Laying the Groundwork

For a community of people to work harmoniously toward a shared goal, it is imperative to have guidelines which people can agree to uphold. This foundation is what holds the ground and space for the entire organization’s engagements. It guides interpersonal communication and provides a clear definition of what respect looks like to the group.

At GRuB, the Guidelines and Community Contract are the pillars upon which the whole organization stands. They clearly communicate to each individual who chooses to volunteer, intern, or otherwise benefit from the organization, these foundational principles. My first week back at GRuB, I spent a day (re)learning the ropes. As a returning intern, I took the opportunity to use this repeat training to internalize the materials through the filter of my learning objectives – to learn the GRuB model and understand how and why they are successful.

I believe the Guidelines are significant to the organization because they create a safe space and at the same time challenge people to step outside of their comfort zone. They ask participants in programming, staff, volunteers and interns to “Try on” a different way of thinking and communicating. It is always explained that this is voluntary, and the “challenge by choice” principle allows people to participate how and when they choose. Another guideline is “be aware of intent and impact”. This point is important to their model because it fosters a sense of personal awareness and awareness of others, and emphasizes the responsibility each person has to help maintain the safe space held by the greater community.

Part of why GRuB is a successful and well respected organization is because its members are constantly working on improving their communication, building trusting relationships and challenging each other to be more inclusive and respectful of everyone’s voice, opinion and journey. By these guides, people feel welcomed to engage, without feeling pressured to, which I think leads to genuine engagement. Community accountability is created by the guidelines by encouraging the development of understanding multiple perspectives and the practice of inclusive self-governance.

The community contract, which applies specifically to staff and interns, dives deeper into the commitment made to uphold these practices in not just the community but in our personal lives as well. Growing Self is an important part of GRuB’s mission. They ask us to commit to focusing a piece of our work on ourselves. My personal work this time around is focused on healing my gut and my relationship to it. And it couldn’t come at a better time. This class, this internship, and healing work I’m in desperate need of, all converge around food, specifically, the healing nature of farming and cooking.

Furthermore, constructive feedback and affirmations are a frequent practice at GRuB, which perpetuates the growth of the organization and its members. Using what is currently called (and under review) “Straight Talk”,  a form of feedback also known as a Sh*t Sandwich, where constructive criticism (Delta) is presented between two forms of positive feedback (Alpha). The concept of Alphas and Deltas are also applied to the development of their programs, where they routinely reflect on all parts of the organization, searching for places to improve.

It would be impossible for me to do the organization justice in just a few short paragraphs, to express all the ways in which communication, character and values come together to produce such a fruitful bounty enjoyed by all who come in contact with GRuB. What I simply attempted to do here is share what has resonated most with me and what I have noticed to be most present and pertinent to my previous and current experiences here. I hope to continue to gain insight into GRuB, to use this platform to reflect on what I’ve noticed, to extract valuable lessons therein and fold-in all that I can
to fertilize my path forward.