“How can you know what you’re capable of if you don’t embrace the unknown?”― Esmeralda Santiago, Conquistadora
2018 was a year of firsts for me: I was a new immigrant to Canada, I learned how to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, and I was introduced to the concept of Social Innovation. I was on a steep learning curve!
15 years of working for local government in the UK had left me somewhat jaded at the results achieved by the traditional approach to problem solving where decisions were made at the highest level with little to no consultation with the frontline staff and the decisions were often driven by financial imperatives. If frontline staff were asked for their input, it often felt like we were being asked as a token gesture. So, when I joined NSGovLab I was heartened to learn that Nova Scotia is stepping out from this traditional approach and thinking outside the box — turning to social innovation for client focused solutions.
When I came on board as logistical support to NSGovLab I diligently researched the theory behind social innovation, but as we all know theory and reality are often two different things. During my interview, words like social media, blogs, and collaborative working through Google were bandied around, which gave me my first inkling that I was entering a brave new world, one that was very different to my previous experience of government systems.
I was keen to experience social innovation up close and within my first few weeks I found myself attending my first Gathering. I very much doubt that even if I had been given a detailed account of what to expect, I would have been prepared. Within a short-time I found myself participating in an improvisation workshop — something deeply outside my ‘British’ comfort zone. But what the heck, I found myself enjoying catching imaginary balls and thinking up creative ways to commit murder (as a keen reader of Agatha Christie I quite enjoyed the later exercise).
I then moved on to the graphics workshop and learnt how to draw conversations. Now I’ve never been good at art, but hey I was willing to give RSA Animate a run for their money! So, by the end of the first morning I’d shed my inhibitions and embraced the ethos of social innovation, through listening I had learned to adapt, co-create, and collaborate with my Fellows. I started the day feeling slightly anxious about what to expect, yet I finished the day having absorbed the central skills, knowledge, and values required for social innovation, and all without realizing it.
Since then I’ve added to my arsenal of skills by learning to ‘hang-out’, ‘doodle’ and now write a blog which I’m about to upload to Twitter. Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks!
