Radical Rethink blog: 12 months of Radical Rethinking

17 Jun Radical Rethink blog: 12 months of Radical Rethinking

Like many ideas The Radical Rethink was born out of a sense of mission and frustration.

Rolling back 12 months to our first ever meeting in July 2020 as England emerged from what we assumed would be its one and only lockdown (hmm…) we sought to create an online forum for colleagues to share their thoughts on this incredible pause in our lives.

The aim was to bring people together. To listen, rather than waffle on aimlessly about ‘bouncing back’ and other inane and often disingenuous nonsense, to how people really felt about what they had experienced and the fresh challenges that lay ahead in a post-covid world.

Our frustration had been with breezy, yet lazy, messages to ‘bounce back’ – a weary mantra adopted by business ‘experts’ whose prime motivation was to get their hands into people’s wallets.

Instead, Teresa and I wanted to explore opportunities for people to spring forward after the most momentous period in our lifetime in ways that potentially ran deeper than a mere whistle back to the workplace.

Based on listening not lecturing, we shot a simple promo video and did some basic marketing to stimulate initial interest. Did we have a runner or not – or would The Radical Rethink wither on the vine after a few meetings as a snappy title that lacked substance?

Quite the contrary. Our first few fortnightly meetings came thick and fast and were free to attend. By autumn we had moved to monthly meetings and acquired a regular following who were happy to pay a small £10 donation to Worcester Foodbank each month to add an ethical dimension.

Each meeting has a context – a theme to explore and structure that began each time with my personal prognosis on the topic in question and some questions to run up the flagpole for a discussion that we usually split into three separate sections. A workbook was provided with space for people to make their own notes and thoughts.

Fourteen meetings later, our many and varied topics have included: The future of work time and space, diversification, community, communication, love and respect, authenticity, being resolute, the lockdown spirit, the environment, leisure and pleasure and my personal favourite, which I think cuts to the heart of what we tried to achieve with The Radical Rethink, memories to include in a message bottle looking back at momentous 2020 for future contemplation.

Deep, but never unnecessarily heavy, our meetings embraced lively, but never angry, debate and a generosity of spirit that is hard to beat.

“Gosh, this is good stuff,” said Alison Harper-Gardner, who has joined us each month from Stuttgart. “‘I need a lie down now,” added Ian Clubley, an education coach closer to home after the same meeting.

Looking back, when the time came, at CGM we did our best to bring people together when they needed it most. Not everyone or vast numbers, of course – that was never the aim – but a small group of like-minded, kind-hearted people whose friendship means so much and brings a lump to my throat as I write.

Will we carry on thinking radically? I hope so. Whether we do so together or on our own – who knows?

To celebrate our first Radical Rethink anniversary we’re inviting people to join us, to swell the coffers of Worcester Foodbank and to ponder the past 12 months.

This month’s meeting theme is quite simply – yours.

Our first anniversary Radical Rethink webinar is on Friday, July 16 from 10am to 12pm.

Find out more, visit our Radical Rethink page and book your place via Eventbrite.

Chris Green