momentum going afterward.

 

Through a thoughtful process of assessing your own readiness as well as the potential impacts of avoiding the conversation, we co-design a strategy that includes all the essential elements to ensure the best possible engagement and impact for your collapse-forward dialogue. 

 

Every leader is different, and so is every group of participants.

 

A well-received collapse conversation requires trust in the messenger.

You do not need to be an expert in systems change. 

In fact, it´s important that you show up as a peer who is also learning and struggling with concerns about the future.

 

But you do need to be someone they trust.

 

And though you can't fully anticipate how others will respond, you can create the space for an honest, respectful, and reflective conversation.

The goal: to invite consideration of collapse, and foster ongoing learning and creative ideas for adaptation. 

If you're ready to initiate a meaningful collapse conversation now in order to open your workplace and everyone in it to a more conscious approach that is aligned with reality, I would love to help. 

 

 

Please contact me directly by email or send me a DM on LinkedIn. I will get back to you soon to schedule an initial chat to explore ideas for your best possible outcome.

 

Or, feel free to use the form below:

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Feel free to email me !