Can You Change the World in Two Days?

Probably not. But you can activate leadership and changemakers.

I hear it so often — “We’ve done so many workshops, but nothing happened.” And I always wonder… but you were there, so… what happened? What did you do? Why didn’t you do anything? Surely something happened…? What were you waiting for?

Here’s what I think is going on: most workshops aren’t designed for creating changemakers — they’re designed for information sharing, and they are often quite transactional. In the nonprofit, philanthropic, and social justice space, our precious time needs to be used in more meaningful ways, where we learn and are mobilized.

A recent two-day retreat I designed and led on operationalizing racial equity focused on exactly this: creating a transformative experience that moved towards collective action (in which we understand that it’s not about 1 of us, it’s about each of us). The prevailing culture reflected deep care and concern about equity, but also a clear sense of passivity — a kind of “waiting for permission” and thinking that someone else “over there… on the committee, in the executive office, etc.” would do it. Some folks had even decided that this wasn’t their work to do — they couldn’t find their way in.

We needed to level-set around racial equity language and mobilize people from every part of the organization. And this wasn’t their first time engaging the topic — the fatigue was real, but so was their energy to do more and better. They wanted action. So the task was big: they needed a different kind of experience, one that broke through old dynamics while moving 51 people into collective action. (And, as a side note — on a topic that’s increasingly being vilified… woof.)

Here’s what I did:

1 Moved beyond the jargon.
Definitions don’t mean understanding. This team had many definitions — but little understanding of what they actually meant in “the real world.” We leaned into generating stories and using accessible language to talk about inequity and suffering. We got away from the jargon and uncovered the ethic of the work in a way that was compelling. As in, I am compelled to do something because I understand + care.

2 Reconnected to “why.”
We spent time on “purpose origin stories” — a practice of reconnecting with ourselves and each other that I often lead groups through. In this setting, we took just about 20 minutes to talk about a personal story that makes this work matter to us. No right or wrong answers. It unlocked deeply powerful conditions that move action. Our motivation sits in our why; our continued sense of contribution comes from our why — especially when times get challenging. By sharing those stories with each other, we first, reminded ourselves of why this work matters (beyond the daily grind, there is meaning and purpose!) and we built collective momentum. People connected with each other. And more importantly, they heard from one another, in plain, heartfelt stories, why this work mattered. It was like a deep, shared breath of validation: yes, in our own ways, we are all in this.

3 The revolution is not in a strategic plan.
We spent almost a full day in practice. Using tools, experimenting, ideating, thinking beyond current constraints, we navigated conversations about risk, what is actually on the table that can redesigned, and took a run at reimagining how work was done. It showed that there are other ways possible and that changemaking work is not theorretcial or a “retreat” activity. It’s about buildng a consistent habit to be present, be curious, and be creative. It also showed the team that yes, so much they do is great and helpful And, there is so much more to do. Colonizer culture is hiding in plain sight.

There were three closing remarks that summed up those two days and warmed my heart:

“We can do big — and bigger — things.” (From the CEO — an important vote for this work!)
“I believe in us. All of us.”
“I feel even more of my agency now — I can do something.”

So… can you change the world in two days? Probably not.
But can you activate changemakers who go big and motivate folks to keep on keepin’ on? Absolutely.

#VibeFacilitator #FacilitatingChange #DesigningForProgress #ChangemakersUnite