2 things that happened last week
On Tuesday I took part in the Open Working workshop held by Joe Roberson. The principles of open working resonate with me as transparency, collaboration and open communications are some of the most important values we hold at Women in Travel cic.
To me, ultimately, open working is about values and mindset, it requires people to want to work in an open and transparent way for everyone’s benefit. I would have thought this should be second nature for charities and social enterprises, but actually listening to the people in the room I realised that even charities can experience a ‘dilution’ of their values and begin to operate in silos once they start growing. We are still so small, I wonder how much we will be able to hold on to what we now think of as the Holy Grail?
During the workshop we also discussed the importance of regular interactions and the role that digital plays in fostering those human connections, however short the encounters might be. It kind of dawned on me that this is probably the reason why our WhatsApp groups are so well received by our beneficiaries — especially over the last two years in which we were all deprived of human connections. Often the interaction is as small as a heart emoji or a gif but our vulnerable beneficiaries seem to find quite a bit of solace in those light touches. So we will strive to maintain them, pandemic or not, and not just because they are practical but because they actually nurture well being!
On Friday — A much smaller thing happened yet quite helpful too. It was one of those days of apparently very little in the diary but that eventually turns out to be quite hectic and slightly chaotic, with many conversations starting, plenty of calls received and a number of hic-cups to address. I realised that Fridays are often like that and as such, although I had in mind to to write weekly notes on that day, I did not manage and quite possibly never will. It is now Sunday night and this is one of the rare moments I have to reflect, suspended between the week just gone and the one about to start. A much better place for me to be writing these notes, so whatever the suggestions that we should write notes on Friday, I realise that Sunday is my Friday, and I am happy to settle for that.
Wishing everyone a good week ahead!
