I’m hosting a meeting called Authenticity Works on Tuesday 6th April 6pm to 9pm. This is an informal gathering of people who are keen to see more authentic relationships in the workplace.
At this one, David Wilcox will give a 15 minute, provocative talk to kick off discussions. He’s going to review his experience as a process planner and facilitator for public sector clients on community engagement programmes. The challenges he deals with include:
– the (tendered) brief usually needs to be challenged
– there is seldom one client – usually a partnership of agencies
– effective engagement requires commitment of those agencies, whose cultures are not always sympathetic to wider participation
– the agencies may be unprepared to deal with the results of engagement, and to deliver effectively
– good people in the institutions are trapped in systems and procedures
– wider publics are now getting rightly cynical about participation processes
– but if you don’t try and do some of these jobs, other people will do it anyway (worse of course)
As these are typical of the challenges facing those who want greater authenticity at work, it should be a very interesting evening. The event takes place in Islington, London N1. Details (Word Doc)
