Our year of transition

Virginia Gough & Jim Buckell

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
— Albert Einstein

This year we reinvented ourselves at Groupwork Centre, embracing social change at our very heart.

It was a year for dreaming and reimagining our future.

We were alive to the fact the world is poised on the threshold of potentially cataclysmic change signalled by various global environmental tipping points.

There was an appetite to think differently and try new things in this time of great disruption.

Post-pandemic we were ripe for a radical cultural change, to re-establish ourselves as an organisation whose culture truly reflects our practice and is a vessel for learning, growth and connection.

We sat in discomfort, we navigated complexity, we made decisions beyond our individual needs, and we celebrated our achievements along the way.

At the outset we committed to a two-year transition plan.

Year 1 focused on establishing the foundations required for growth and collaboration.

• We reviewed our governance and legal structures and refreshed our constitution to support a growing and diversified membership.

• We began to re-engage with our graduates by investing in an Alumni Network led by network weaver Tanya Edlington.

• We re-invested in our learning culture, with regular conversations on tricky issues and peer learning circles to explore challenges

• We revamped our website (to be launched early next year)

• We reinvigorated our approach to business development

• We engaged an external consultant to evaluate the impact of our facilitation services and training (report to be shared in early 2024)

• We developed a new strategy, and began building a framework for a theory of change

Our year culminated in an annual retreat at our sister organisation, Commonground. The purpose of our retreat was to connect, reflect on our transition progress, and to finalise our strategic narrative that we have been working on for 18 months.

At the retreat we had lively campfire conversations, a dawn meditation and prepared nourishing meals. We reflected on the year past and finalised a strategic narrative that tells the story of who we now are (see below – we are chuffed!). No small feat and a significant step forward for us as an organisation.

By the close of the year we felt ourselves truly stepping into the role of collaborative leaders ready to respond to the times we are in.

Year 2 of our transition will see us reaching out to new and old partners, growing our network and diversifying our income streams. If you are reading this and would like to collaborate with us, please reach out, we would love to talk.

In the meantime, enjoy the slow season and we will look forward to connecting with you in the year ahead.