September 25, 2020
Hi SIA members,
For those of you who have been participating in the trainings thus far, I want to thank you!! Thank you for taking the time to equip yourself with the tools to engage in more inclusive efforts. As I mentioned in the previous segment, the SWORD Inclusion system is a highly holistic process. The more engagement in the system, the more insight obtained to embed inclusion into daily life.
In this first phase, we have concentrated specifically on the mind and emotions. What are we thinking about inclusion, feeling about inclusion, and doing about inclusion? Our thoughts may include seeking out varied lived experiences of those unlike ourselves. I recently re-reviewed REI’s video on the National Brotherhood of Skiers and wow over 2 million views!! That is astounding!
You may feel the excitement from learning more about others or feel emotional triggers begin to surface as you witness lived experiences contrary to your belief system. You may also decide to engage in conversations consistently to integrate inclusion into your daily life.
Within these engagement levels, you are beginning to provide examples for yourself on the various shifts you will need to generate for a more inclusive lifestyle. Collectively social conditioning has us exclusive to one another, and to be frank; it does not serve us. Tribalism is killing us, and it’s time we do something about it.
We have to take some deliberate courses of action based on a clear strategic objective to make this dramatic shift from a system of exclusion to inclusion. From the SWORD Inclusion system, we will discover a clear strategic purpose extracted from a SOAR analysis, which stands for Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. This activity will guide us in completing our FiRST PHASE: Strategic Inclusive Goal.
I have provided a document that will assist you. I imagine many of you are familiar with the SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis; well, we will be using the slightly different SOAR analysis. The tool will create a more positive outlook on the future and engage with the opportunities and results versus weaknesses and threats. The framework concentrates on the future you can create versus being intimidated by it. I think each of you will enjoy this process.
Here is an example of the document:
2020 SWORD SOAR Analysis
After you’ve completed the exercise, think to yourself, what is your inclusive strategic goal? What are you attempting to accomplish with inclusion? What is your North Star?
Please feel free to e-mail me your statements at [email protected], and let’s talk through them together.
I look forward to speaking with you soon! Have a delightful day!