Reflections 20th Feb

On My Mind

Conversational Compost

I spend several hours every week in conversation with people for the joy of it.

Sometimes in small groups, sometimes one to one, with people all over the world, and generally on Zoom. They are the sort of conversations that would drive any manager to distraction. They have no agenda, rarely start off focused, and go where they will. They defy labels - they are not "coaching" or "creative" or "therapeutic," although they often have aspects of those about them. They are simply about connection, understanding the world through another, and treading new paths. Without fail, I come away from them with ideas and perspectives that affect what I do, how I see a current issue, or how to plant a seed of inquiry.

I always make notes - not to record the discussion, but to capture snippets, ideas, or references as later prompts. I have cupboards full of notebooks over the years and go back to them and flick through them in a quiet moment. Sometimes something useful po…