The Braided River Story

The Braided River facilitation framework developed organically during a flight from Wellington to Timaru. Soaring over the Canterbury Plains, I was struck by the beauty of the Rakaia River, a braided river. As I looked down on the river - its intricate network of vein-like channels with paddocks of different shapes and sizes on both sides - I realised it was a perfect analogy for a company, or group of people flowing towards a shared goal.

The paddocks represent the various departments in an organisation - finance, sales, IT, marketing - or different roles within a group. They are static and isolated from one another. The main flow of the river represents the company or group’s vision or primary objective. For the Rakaia, it is to reach the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, various channels break from the mainstream, branching out towards the banks on either side. But they always weave back to the main flow, never straying from the journey to the Pacific.

As a facilitator, I invite everyone to jump in the river. I give them permission to break from the mainstream and visit the banks on each side, freeing them to communicate with people outside their department, area of expertise, or comfort zone. I ask them to share what they discover with the group. Most importantly, I keep everyone flowing in the same direction, guiding them on the journey towards the shared vision or purpose.

A company or group that’s in flow is like a Braided River - dynamic, unified, free to try new things, but, ultimately, moving in the same direction.

Jump in the river

If you want to bring your team in flow, get in touch today.