An odd experience. I realised about a week ago that my Newsletter was due out soon and not only had I not written a single word but I also had no time and space to do anything about it. I'd said to myself that I wanted to experiment with sending shorter Newsletters (they were getting a bit too long, don't you think?) but I'd planned to do it with some intention, and not by simply forgetting I needed to write one at all. Ah well!
It's been a big month for some new projects: the launch of a new workshop with the senior Directors of a global car manufacturer, and a second one with a UK high street brand. After lots of planning and prep, great to be off the starting blocks and in the (actual) room with them. And another project brewing, this time as one of a consortium of suppliers. I thought the first meeting would be a bit of a bun fight, tbh, but it turned out to be deeply collaborative and generative which means I'm really looking forward to what we might build together.
Personally, September's been full of loveliness - fish and chip suppers on the beach, early flat calm sea swims with friends, discovering Animal Flow classes (ouch) and a London classical concert. All treats.
And since John Martyn tells us that 'love is lesson to learn in our times', I decided to put in a new date in for one of my semi-regular FREE workshops exploring love, which I know many of you will be interested. Details below.
And while it might not look like it on the surface, Systemic Constellations is an approach that has love at its heart. And so I'm taking this opportunity to mention again the one day Systemic Constellations day workshop I'm running with my friend and colleague Matt Fairbrass. Ideal for folks in a Change or OD-type role and who are curious about integrating aspects of this approach into their work, to see how that could offer new insight and new ways forward with complex and messy change. Detail below and Early Bird price extended until 3 October.
Wishing you a great month ahead and hoping you never lay your head down, without a hand to hold. Yup, that's John Martyn again, same song.
Helena x
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My colleague, Matt Fairbrass and I help people in organisational life navigate complex change.
In the last 18 months, we've been working with some new ways to do this based on Systemic Constellations and Systems Mapping, an approach that blends traditional with very modern ways to respond to organisational change. It's proving to be both helpful and useful, insightful and practical.
And, to my great joy, I've discovered it's also an approach that allows us to bring more love into the work. The quote in the headline gives us a sense of how that might be. And also, as Bert Hellinger, the founder of this work said, 'love = seeing + distance - judgement'.
We're delighted to be offering a one day workshop on this new approach - a practical and playful lab, if you like - to bring new insights and perspectives as well as 'the next wise action'.
If you're in an OD or a change role, or a leader or manager involved in leading complex change, if you have a team that feels stuck, or something in the organisation 'that just won't shift', or patterns that seem to be unhelpfully repeating themselves, then take a look at what we're offering. It's designed with you in mind.
It's a one day workshop, on 24 November in central London, and we're limiting it to just 12 people so we can hold a space that's both safe and stretching. Some great people already gathering. Come and join us?
You can find out more and book your place HERE. A few discounted Early Bird prices still available so please do share with your network, if you feel able.
Acts of Love for Tough Times
So another workshop in my 'occasional series' of events, exploring aspects of love - and how love might show up in our organisations and in our leadership.
This one is called Acts of Love for Tough Times and we'll be exploring:
what's happening in the world - and in our own worlds - that feels tough to handle
why does love matter especially in these tricky times
what difference do we want to make (or try to make) and how could love play a part in that
and what might be some 'acts of love' that we might individually and collectively make
It's a free event so I'd love it if you felt you could pass this invitation on to whoever you think might value the conversation and connection. They're always wonderful - because wonderful people show up! A whole heap of them are already signed up ...
A poem
Perhaps The World Ends Here The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.
At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.
Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.
This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.
Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.
We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.
At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite. by Jo Harjo
Other good things
I just don't know where the month has gone. It certainly hasn't gone in heaps and heaps of reading.
But I've spent time with two cracking books - Hagitude already mentioned in a previous Newsletter, exploring how stories of women from Celtic mythology might help us point the way to how women today might grow fully into their older years. And also the deeply engrossing and really well-written Boudica, a totally fictitious/true story of another Celtic woman of old. The second book in the series is already on order.
For my ears, the eclectic Blindboy podcast is a new one for me - and I've loved these in-depth explorations on trauma and class. And you already know how much I love the Poetry Unbound podcast, right? Just small 15 mins of jewel words in my ears as go about my morning walks.
Thank you for reading and I'll back with you in early Nov (and I'll be experimenting with a shorter version...) Helena x
