Since 23rd March 2021 five participants and two convenors – who identify in their work as consultants to other organisations – have met on Zoom every 3 weeks for 2 hours to share, to challenge and support, and to learn. The group quickly established itself as a
work group: respectful, engaged, focused and deeply reflective, and open. Learning was enabled from every role each session: whether presenting one’s current work challenge, exploring a client dilemma, actively listening to the case offered, or holding the group in some way. The seven members have called the group very successful, ‘magic’ even, and a rare space that enabled emergent and spontaneous discussion each session where the evening was driven by energy in the work, not by anxiety for a prepared presentation.
The critical factors to the success of this CPLN seemed to include: the containment offered by the two convenors; the structure that held the sessions, without overly engineering the agenda; which allowed the organic emergence of the work each session; the diversity of consultant’s roles explored; the variance of experience amongst the 7 members; the commitment to learning and exploration; the assumptions of competence and confidentiality that are founded in the work and the consultant role.
The group will continue to meet, 3-weekly until the beginning of December this year. There is capacity for one or two more consultants to join the established group. For more information or to express your interest contact one of the convenors: Mike Faris or Joanne Fitzgerald,
