Dialogue Series on Reflective Practice in a Changing World (online)
Join any number of these dialogues, free and open to the public. RSVP to an event to receive Zoom login information and reminders for that event.
In this series of dialogues, we consider the role of reflective practice for thinking critically and creatively about work and life. Reflective Practice is relevant to any field and refers to how we make connections between our past experiences and future actions. For each participatory hour-long session, we focus on one theme that represents a common challenge to the reflective practitioner. We use a structured dialogue process to support each participant to recall and make sense of their experience and then develop ideas about where they might change their practices to support their ongoing and future encounters with that challenge.
Theme for November 15, 2023: Reflective Practice for Restoring Wellness in Dysfunctional Spaces
“Let’s build a more sustainable experience for everyone here.”
Full description of the theme: In this session, we explore the ways that reflective practice can provide paths for recovery, healing, and wellness in dysfunctional spaces. Historically, a reference to something that was “toxic” referred to the poisonous conditions of a physical material or environment or chemical substance, for instance. Now, when we hear this word in the media, it seems more often used to describe challenging social environments – our institutions, relationships, or other public and private arenas where we encounter each other under certain conditions. In the case of the workplace, how can reflective practitioners support themselves and each other through dysfunctional situations? What is the role of reflection in building spaces for practice that address these issues in creative ways while also complementing the approaches to organizational or community change that focus on factors such as leadership, policies, and communication, for example? In this dialogue session, we consider the relationship between how we approach our own practices and how this relates to a community’s awareness and attention to how it is functioning well or not, and what can be changed. We may consider issues such as negativity, psychological safety, workplace conflict, and social cohesion, and alignment of individual and organizational purpose and values.
