In reflecting on my 2023 I picked out conversations as a highlight and so I’m setting up for 2024 by asking, shall we connect? (If you already want to say yes you can find my Calendly and open slots here).
2023 talk
Last year I had some amazing conversations. Some of them were planned and some were totally unexpected exchanges with strangers.
From the lady collecting for charity in my local supermarket who told me of the amazing second life she’d had after divorce, at exactly the moment I was at my lowest after my separation. To being so glad I made myself take up the open invitation from Michael Wilkinson as he sought out 100 conversations with charity thinkers and doers.
I had long talks with friends as I navigated divorce, grief after losing my dad, a dog with a broken leg, and the wrong sort of challenges at work. I had deep conversations with my children as we worked out how to survive, then heal, then continue to connect beyond daily responsibilities.
I had incredible open and vulnerable conversations with my peers and team, and exciting conversations with my newest colleagues. I had supportive conversations in my lowest and most broken moments with a counsellor, and illuminating emotional and intellectual conversations with a coach (I really recommend Dr Elicia Robinson if you’re looking for professional coaching).
Even in the hardest conversations, those which had me doubt myself, or left me in tears, or made me fear for what came next, I learnt something. I learned things about myself, or about others, or about how I want to show up in the world.
Conversations to connect
The conversation with Michael Wilkinson in 2023, where we talked about digital teams in charities, and parallels between the conditions the charities we worked for at the time supported reminded me how great conversations with new people, with only a loose agenda set beforehand, can be.
Inspired by the NESTA Randomised Coffee Trials we did randomised conversations via LocalGov Digital back around maybe 2015. I had some great conversations via the pairings, with people working in all sorts of services across local government.
In the past I’ve done a 100 conversations list of people I hope to meet in a 12 month period (Sharon O’Dea and Mary McKenna MBE big inspirations on this) and I’m following roughly that approach for 2024. My list is made up of people working in similar fields or the same sector as I do, the wider public sector, and non-profit sectors. It’s also got a few artists and music industry people or creatives, as I’m gently feeling out a return there via Reckless Yes. I’ll include in it too conversations as I start to get to know people in my new job but there’s slots still free for serendipity to fill through the year.
On a slightly different tilt but still on conversations that connect Action Learning Sets (link opens a PDF) are beginning across my wider team, and I’m intrigued and excited by how these conversations can help us solve our own problems in a way which feels supported while we do.
Even in my music writing career it was interviews which I loved the most. Getting to talk deeply (don’t tell me about your influences, tell me about how being creative feels for you) was an honour and never short of fascinating and full of insights (even the email interview where I got a total of 43 words back from the artist for a 2000 word feature).
Let’s connect in 2024
I’m looking for conversations and opening my calendar for opportunities to connect across 2024. I have quite a long list of people I already know who I want to proactively reconnect with, as part of my 100 conversations, but I’m also excited to have conversations with new people.
I’ve added a few slots to my Calendly so if you’d like to have a short chat then please take a look. If you’re a vendor please check out the latest news on my employer before grabbing a slot – these conversations are not an opportunity to try and sell to me. And if you do work at the same organisation as I do reach out on Teams so we can say hello!
If none of the dates or times work for you then drop me a note via one of the ways on my get in touch page and let’s see what we can arrange.
Looking forward to speaking with you soon!