In My Happy Place
Here I am in my happy place.
This was me, just yesterday at lunchtime - having wrapped up a team development workshop with the most fabulous group of people. We’d been using Gyre as a springboard for insight and action. Back in a room, in person, helping a new team do the real work of understanding each other better. Exploring how their individual strengths could align with and power their collective goals and values.
They showed up. They were energised. They were purposeful. And they did the work.
But there was another reminder tucked into the day - one I’ve learned before, and probably will again.
You know that saying: “The best laid plans of mice and men…”?
Well, let’s just say I had laid those plans.
The Plan (and the Curveball)
I’d spent time with the leader in advance - talking through what he wanted to achieve, adjusting and aligning the design to land exactly that. I’d sorted timings, built in breaks, chosen music for the reflection exercises, printed and packed the handouts.
I arrived early, set up flipcharts, moved chairs, fine-tuned the space.
And then…
🟢 WhatsApp buzz
“One person hasn’t clocked it’s in person! It’ll test your adaptability — hybrid it is.”
“Oh and… one of the team is delayed. Trains. Will be 15 mins late.”
Right. Okay. So now I’ve got a three-hour, tightly choreographed workshop… and we’re flying hybrid with a staggered start.
Channeling Dad’s Army
I reminded myself of the immortal words of Lance Corporal Jones (target reference there for non-Brit / Millennial readers 😜):
Don’t panic.
And of course, it was fine.
We adapted.
We flexed the tech.
We held the space.
And we got there.
It reminded me: you don’t have to be constrained by process. You can adapt - especially when you’re working with a team who’s ready to engage.
That said, it’s not always easy when you’re someone who runs on a healthy dose of “Be Perfect” and “Hurry Up.” (Shout out to anyone else who lives with a full cast of Inside Out emotions in their head while facilitating…)
What Really Matters
No one in the room was marking me on whether I stuck to the time blocks or flipped the right chart at the right minute.
They cared about the experience.
They cared about the outcome.
And they cared that we got there together.
This was a high-performing, high-potential team who wanted to do the work. The last thing they needed was me getting in my own way because my plan had sprung a few leaks.
The Quiet Lesson
The more I work with leaders and teams in this new chapter of my life - as an independent consultant and coach - the more I’m learning to quiet those internal voices.
To focus on the client.
To trust the process (even when the process changes).
To remember that they are the centre of the work - not me.
And in doing that, I’ve found something really valuable:
A sense of meaning.
Work I care about.
People I like working with.
And a rhythm that keeps me healthy, focused, and fired up.
This is what a golden age looks like.
This is my happy place.
