Civic Design: Be less afraid of feelings

On your Civic Design process, be less afraid of feelings—they can be a source of growth.

Emotions fuel our decision-making, they shape our imagination and help us to find exciting and unexpected solutions.

But we often have a tendency to suppress our emotions, turning our emotional state negative and fearing its overwhelming impact. We manage our anger, fear, and sadness as the symptoms of our individual weakness, rather than as growth opportunities.

On the contrary, emotions can be a source of growth by helping us build more dynamic teams –when harnessed appropriately- and enhancing our creativity.

Some great benefits of harnessing emotions:

Emotions drive us towards being more creative.

Emotions help us design better and more innovative products, services, and processes. They enable us to adjust and adapt to a constantly changing environment.

Emotions help groups and communities move forwards collaboratively and productively, overcoming individual differences.

Emotions can be a catalyst for an inclusive and collaborative culture, in which no obvious hierarchy exists.

Emotions can help communities to become more resilient. When people feel connected and as if they belong, they figure out how to solve their inconveniences together.

The emotional connections create a positive feedback loop. People feel good about themselves when they feel connected, to the reason they work and to the common goal.

Creating a diverse and inclusive environment for #CivicDesign processes is key. If you have any suggestions, please share them below.