COP gathering 4 April 2013

Here is a harvest of the conversations at a Community of Practitoners event oShare a story about a time when connectedness and relationship were central to making something important happen:

• Isolated kindergartens in rural Queensland. Connected by a common purpose during a tough time. Supporting and sharing resources to allow flooded kindys to get back on their feet. A sense of a great need - of givinga nd receiving.
• My new job in NFP sector. I met Jane and others through volunteering, realising how people are connected. I feel more connected in this sector in Brisbane than in the past 20 years working in the financial sector - where I didn't fit in. Lightbulbs going off - reinforcing the connectnedness. The dynamism of this sector felt right!
• I am noticing being back at work in an organisation that values people and pays attention to relationship. I an now reconnecting back to relationships - and life is being breathed back into me. Initial connections can lead to lasting relationships.  have made connections through India - a web with lots still to unfold. It is all about relationship! Everything is easier in good relationship.
• Serendipitous meeting many years ago - a connection forged through generosity and openness, and no other agenda. Has led to a fortunate position now.  If we approach our relationships in this way - what might happen?
• 30 Mob - community of practice of service managers through National Disability Services. A group central to making things happen, and life changing for me. Relationships endure, forged through fun - celebrating others' successes. Like family. Projects, mergers, some have moved on, now looking at forming a collaborative enterprise together.
• It feels safe to be here - it makes a difference to participation. What's the risk if we don't stay connected?
  My mum kept our family separate for many years. There has been much work done to get and stay connected. My sister has become my support, strength from being beside me. Relationship cultivated through intention and maintenance - hard work to recover from disconnection and to maintain. It was confronting, and both of us were willing.
• Realising that work is all about relationship, the living system, not the heirarchy. How I have forged a way for myself in my work, with a role where I now have some influence, not positional power. I realise that I could not be here, and be doing the work I am able to do without having forged good relationship with people all through the organisation. It is what feeds me, and what makes us healthy.

Other discussions / actions

• Seek availability of Art of Hosting stewards visiting Australia for UCC AoH Training - to see if we can do something with our Community of Practice. Jane to speak with Phil
• International Learning Village Slovenia - a few of us are intending to go!
• Call for workshop in Graphic Facilitation. Jane to speak with Kylie regarding an introductory workshop.
• Mel to investigate online tools for sharing and collaboration for Community of Practice - something that is easy to use, and act as an online repository for shared stories, learnings, resources and information.
• Sharing the harvest and making it easy! A commitment to doing a collective harvest of the meetings at the time, taking photographs and uploading them to online tool (above) as a record. Share hosting the harvest.

Check out: How do I feel right now?

• Listening to stories has a long ranging effect.
• Good to be slow - away from busy work
• Feel good - excited about what will emerge
• Fills a need for me, to reconnect, to see Community of Practice grow. Allows me to take it back to my work
• So important to connect
• Still early days for me - I want to learn more about and be involved in (the CoP), feeling positive