How we built a team: Methods for connection, reflection, and co-creation

Building a strong foundation for transdisciplinary collaboration means creating space for connection; in the case of FIRI not only between people, but also between people and nature. We used a range of methods to foster trust, shared goals, and meaningful exchange. From Indigenous songs and healing circles to nature walks and critical conversations about power, these practices helped us to create a collaborative and respectful environment.  

The FIRI project is composed of three “knowledge teams”: The “Traditional Ecological Knowledge” (TEK) team, made up of Indigenous stewardship specialists; the “Local Ecological Knowledge” (LEK) team, consisting of Swiss nature conservation practitioners; and the researcher team based at the University of Zurich (Uni). Throughout the project—and especially during our workshops—we employed different approaches to support team building, foster reflection, and strengthen our connections with one another and with nature(s). We worked in different formats: discussions within the sub-teams, in the plenary, or in mixed groups. Following, we present five of the most central approaches.  

Ground Rules 

Before we began the first workshop, we agreed on a set of ground rules for mutual respect and understanding. Everyone was encouraged to add or change the list, and we collectively agreed on the following:  

1. Instead of “no, but,” “yes, and...” 

2. The timekeeper is keeping the group on task. We agree to follow the timekeepers’ cues. 

3. It is okay to interrupt for clarification, to ask someone to define a term, or to ask someone to slow down or repeat something. We want to stay on topic/task.  

4. We hold each other accountable for how much space we take up in group discussions. Everyone deserves to be heard. 

5. When having trouble expressing something in English, it is okay to speak in German and ask for help translating (and vice versa). 

6. We keep our phones on silent (unless family emergencies, etc.) 

   
   

The ground rules were revisited at the beginning of the second workshop, and were accepted by everyone without any changes or additions.  

Presencing 

Our aim was to start each workshop day and smaller community outreach event with a presencing exercise as a way to open each gathering with intention. We decided on starting with welcome songs, which were graciously shared by our Indigenous participants. Each song had a distinct cultural meaning and communicated a story that was first explained by our Indigenous partners before the song began. We would also close each day with a song, and ended both workshop sessions with healing circles led by the Indigenous fellows. This method allowed for a clear beginning and end to our joint sessions, and they allowed the Indigenous fellows to share aspects of their cultural heritage through stories, drumming, and song.  

Team Building Methods 

Before we met in person for the first workshop, we held a few virtual meetings where people were asked a few icebreaker questions to get to know one another on a personal level and therefore provide a foundation for trust and understanding. These meetings also incorporated smaller breakout room sessions for individual team members to converse. During the first workshop, different methods were included to encourage team members to learn more about one another. For example, everyone was asked to fill out a so-called “manual of me”, answering questions about their personal and social functioning. We then conducted a “speed dating” session where  members were paired up to discuss their answers to the manual questions.

These exercises were meant to give participants structure to their conversations where needed. However, conversations could often diverge and cover a variety of topics and common interests. The main goal was to encourage people to feel comfortable and included in the team and to foster mutual respect, trust, and team cohesion through one-on-one connections. Certain discussion points were discussed separately within sub-teams (TEK, LEK, Uni). This approach was especially appreciated by members of the LEK team, as it gave them the opportunity to compare experiences.  

Shared Nature Experiences  

An important aspect of our workshops was the chance to engage in shared experiences in natural surroundings together. Due to the nature of the topics we were discussing, which dealt with human-nature interconnectedness, entering spaces where we could feel this connection was important. The effectiveness of leaving office settings and going outside was something that was recognized by multiple workshop participants. These experiences were made possible by our project partners at Wildnispark Zürich, which hosted us at Sihlwald during the first workshop and at Langenberg during the second. Additionally, one of our project partners hosted us at a community-led conservation space in Zurich to which she belongs. Here, we were able to learn about the association and the different species that are kept on their shared fields and explore the neighboring urban forest. These locations allowed team members to share experiences and were used as backdrops for other methods, including team-building and semi-guided conversations. One participant explained the importance of shared experiences in nature: 

"For example that we were in the forest and also exchanged ideas in the forest. That ... creates a situation, so when you go outside or are in a beautiful place, it creates a situation that makes it easier to exchange knowledge" 

Walk and Talk  

The walk and talk method enabled us to enter into small group or one-on-one discussions while engaging with our natural surroundings during the workshops. Participants were given one or two prompt questions and a map showing possible routes to take together. The prompts were related to workshop topics and encouraged team members to reflect on certain issues together. This method further encouraged individual connections, and pairs were reorganized at specific meeting points on the maps.  

Continuous reflection and (re)integration of co-created knowledge 

Team members in charge of coordination co-developed interview guides and questionnaires to encourage participants to reflect on their expectations and learning processes. All participants were asked to complete pre-workshop questionnaires, fill out daily reflection forms during the duration of the workshops, and engage in group reflections at the end of every workshop day. In addition, the Uni team conducted semi-structured interviews at the end of workshops 1 and 2. The reflections and interviews from the first workshop were analyzed and the findings were re-incorporated into the planning of the second workshop. For example, we revisited certain topics that were still unclear and focused more on methodologies that participants found more engaging and enlightening. 

We asked participants to reflect on the different knowledge teams’ roles throughout the project. We agreed that each team contributed to the project in their own way; participants appreciated the TEK team’s contributions through storytelling and song, ancestral knowledge and 7-generations thinking, and centering respect as protocol. The LEK team’s contributions included concrete case studies which could be linked to outdoor experiences, and the inclusion of local Swiss perspectives. The Uni team contributed to the organization and structure of the project, as well as the conceptual and theoretical framework.Common takeaways included a recognition of all three knowledge perspectives, where participants noted that all were represented and complementary to one another. See, for example, the following quote by one workshop participant: 

“I think that it's important to use multiple perspectives of knowledge and hold them parity with each other. Too often our scientific communities take precedence, especially in the Western world. Yeah. There's so many different ways of knowing and we deprive ourselves of benefits from those type of knowledge systems when we exclude them at the benefit of the other."    

Reflecting on workshop outcomes more generally, certain participants explained that they felt motivated by the connections fostered during the project, and that it encouraged them to look towards the future with a more positive outlook. Additionally, outdoor learning environments proved to be well appreciated and helpful in encouraging knowledge exchange and furthering learning. Participants stressed the importance of outdoor experiences, and the incorporation of a variety of such moments contributed to the success of the project.