Not a commodity, and yet somehow in short supply.
Of all the unexpected things that have happened in the last year, the sheer amount of care, connection, and collaboration has been among both the most surprising and most welcome.
Building New Teams in the New World
When I speak to other consultants, the vast majority do the bulk of their work remotely. Having left the social enterprise I founded after almost eleven years as CEO, I knew I would miss the immediate connection with my team.
Because of this, I’ve had to be intentional about building new networks. These ‘teams’ take different, essential shapes:
- Co-working: Joining other consultants at home to bounce ideas off each other and share the coffee and heating bills.
- The Leadership Group: The growing network through my charity and social enterprise leadership group, which prioritises care and connection above all else.
- Action Learning Sets: my first FREE Action Learning Set takes place on 12th December and will run throughout 2026 and is a way of bringing peer together for connection and peer support
- Podcasts – five episodes in to Cutting through the Nonsense is a way of sharing new, hopeful and enterprising approaches and meeting brilliant people whilst sharing them with others
- Resources – a growing bank of resources (mine and others) that I share on my website and in my newsletters to benefit my network which others reciprocate
Why Connection is Not a Commodity
Be in no doubt: this invaluable support system is not a commodity that I want to sell, or that I believe should have an explicit price tag on it.
People in the voluntary and social sector naturally understand and prioritise these relationships. They recognise the fundamental value in a strong network and in reaching people whose voices and experiences they value. In turn, this shared understanding allows us to share both the load and the hope that comes with this vital work.