The Kikass Quest

So, Neil, what’s the gossip – what’s going to be happening at Kikass from now on?

Kikass as we know it in its current incarnation is about to go through massive changes, and will no longer exist in its current form. For example, the Hoxton office has now closed, and there will no longer be any full-time staff. So while we’re still happy to answer your questions and help in any way we can, it won’t be as forthcoming during normal working hours and we may take longer to get back to you – though hopefully you can find most of the things you’re gagging to know about NLP, Money Mastery, youth work etc from this site.

Wow, you mean you’re closing the office and all the lovely team have left? Have you given up the dream? Why? What happened?

No, no – Kikass hasn’t closed, failed or given up. Far, far from it. Rather, we’re consolidating resources; rather stripping down and lightening up so that we can dance better and harder, and to the right music, finally.

What are your feelings when you look back at the last nine year Kikass adventure? Are you proud of what we all achieved together?

Immensely. We didn’t think our journey would turn out so magnificently – the past nine years have been a fascinating and at times challenging ride, but along the way we’ve certainly learned a thing or two. Thing is, the landscape of working with young people has changed incredibly since we kick started our adventure nine years ago. There are big, big differences with young people now.

So Kikass needs to change tactics to address this?

Yes. It requires a whole new level of thinking. Einstein said “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it”. And one of the principles of NLP is “If what you’re doing isn’t working then do anything else.”And it’s not that what we have been doing for the last nine years hasn’t worked. We’ve reached millions of young people around the globe through campaigns, projects, courses and flash games like Supershagland -  and made some profound differences to heaps of individuals.  But we’re playing a far bigger game now. It’s not enough to refine our existing tools and techniques and knowledge base and make a few tweaks and changes. We want to discover a whole new solution – create a revolution, in fact. We have one, very focused, question in particular. And we’re up for pouring all of our considerable energy and talent  into the quest to find the answer.

And what is the big question?

Ok, it’s this: “What IS the difference that makes the difference with young people? How do we move young people from effect to cause? and empower them in staying there for the rest of their lives?

What do you mean by ‘Cause’ and ‘Effect’ – eh? Don’t understand…

You can understand it as something like this – if you’re ‘in effect’ you’re powerless, at the mercy of circumstance – but if you’re ‘at cause’ you’re in the driving seat, master of your fate, captain of your life. Some people call it ‘responsibility’ or ‘self-responsibility’. And that’s not a sexy, popular concept these days. But if any organisation can make the impossible sexy (safe sex, responsible drinking, clearing your debts) – it’s Kikass!

All smart, successful companies spend 10, 20 or 30% of their resource on Research and Development, focusing on future projects and solutions. Kikass never previously had the luxury of that while we had to dedicate everything to keeping the office, staff, projects and a massive network of young volunteers ticking over. But that’s all about to change.

In what way? What’s the new focus going to be? Will there still be projects and websites and NLP courses?

No projects, no websites (apart from this and the existing resource base here) though watch this space for upcoming dates of the Money Mastery and possible NLP courses.  We’re going to straighten up and fly right – and give the biggest chunk of our time, talent and resources to research and development until we’ve answered that killer question.

That’s a pretty big change, Neil

Well, we’ve been hatching like a caterpillar out of a chrysalis for quite a while now. Suddenly, finally, it’s time to spread our butterfly wings and fly. To go on our quest, play a bigger game, and find the space to ask the questions, pull in all the wise, brilliant and amazing minds we know to augment the quest come on the adventure with us. The lightness required to dance in this inquiry, however, is incompatible with the kerfuffle of running a day to day office, dealing with the office and managing lots of staff – so, that’s why those aspects of kikass have, for the time being, had to go. It’s been great – but it’s time for us to cut through the noise and focus on what we’re truly about.True change has to be grounded in an At Cause mentality itself.

It’s our belief that the magical shift from being ‘at effect’ i.e not being in power and control of your self and your life, being a victim, avoiding responsibility, blaming other people, learned helplessness and waiting for someone else (mummy and daddy, the banks, the government)  to do it all for you the easy way (i.e the state in which many of us in the UK live today) – to being ‘at cause’ – in the driving seat, fully responsible and empowered – is the change that will make the most revolutionary difference.

We are curious about how real change can be achieved – we reckon Kikass can find the answer and then package it in such a way that it can be delivered sustainably.

Say more about the Kikass Quest. What’s your vision?

Well, the Kikass quest assumes that in order in order to become a real adult  you answer a very specific question – how to take responsibility and enjoy it? We’d like to do a good piece of research on this, then hone it down to some fairly tight but enormously powerful tools, messages and concepts and trainings.

So you’re trying to fix young people once and for all?

No, we’re not coming from a position of fixing anyone, but rather come from a curious, playful, solutions-focused place. Fixing problems? That’s what most psychological, therapeutic, CBT and personal development ra-ra is all about.

Give us an example of ‘being at cause’, just to make sure we understand properly…

Well, we found this on Money Mastery – true transformation of your debt and money issues is only possible when you stop blaming the governments and banks and get a grip all by yourself. We believe that self-responsibility – being at cause – is fun.

Responsibility is fun? Get outta here…

No, really! That’s where all the freedom and all the juice and all the delight lies. And we want that for all young people in the world – right now – and for all the future generations of young warriors and dudes and princesses being born today. Taking personal responsibility is great. But sometimes it can be painful too while you’re getting there – I took on clearing £43k of debt in 22 months, and  it was temporarily painful – but so so worth it when I hit the light at the end of the tunnel.

So how are you going to answer this question?

We don’t know for sure. But we have a few ideas, and such a wealth of talent and support and experience and expertise and genius behind us. We’re confident that we can do it, and change the world for real, like we always wanted to and fought to.

So now what?

Right now, Kikass has to come in and ask some very fundamental questions. We’ve been ‘at effect’ of the funding and youth work marketplace – and we’re tired of it. It cost us energy – and our bright orange shiny energy is crucial.

So that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. Goodbye office. Goodbye staff (and so much love and blessings and heartfelt thanks!). Welcome to a bright new future – Kikass has finally grown up, slimmed down, lighted up and is about to take the world by storm and getting everyone dancing from Effect to Cause. Watch this space!