By Fiona Sewell, LG member
People talk about learning from experience. But where does the learning come in? Where and when does it happen?
These are some of the questions leadership group member Pete had posed to him from an old friend, which paved the way to the topic of ODA’s November workshop and the importance of reflective practice.
ODA LG members Pete and Carolina provided a forum for us to have this reflection – a time and space that felt like a luxury in today’s relentless, fast-paced way of being. In intimate groups, we explored:
- Significant experiences for each of us from 2024, key learnings and what has emerged for us as a result.
- What we’ve let go of, how our ‘being’ is different and where next from here.
- Who is our helper, what is our gift to ourselves and what are our first steps from here.
There were some emerging themes from these discussions, including being more self-compassionate, managing expectations (self and others) and being consistent with trust.
My favourite takeaway for the night which speaks so strongly to ODA’s mantra of ‘connect, share, grow’ – came from the third activity. It was eloquently articulated that a ‘helper’ in this context is ‘anyone who helps us feel something, and through that, prompts reflection and challenges us to refine our practice. It could be anyone, anywhere, anytime.’ As an OD practitioner, this is such a valuable reminder of the gifts of growth we can get from others – even if it might feel unwelcome at the time. In the words of thought leader William Brendel, the essence of OD ‘is inherently about generating conditions for transformative vs informative learning’ – and this session certainly understood the assignment!
I wasn’t alone in leaving the session with a sense of calm and quiet. It was genuinely akin to the feeling I can usually only achieve after repeated yoga practice! Thank you to the attendees for your engagement in this restorative workshop.