What this is (start here)
This is the little space on the World Wide Web where I’m keeping my writing and things. I’ve become increasingly… Read More »What this is (start here)
An exercise in noticing
In a recent workshop on nature and mindfulness, I set the participants the task to go outside and find something… Read More »An exercise in noticing
Case study: nature and mindfulness workshop
Who: WeCanMake, a neighbourhood test-space in Bristol for imagining and making new ways to create homes that build social infrastructure… Read More »Case study: nature and mindfulness workshop
How to visit a friend in hospice
Notes from an online conversation. Why am I writing this? Because I don’t offer advice lightly in the online communities… Read More »How to visit a friend in hospice
Case study: event design and facilitation
Who: Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the strategic workforce body for NHS Wales. The brief: Design and facilitate 7… Read More »Case study: event design and facilitation
Digital gardening
A long(er) read. Over the past few years I’ve been on a journey of disillusionment with the big digital platforms,… Read More »Digital gardening
Case study: learning session on power and co-production
Who: Platfform (the mental health and social change people), as part of the New System Alliance programme of strengths-based learning.… Read More »Case study: learning session on power and co-production
Case study: facilitating a “kitchen table conversation”
Who: The Relationships Project, for their event in Birmingham on 12th July 2024, about “Changing our Permissions“. The brief: Facilitate… Read More »Case study: facilitating a “kitchen table conversation”
Relationships-centred practice
I had a fantastic day today at an event all about Relationships Centred Practice, the theme was Changing our Permissions.… Read More »Relationships-centred practice
Making the important visible
I’m thinking about this today, prompted by the latest post on Seth’s Blog: “If it’s important, make it visible. If… Read More »Making the important visible
Accessible typeface
My new obsession is the Inclusive Sans font by Olivia King. https://www.oliviaking.com/inclusive-sans It’s designed for accessibility and legibility in digital… Read More »Accessible typeface
Case study: strategic board and team away day
Who: Tai Pawb, who promote equality and social justice in the housing sector in Wales. The brief: design and facilitate… Read More »Case study: strategic board and team away day
Sustainable facilitation
One of the feedback comments on a recent workshop was: “So much waste. Is there a more environmentally friendly way… Read More »Sustainable facilitation
Creative icebreaker questions
I recently used an icebreaker with a group which involved them coming up with up to 10 creative and unusual… Read More »Creative icebreaker questions
Icebreaker: creative interviewing
Icebreaker for a strategic away day (staff team + board members, about 20 people).
Case study: learning session on partnership working
Who: Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities (every year for a week of events in November)… Read More »Case study: learning session on partnership working
Case study: staff engagement in developing a mentoring framework
Who: Cardiff Women’s Aid The brief: Develop an internal mentoring programme for staff and volunteers from underrepresented groups, to increase… Read More »Case study: staff engagement in developing a mentoring framework
Case study: user engagement and feedback on draft resource
Who: The Cwm Taf Morgannwg Early Years Transformation team, a statutory task and finish team working on implementing recommendations for… Read More »Case study: user engagement and feedback on draft resource
Case study: strategic stakeholder engagement
Who: The Nature and Us team at Natural Resources Wales: Nature and Us (Natur a Ni in Welsh) involved the… Read More »Case study: strategic stakeholder engagement
Case study: strategic governance workshop
Who: Dyfi Biosphere Reserve Wales – a partnership of local organisations from the area in and around the Dyfi estuary,… Read More »Case study: strategic governance workshop
Case study: co-designing a staff housing policy
Who: Atlantic College, an international boarding school in Wales. The brief: Two co-design workshops with the whole team (educators and… Read More »Case study: co-designing a staff housing policy
The three quarter point is a thing
(Originally published on Medium.) I wrote a post about the feeling of frustration and pointlessness I experience in retreats and… Read More »The three quarter point is a thing
So much
(Originally published on Medium.) There’s so much to do in the world. There will always be more than we can… Read More »So much
Public service operating principles
(Originally published on Medium.) Last month I drafted a table contrasting the traditional command-and-control approach to public services with the… Read More »Public service operating principles
About salmons and whooping cranes
(Originally published on Medium.) Somewhere along my biologist training or my subsequent cross-disciplinary meanderings, I picked up that you can… Read More »About salmons and whooping cranes
On movement building
(Originally published on Medium.) It’s an asymmetrical game, with tons of behavioral research working against each of us – the… Read More »On movement building
What we measure is secondary to why we measure
(Originally published on Medium.) I have been having many conversations about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) lately, and often when I… Read More »What we measure is secondary to why we measure
Trust enables magic at work
(Originally published on Medium.) Krulak’s Law states that the future of an organization is in the hands of the privates… Read More »Trust enables magic at work
![Photo of part of the page of a book, which reads: I tend, however, to agree with Dixon (2000). One myth, observes Dixon, is that (starts quote): [T]he exchange of knowledge happens only in organizations that have a noncompetitive or a collaborative culture. It follows that the first thing you have to do is fix the culture and then get people to share. But I have found that it's the other way around. If people begin sharing ideas about issues they see as really important, the sharing itself creates a learning culture. I have, of course, inserted an important caveat in that sentence: "about issues they see as really important."](https://noreen.wales/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-05-30-204447-930x620.png)
Sharing ideas creates a learning culture
(Originally published on Medium.) Fix the culture in order to get people to share…? Not so. Create the mechanisms for… Read More »Sharing ideas creates a learning culture
Everything exists only in relation to everything else
(Originally published on Medium.) Relationships are the organising principle. Reading Michael Fullan — Leading in a Culture of Change (2001)… This book… Read More »Everything exists only in relation to everything else
Art produces citizens
(Originally published on Medium.) Lifted from Austin Kleon’s list of unschooling posts: If you’ve never heard of Black Mountain College,… Read More »Art produces citizens
Thoughts about adding not substracting
(Originally published on Medium.) I’m always inspired by Austin Kleon’s blog posts. You’ve got to be kind I revisited this… Read More »Thoughts about adding not substracting
Co-production in public services: a complex journey of change
(Originally published on Medium.) “Co-production is an asset-based approach to public services which enables citizens and professionals to share power… Read More »Co-production in public services: a complex journey of change