Our Journey
Reflections, ideas, and thoughts
Shifting Systems Through Honest Conversations
It was clear from the stories people shared that the systems we strive to change are not merely external constructs, but are deeply enmeshed…
Lived Experience and the Importance of the Heart
Our culture requires us to sever and imprison our heart, cutting us off from vital sources of experience and learning…
What I don't know about inclusion
The more I have experienced exclusion as a disabled person the more I see the limits of my understanding of how to include others…
The Real Cost Of A Stiff Upper Lip
I find it strange and uncomfortable to be writing those words…
Learning About Learning
Something strange came out of the recent ‘Learning about learning’ event…
How has ‘learning about learning’ changed me?
I am still trying to make sense of what I've been part of for the last two days. It feels profound in ways I don't yet understand...
But you didn’t get the job!?
What it was like to be part of our recruitment experiment and not get the job.
Doing the inner work: How do we tend to our elephants?
How do we support communities to be able to tend to their collective inner work?
Hiring Lara (5) - A White shirt makes an excellent comms lead
Magic happens when you build trust as part of the hiring process.. even if your applicants have some weird hang ups…
Hiring Lara (4) - Understanding 'Collective Impact' via pastry
Having autonomy doesn't mean 'doing it alone' - sometimes it involves pastry…
Hiring Lara (3) - Listening for Stars in Meaningless Words
Even pantomime villains get a chance to submit good work when the application process has been deeply considered…
Hiring Lara (2) - The First Quest
In which we gleefully burn down the ‘hiring scripture’ and then have a little cry about losing the comfort of certainty in the ashes of the unknown…
Hiring Lara (1) - Unexpected Adverts
This is the story of how a video game helped to get me a job. It’s a story about Vikings, pyjamas, and fear - and it starts at 3.45pm on a Thursday…
The Gateshead Bridgebuilder Diaries: 2. Recruiting Bridgebuilders
If you’re trying to explore new and creative ways to discover what could make life better for people who experience poverty and disadvantage…
The Gateshead Bridgebuilder Diaries: 1. Why do we need bridgebuilders?
The Gateshead Community Bridgebuilder project has been running since early 2020. The work has been muddy and confusing, and we have been...
The Facilitating Bravery Initiative (FBI): seeking disrupter partners
Do you think that ‘the way we’ve always done it’ is good enough? Do you, your colleagues and applicants love your...
Leadership, inclusion, and consent - or why we need leadership to change radically
For genuine transformation to happen, someone has to be the first to take that precarious and vulnerable leap into the unknown.
Rail Travel and Person-Centred System Design
I’ve been involved in the Campaign for Family Friendly Trains since autumn 2021. Our ask is simple; that trains are designed to...
Unlearning hierarchy
At CIA, we are asking the question, ‘what happens when you remove organisational hierarchy?’ How do things work and how does it look?
The Case for Anti-Leadership
When I became a charity CEO back in January 2010 there was no training manual. I had picked up some of the technical stuff over the...