What becomes possible when we sit in the circle: a year in reflection

Our Chief Enabling Officer, Gini Gough, looks back on a year at Groupwork Centre, exploring shared leadership, collaboration, and the collective wisdom that continues to guide the work forward.

Gathering together at Commonground during our end-of-year retreat.

As I reflect on the past year, I’m struck by how much our work at Groupwork Centre continues to feel both timeless and urgently relevant. We’ve always believed that collaboration grounded in awareness, equity, and love isn’t just an ideal; it’s a necessary practice for a world in deep transition. When we’re out working with groups, we’re reminded again and again of what becomes possible when people sit in a circle, listen deeply, and discover new ways to be, work and live together.

Inside the organisation, I’ve found myself deepening my understanding of shared leadership. It has meant slowing down enough to listen, trusting others to hold key areas of the work, and leading from humility while still standing firmly in purpose. This year, we also implemented our new strategic narrative and, like many organisations balancing ambition and capacity, we learned a lot about pacing, prioritising, and aligning resources with where we can make the greatest contribution.

A highlight has been building collaborations that reflect our strategic priorities. Our partnership with the Sunrise Project, co-designing a 10-month collaborative leadership program and delivering facilitation skills training for the climate movement, has been extraordinary. Our ongoing work with Foundation House and the Victorian Refugee Health Network continues to equip staff working in complex environments with facilitation skills to support communities with dignity and care – to name only a few.

This has also been a year of significant transition, and it feels fitting to acknowledge here those who are moving on and welcoming those who are joining us.

We extend deep gratitude to Uschi Steedman, who concluded her operations role after guiding us through a period of major organisational change. Uschi created systems and stability at a time when we needed it most, and her careful work has given us a strong foundation for what comes next.

After so many years woven into the fabric of Groupwork, Andrea Jones will transition out at the end of 2025. Andrea has shaped every corner of our organisation as facilitator, educator, Co-Director, RTO leader, and cultural steward. Her intuition, values, and dedication have guided us through incredibly challenging seasons. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and legacy.

We also honour Jim Buckell, who after a decade of contribution as associate, marketing lead and editor, governance group member, now steps into editing the Community of Selves book with great care – one of our most important legacy projects.

And we acknowledge Carolyn Rundell, whose research and development work and conceptualisation of our Practice Framework has laid important groundwork for the future of our facilitation and learning approach.

In November this year, at our AGM, we welcomed in a new Governance Group for 2026, including Janoel Liddy, Daryl Hergt (treasurer), Tanya Edlington (secretary), Sarah Norton and myself, and we acknowledged Steve Ray and Nancy Nunez for their incredible dedication and commitment to stewarding our organisation over many years, and they have now stepped down. We are looking forward to reshaping how we do governance in 2026.

At the same time, we’ve welcomed a new wave of associates, Kate Sulan, Jonathan Bedloe (JB), Janoel Liddy, Tanya Edlington, Janet Rice and Matt Wicking, who have already expanded our capacity and brought new perspectives into our learning community.

This year, we reshaped our marketing and communications function, farewelling Tom Swartz and disbanding what was an incredible team, Daryl, Uschi, Jim and Tom and welcoming Albizia Akbar as our new marketing lead, who joins us with extraordinary skill in digital storytelling and inclusive communication.

We welcomed Carrie Skinner into the newly formed contracts and finance manager role, strengthening our business development systems, internal financial capability and building clarity where it was needed most.

And most recently, we’ve welcomed Keira Blake as our new operations lead, stepping into a role shaped by the enormous contributions of Uschi and Andrea. Keira brings warmth, clarity, and deep experience in purpose-driven organisations, and we’re thrilled she’s joined the team.

Finally, I want to acknowledge my co-director, co-conspirator and friend Steve Ray, who stepped back into an operational associate role mid-year and will transition out fully in 2026. Working alongside Steve has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my life, and I’m deeply grateful for the way we’ve rebuilt and re-imagined Groupwork Centre together.

With his transition, I’ve been holding the directorship and exploring the kind of leader Groupwork Centre needs for this next phase and whether I am that leader. I shared my leadership vision with the team at our annual retreat, and I was humbled by the trust and support I received as I stepped into the role of CEO – Chief Enabling Officer. More on our vision next year.

To our partners, thank you for walking alongside us: to CERES, our new home, to the Epoch crew who held us in previous years, and to Commonground, our sister organisation, with whom we continue to grow and learn on this journey of social change.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this year’s journey: our team, workplace clients, alumni, governance group, and partner organisations. Your commitment and generosity make this work possible and meaningful. Together, we continue to build practical pathways toward a more collaborative and compassionate world.

Because this work is collective, none of it is done alone. We are part of a wider community of organisations that are choosing to step up to the challenges of the times we are in, and that gives me great hope and inspiration. I believe we are capable of so much more as humans when we choose to believe in one another, lift each other up, and genuinely celebrate the successes of others.

As I look ahead, I do so with immense gratitude, renewed clarity, and deep trust in the collective wisdom that carries this work forward. I think Glen would be proud.

Warmly,
Gini