Golden Threads Pt. 1
Golden Thread noun
/ˌɡəʊldən ˈθred/ [usually singular]
An idea or feature that is present in all parts of something, holds it together and gives it value
A golden thread is a theme or idea that is pulled through a relationship over time. I have tried to find the true origin of this phrase to no prevail, but what I do know is that I like to think about how it correlates with how events work. When an event has a golden thread that is successfully pulled through, it has a sense of integrity in why it exists, what it does, and most importantly, how it creates magic. I like the notion of a golden thread for 2 reasons:
Thread is almost invisible – you really have to try to see it.
Thread is messy – it bends and wraps and loops.
It could be an hour, a day, it could even be a year before your golden thread is ready to be pulled through, but when you have successfully pulled it through, whoever your relationship is with will begin referring to the experience as the “(your Golden Thread)” event.
The first step is knowing that you want a golden thread.
So you go into everything knowing you’re looking for the golden thread. You’re sorting for what is, that theme that is going to really make this whole experience, this whole relationship (I would call the arc of the experience) land in a really deep way.
Golden threads are their most powerful and potent when they emerge organically.
But knowing that you're looking for golden threads at the start of a relationship is step one.
So, you're looking for them, you're sorting for them, and then over time with this person or this group, the golden thread emerges and then you grab onto it.
Step two is looking for ways to pull it through.
From that idea, you start looking for gifts, lessons, or mic-drop moments that enforce that golden thread.
Say they have a favorite movie. As an example, let’s go with The Chronicles of Narnia (One that comes up a lot with particularly creative clients). If you’ve seen the movie, there's a closet or wardrobe door you go through and you step into this magical world - The world of Narnia.
There are a lot of different things that you can do to pull that golden thread through. There’s the queen of Narnia, the light, and all kinds of characters. But you think about how the golden thread of Narnia can be pulled through and woven around the relationship you have built with your client or group. It's not hard to find merchandise that goes along with that. You can have custom sayings put on bracelets or have a notebook hand-stamped, etc..
PRO-TIP:
Incorporate the time-bending aspect. The power comes when you pull the golden thread through time.
One of the golden threads I've done is When Pigs Fly. It was very organic. I'm not even sure how it transpired, but I grabbed onto it and I pulled it through. It was a 10-day event and I pulled it all the way through each day of the event, my team building, client astonishment, etc.. You can read more about that soon.