Do you remember the story of “Stone Soup?” Some hungry travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. The villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the visitors, as they don’t even have enough for themselves. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making “stone soup,” which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn’t mind parting with just a little bit of carrot to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn’t reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.
That story really speaks to the beauty of the event I recorded on Tuesday night in San Diego. It was the kickoff event for a “Stone Soup Listening Tour.” In classic “stone soup” fashion, the guests were the ones providing the meat and spice of the conversation: the hosts provided the stone to get the process started and the questions to stir the pot. Within two hours, we had a delicious stew of stories and ideas that elevated views of what was possible and inspired action in all.
I got to witness the magic of this event as its graphic recorder. And it got me thinking: what could happen if instead of “running a meeting,” we simply provided the stone and stirred the pot a bit? Instead of providing the answers, we simply asked the questions? Instead of telling others the solution, we asked what others found to be working… and then just listened?
What could happen if, instead of running your next meeting, you invited others to contribute to the soup?
Tasty thoughts, indeed!
The Possibilities in Simply Stirring the Pot
