Writing proposals: make it easy on yourself I

Part One

I’m terribly excited about a proposal for Rio+20 that I wrote with my colleague Nina. “What a sad creature,” you say. “Who gets excited about proposal writing?” Well let me tell you, by the time Nina pressed ‘send’ at 00.20 this morning, I had experienced the complete A-Z of emotions. My brain was so busy; I didn’t want to go to bed.

12 easy steps to a powerful proposal

1. Do the research
2. Stick with what you know
3. Collaborate
4. Delegate 
5. Know yourself
6. Focus 
7. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours
8. Don’t starve
9. Don’t be a martyr
10. Relax
11. Focus
12. Tell each other what you enjoyed

What do you need to write a proposal the easy way?

Read the tender closely: Identify the assessment criteria. What must you cover in your proposal to get the attention of the assessors? Be sure to mirror the language and terms in the tender document in your proposal.

Write about what you know: From a long menu of topics we chose sustainable cities because that is the subject we know best. Decide what makes your organisation special, and put that into your proposal. Lots of organisations work on sustainable cities, so what is special about the LEAD approach?

Involve the most talented people you can: Know your strengths and your limitations. Build a team of people who love their subject and like to share what they know with others. We identified 3 outstanding LEAD Fellows in Brazil, South Africa and Canada who all work in the area of sustainable urban development. We arranged to meet each one on Skype, explained the purpose of the proposal, what we wanted them to do, and how we could all make it work. We sold the idea to them and because they are all visionary and passionate about their subject, each of them said ‘yes’.

Divide the tasks: Nina is the project manager and I am the learning designer. We quickly agreed who would write which parts of the proposal based on what we do well. We must have share the work equally because I remember we both finished what we had to do about the same time. You need to trust the other person to do what needs to be done to a good standard before the deadline.

Be your own manager: When I don’t want to do something, I am extremely good at finding ‘displacement activities’. My desk needs tidying. There are some plates in the sink that need washing. I need something very specific to eat before I start. Just say ‘No’ to all these little tasks that don’t matter and focus on the one that does.

To be continued

Dance with a Stranger: how do you nurture talent?

Earlier this year a young dancer from the Ukraine resigned abruptly from the Royal Ballet. He was scheduled to dance a number of leading roles, and had recently been described as “better than Baryshnikov”. “Now I know how it felt when The Beatles split” tweeted one of his fans.

“Where were you when you heard the news?” asked a journalist. Like many people, I read the news on Twitter when I was settling in for a performance of new works by some of his (now former) colleagues. Monica Mason, Director of the Royal Ballet, looked grim in the bar afterwards. It was reported that the now ex-Royal Ballet soloist had gone up to Dame Monica at the end of a rehearsal and told her he “didn’t want to dance anymore”. In a press release Dame Monica said, “This has obviously come as a huge shock”.

A Star Turns

I was shocked, too. Not want to dance anymore, he who could land on a sixpence and give meaning and purpose to every gesture? I, who know nothing about ballet except that I find it rather a challenge to maintain the ‘Dancer’s Position’ in my yoga class, had identified the Ukrainian as one of the most exciting dancers in the company. Other dancers might get name checked more often by the critics, and on Twitter, but I was always rooting for the Ukrainian. Like a fond parent, I glowed when he was given new roles. I basked in his reflected glory. When he became a world star, I, for one, would not be surprised. 

Stage Twitterers

What happened after his departure was interesting. Regular Twitterers from the Royal Ballet said almost nothing. One well-known dancer tweeted that the Ukrainian needed a spanking. A number of journalists and bloggers speculated why he had resigned? Was he rebelling against years of discipline at the Royal Ballet? What was known about his family, education, health and hobbies was sifted for clues about his emotional and mental state. Some of his tweets were discovered to be alarming. Were his tattoos really misspelt? Had the golden boy become the Amy Winehouse of ballet?

‘I think I jumped a little bit higher than Ivan!’

So far, so painful. What to make of the whole affair? Should one feel sad that someone with so much potential left the company that nurtured him so abruptly? Or should one be grateful for the joy that his dancing has given already, and be glad for him that he jumped? What is the real story? How do people at the Royal Ballet feel about his resignation? What was done to help him? What is going on in his head? We know from his Twitter account that he still takes pride in jumping higher than Ivan.

“4 controversial years left!!!!”

I work in learning and development as a facilitator and as a coach. One of my main pleasures is to watch people grow in confidence, and to see them become the person that they want to be. I want the people I work with to be happy and successful. I think this is what troubles me about the Ukrainian: that he may not know who he wants to be, that he may not reach his full potential and that he may not be happy.

What is the best way to support people with exceptional gifts, and how do you nurture talent in a hothouse environment like the Royal Ballet? I don’t have any answers. Maybe my reaction to the Ukrainian’s departure is selfish. If he wants to be a tattooist, then let it him. But please let him learn to spell.

“I was impressed to watch your stage in Tokyo”

The good news is that the tattooed one has danced recently in London and Tokyo. He is scheduled to dance in London again, though not with the Royal Ballet. I will go to see him for as long as he wants to dance.

The Art of Hosting: conversations with young people

Take 5 London Mayoral candidates, a few hundred young leaders, 2 television presenters, a musician, a live Twitter feed, fish and chips, and what do you get? For me, lots of food for thought about how to host an event, and how to communicate with young people. Last night Channel 4 Television and UpRise co-hosted a well attended conversation about young people, equality and diversity in London. What made the evening special?

Make people feel welcome

When I arrived Channel 4 staff were organised and welcoming. Delicious fish and chips,drinks and nibbles restored my spirits after a long working day.

Give people a chance to get to know each other

I really enjoyed talking to a social entrepreneur and an IT Graduate who were quietly engaging. In the nicest possible way they gave me insights into what it is like to be young and looking for work. I also met a community film maker with three mobile phones who used to live near me in Peckham. These conversations made me feel less like an outsider.

Appeal to different senses

The evening started with a solo performance by British vocalist, cellist and composer Ayanna whose resonant singing and playing reminded me of Nina Simone.

Structure your event

The 5 mayoral candidates were invited to speak for 2-3 minutes about what mattered to them. I felt a little bit sorry for the speakers who had to communicate what really mattered to their absent leaders. Ten young ambassadors were invited to put questions to the candidates from the front of the stage. Although, the audience did not get many answers to their thoughtful questions, presenter Konnie Huq assured them that they would receive written answers.  

Make technology available

There was a highly visible (edited) Twitter feed running all through the evening which at times was very entertaining.

 Be comfortable with passion

Things kicked off towards the end but my lasting memory is how respectful the audience were to the mayoral candidates and how attentively they listened.

Getting your message across

I don’t think the goal of the evening was to create a winner. However, the audience reaction and the Twitter Feed suggested that Siobhan Benita was the most popular candidate. Based on what I saw and heard, Siobhan gained the approval of the audience because she spoke from the heart. Genuineness and authenticity are powerful.

Communicating with young people

I am an older white male. When I am working with younger people I always think very carefully about what I might have to say, and how I can best say it. Why, I ask myself, would young people want to listen to me unless what I say is relevant, credible and different? Unfortunately, by not turning up at all, Boris and Ken lost an opportunity to engage with some really committed young leaders.