Happy Hanukkah! From the 28th of November, until sundown on the 6th of December, Jewish people celebrated Hanukkah. Whilst communities around the world mark the festival differently- including with a variety of traditional dishes, songs and events- they are united in the feast of dedication.
Why dedication? The meaning of the word Hanukkah (derived from Chanukkah) means dedication in Hebrew. For instance, the celebrations reaffirm the ideals of Judaism. Whilst many not-for-profits do not follow the Jewish tradition, they share the idea of being dedicated. All are set up to be dedicated to a cause, to make a different in the world, much like Caplor Horizons and our partners Paper Boat.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Kemal Shaheen and Jo Bowen, with the support of their colleagues at Paper Boat, navigated a major change of direction. This has been focused on encouraging children in India to unlock their potential through creative activities. This redirection and re-dedication was fundamental: it was felt imperative to recenter the mission to empower young people. If you want to find out why, read this paper on unlocking a child's full potential.
Maintaining Direction during rough seas. This change of direction led to many challenges, both financially and otherwise. It led to engaging their partners and other stakeholders to discern the best way forwards. Due to to their passion and commitment, Kemal and Jo were able to steer Paper Boat to new horizons, including through collaboration with us at Caplor Horizons.
How can we keep dedicated to what we believe during 'VUCA' times? Click here for our paper, written by Professor Sharon Turnbull, about leading change in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) times. VUCA challenges can be overcome through vision, understanding, clarity and agility. In our leadership model we have identified the following as ways to overcome VUCA times: sense making, relational, stewardship and adaptation.
Change maker of the week:
Quote of the week
“Dedication adds to your positivity towards your goal to success" - Jawad Abid
Best wishes,
Ian, Lorna, Rosie and Megan