Fieldnotes from the In-Between #1
THE TRESHOLD IS NOW.
By Jitske Kramer. Corporate anthropologist | Best-selling Author of “Tricky Times”, “Building Tribes”, “Deep Democracy”
I travel the world to learn from traditional healers, tribal leaders, surprising innovators and random passers-by. From age old rituals in Togo to boardroom dialogues in Amsterdam – I collect stories, symbols, and practices that help us understand who we are, and how we live and lead together.
As a corporate anthropologist, I apply the wisdom and methods of cultural anthropology to the world of organizations. Because organizations are not machines – they are living cultures. They have myths, taboos, rituals and ranking systems.
If we want real change, we need to understand how humans actually behave. Not just how we wish they would.
We are in a liminal time.
A time between “what no longer is” and “what might become.” A time of transition, transformation, creativity… and sometimes, turmoil.
The rules that once made sense are dissolving. New ones have not yet taken shape. We feel unmoored.
Leaders struggle to lead. Teams fragment or freeze. We long for clarity, but encounter chaos. And yet – this in-between space holds extraordinary potential.
If we dare to stay.
If we dare to witness.
If we dare to listen.
So what now?
As a leader, facilitator or changemaker, you might be asking:
How do I guide others when I feel lost myself?
How do I create safety when everything feels unsafe?
How do I make decisions that truly include all voices?
How to navigate uncertain times?
How do I deal with powershifts?
There are no quick answers. But there is language. There are rituals. There are stories that help us remember who we are when the world is uncertain. There is anthropolgical wisdom to share on how humans deal with change. Because as humankind we know how to do this, we have done it before.
In the next editions of Fieldnotes from the In-Between, I’ll share tools, questions and reflections to help you navigate.
Because transformation isn’t something we survive. It’s something we practice.
A question to you:
What part of your old world is dying? And what story wants to be born through you?
Feel free to reply, reflect, or share. This is a digital campfire. Let’s listen. Let’s learn. Let’s go deep.
“I travel the world to learn from traditional healers, tribal leaders, surprising innovators and random passers-by. From age old rituals in Togo to boardroom dialogues in Amsterdam – I collect stories, symbols, and practices that help us understand who we are, and how we live and lead together.”
Beautiful life of learning.