Can I have some more work like this please?

A couple of years ago, inspired by Patti Digh, I thought long and hard about the sort of work I wanted to do. I came up with this criteria. I’ve been trying to live by it ever since.

I’ve just finished an amazing couple of weeks work in Kenya, looking at how to incorporate mental health and psychosocial support into aid programs. Not only did this work tick four or more boxes, it ticked every one of them!

• Can I make a real contribution? Is there a need for my skills? Will I make a difference?
• Will it stretch me? Is it edgy? Will it contribute to my continued learning?
• Is there an opportunity to build capacity, and transfer my skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to others?
• Will it enable me to make money and provide for the future?
• Is there an opportunity to travel to new or interesting places?
• Will I be with cool people, especially friends? Will I potentially make new friends, and build existing relationships?
• Will I have fun?
• Am I excited by the prospect?

The work was specifically to design and facilitate a long (12-day) training program with 35 people from 26 different countries, injecting facilitation and creating activities to support the content delivered by four subject matter experts. We worked well together, created some great activities to support people’s learning and managed to deliver a serious subject playfully.