‘Take CARE to be CALM’

The ‘Take CARE to be CALM’ approach is a life-centered framework to develop fit-for-purpose digital mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets to

  • Rethink new ways of working;

  • Reimagine their digital ecosystem, and 

  • Reframe digital (community) practices and processes.

This resource explores the ‘Take CARE to be CALM’ framework, covering ways you can work Collaboratively, be Anticipatory in your planning, practice Letting go of ‘command-and-control’ leadership and embrace collective leadership, and be Mindful through your rhythm of work.

These articles take a reflective, deep dive into the theory behind CALM and set out tips for putting it into practice within your work and your organization.

The acronym ‘CALM’ surfaced as Dr. Lauren Vargas began discussing and writing about the outcomes of the initial One by One research. It stemmed from Dr. Vargas’ time spent working with UK museums on digital transformation and skill-building, where a ‘Keep calm and carry on’ attitude sometimes prevails. The CALM acronym, explored within this Pathway, can help you to adopt new ways of working and develop a digital-first environment within your organization that is Collaborative, Anticipatory, Lets go of command and control leadership, and Mindful.

How might we begin to reimagine a new way of working? How might we develop a digital-first environment within our organizations that is:

  • C — Collaborative: engaging openly and transparently with other staff to plan and develop (internal or external) work products.

  • A — Anticipatory: planning effectively using agile methods, being aware of relevant data (through analysis and reporting), and building in a process for feedback.

  • L — Letting go of Command and Control Leadership and Embracing Leaderful Behaviors: locating and enabling leaders at all levels whilst developing a shared sense of decision-making and accountability.

  • M — Mindful: making time and space to reflect on information and decisions

Just as common words and themes bubbled to the surface during Dr. Vargas’ initial ‘One by One’ research to form the ‘BE: CALM’ approach, a new group of words and themes (always lurking just beneath the surface before the COVID-19 situation) have come to light to give way to a new acronym: CARE. When paired with the ‘CALM’ approach, it makes a powerful new mantra: Take ‘CARE’ to be ‘CALM’.

What does it mean to Take ‘CARE’? Like the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ motivational posters that inspired the first acronym, hearing so many people sign off emails and video calls with “Take care,” motivated Vargas to delve deeper into this throw-away phrase and consider: What do people really mean when they say, “take care”? Do they actually mean it or is it simply a pleasantry? If we were to assign meaning, what is the expected value? 

What skills are needed before embarking upon a ‘CALM’ approach?

  • C – Communication: How might we express what we mean? In times like these, do we not have a responsibility to over-communicate because we lack those chance encounters that occur when we are living our personal and professional lives? We think we do and why Vargas advocates for learning and working-out-loud. Narrating our work is not about ego boosting, but helping orient ourselves and others to what, when, how, and why we do what we do. Communication precedes collaboration.

  • A – Adaptation: How might we find ways to learn from the past to inform our present and plan for the future? We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, three weeks, or six months from now, but what might we do to help us acknowledge and make sense of all the internal and external outputs so that we may pivot and adapt and adopt new practices and strategic pathways? Scenario planning is impressive, but when it lacks business and emotional intelligence, the narratives will not be helpful for you or your organization to develop actionable activities and practices. Even when in equilibrium, the world around us is in constant motion. No one likes change…especially when it is forced upon us. Are we asking the right questions to help prepare us for what may be next? What do we have in our toolbelt to help us make sense of our emotions and paths forward?

  • R – Resilience: Right now, we feel fragile. This is a collective emotion experienced worldwide. The chinks in our personal and professional armor that we ignored before COVID can no longer be neglected. We have lived in fear of living without. There may be a silver lining to our current situation – we are renewing our acquaintance with our resilience. How do we ensure we do not forget this experience? Things like strategy, governance, and human-centered approaches are not nice-to-have but need-to-have. They may not be the most appealing digital activities to pursue, but they are vital.

  • E – Empathy: As shame and vulnerability researcher Brené Brown reminds us, “empathy is not our default response.” Empathy is our ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This is difficult to practice if we cannot understand and process our emotions. Listening to how others feel and understanding what they need when we feel like drowning is rough. But this is what is being asked or at least expected of us by our family and employers. How might we create safe spaces for us to share our own stories and process the stories of others?

To learn more about the ‘Take CARE to be CALM’ framework, schedule an informal meet-and-greet session: https://calendly.com/vargaslmv/meet-and-greet