ROAR: Moving Forward with Your Community During Transitions

This presentation was shared in the Asia Pacific Community Music Online Conference in 2020.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, many people's livelihood and way of working has been interrupted and many artists may be struggling to find new directions and re-establishing new ways of working. They may have to change strategies, jobs, work locations, careers and even countries of residence.

Although these transitions can offer new opportunities, they are often full of unpredictable challenges and obstacles. This is why it's worth thinking about how we can manage these transitions by becoming more risk-tolerant, adaptable and collaborative.

Calvin & Hobbes shows that life is full of uncertainties.

ROAR = Risk-tolerance, Offer, Adaptability, Resolve

起 Risk Tolerance - Access Your Risks

承 Offer - Assemble Your Resources

轉 Adaptability - Manage Conflicts and Negotiate

合 - Resolve

起承轉合 (qǐ chéng zhuǎn hé) is a dynamic narrative structure in Chinese literature and it propers the development of a story. I would also like to use this as a way of looking into how we can move forward with the community during times of transition, and I have developed this ROAR coaching routine below for managing transitions through strengthening the emotional brains and social connections. This routine aims to guide decision making during times of transition and draw support from a community of practitioners.

1. RISK-TOLERANCE 起：We will begin by assessing risks. This will help you relax more and become more resistant to stress.

· What is difficult for you right now?

· What is actually threatening you and what is just making you feel nervous?

· Will you accept what makes you nervous and focus your energy and time on dealing with actual threats and key challenges?

· What is your key challenge right now?

2. OFFER 承：We will now explore offers. This will connect you with the community of practitioners and create a current of strength and support in the community which will in turn support and encourage you.

· What new opportunities are presented in your community network. For my own example, The Asian Pacific Community Music Network.

· Who is your role model and what have inspired you?

· Is there someone you would like to collaborate with further?

· Conversely, is there anything you need to stop doing or any one you need to stop collaborating with so that you can move forward?

· Furthermore, is there anything you like to offer to others? E.g. I am offering life coaching hacks for free.

3. ADAPTABILITY 轉：This will help you manage conflicts and negotiate more effectively and successfully to the new situation.

· What surprised you in this new situation?

· What new perspectives have you gained so far?

· What new insights do these new perspectives give you?

· What possible solutions can you come up with?

· What would be an ideal move in this new situation? What would you tell your friend to do in the same situation?

· What does this move look like, sound like and feel like ?

· How can you create the conditions for this new move to happen?

· What is the first step?

· What happens next?

4. RESOLVE 合: This is the final decision you make after considering after identifying your key challenges, new options, many perspectives and your ideal move?

· How would you summarise your situation?

· What have you decided to do now?

· What is your decision?

· Is it possible to cope with the trade-off?

· What does your heart tell you?

· Is there anyone you would like to talk to further about this?

Summary:

Transition is the first step and also a process towards change and when it is managed well, you will achieve change more successfully and efficiently. I hope this ROAR routine helps you stay calm and move forward with the help of your community during this time of transitions.