PARTNERSHIPS: Networking With Professionals-In-Action

Reframing Cultural and Professional Discourses

From: Enabling Human Service Providers to Manage Compassion Fatigue through Pastoral Practices – a Transdisciplinary Study. Boshard, E (2003) PhD- unpublished dissertation

A central theme that emerged from the reflecting team re-Treats was that of acceptance as reconciliation. 

Reflection-in-action is enhanced by focusing on the knowing-in-action.  For the reflecting team members who came as clients it was exciting to share in the activities of the networkers’ own constant training and development.  Various topics would be scheduled for future sessions according to the need expressed by the members.  In the spirit of enquiry participants would then research a topic and arrive at the meeting with positive ideas.  We call this activity ACT, linking it to our Network’s name.  PROFACT is short for Professionals-in-Action.  The spirit of competition against the system became the vehicle that turned fruitless competition into learning experiences.  For instance one team truly bought into the concept of acceptance, commitment and take action. Team members spontaneously produced coasters for their coffee mugs with the company’s emblem on the one side and the word ‘ACT’ on the other.  When misunderstandings would loom, or a person experienced a need to be heard, it was accepted that (s)he may raise the coaster.  These events, dubbed creative misunderstandings, enhanced group-learning. 

In our creative workshops we often playfully interact with acronyms.  Participants agreed that there are many important issues that could be identified and be recalled in the heat of the game by focusing on ACT.  Waving the ACT coaster often serves to defuse what could become a volatile situation.  The following condensed extract describes one of the PROFACT’s brainstorming maps, recorded on flip charts during a re-Treat. 

We all embraced ACT as a way of being, in our work and in other relationships.  The following description of ACT is also copied from the worksheet presented at that re-Treat.  This is how it was recorded:

A: I can ‘Analyze, Acknowledge and Accept’, my own limitations and strengths, as I do those of my clients – Affect is my emotional companion, just as much part of my whole self as the leaves are part of a tree.

C: Commitment is to turn constraints into Choice, embracing the opportunities around the bend. Choice is my Cognitive part and determines whether I live as victim or survivor.  It is part of my whole self, like the branches of a tree.

T: is for ‘X’ is not a threat – even the ‘problem’ is not a threat.  By discovering what is most important to my True self, the threat loses its power.  My untested perceptions may be seen as a threat. However as I tract my progress I am in Tune with my I am my own T with my choices. 

Therefore ACT will guide my behavioural preferences, and I shall be free indeed!

[This worksheet was developed from the work done by Fox, (2002); Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche (2001).  It was redesigned by one of the workgroups who attended the retreat for the Networkers in 2002.  These re-Treat weekends signalled turning points in our work and inspired me to embark on this research and dissertation-writing.] 

MANAGEMENT TEAM RE-TREATS e.g. – preview of proposed intervention(s) and/or follow-up info-seminars (regular and short!!))

OUR UNIQUE APPROACH WILL:

• Improve wellness at work 
• Enable realistic performance management
• Provide an integrated context for change 
• Provide a safe transitional period – top-down and bottom-up
• Leave the organization with the resources to continue independently

Our programmes have proven success in the following fields of consulting:

Strategic ‘Human Factor’ Planning for Productive Team Development (see http://profact.co.za/team-development/

OUR PHILOSOPHY
TPN aims to build long term and close relationships with our clients. We believe that service excellence can only be provided in an environment where:

• The relationship between client and consultant is based on mutual trust
• There is acceptance based on understanding of the clients’ business
• The interaction between client and consultant is not a once-off event rather an ongoing- partnership.

Partners in Growth

Since we supply an affordable, complementary and professional service to the organisation’s HR professionals we may serve  as an HR Development – Partner. Through our active involvement in the organisation we ensure continuous monitoring and maintenance of the development processes