Dis-ease of experience – a critically reflexive account of practice

ABSTRACT

This account is a critically reflexive piece about the practice of facilitation of action learning through the lens of my own practice and experienced practice. It occurs as a result of a cathartic moment within an action learning set and follows the subsequent questions that were evoked as a result. It is not a finished article since it raises dynamic questions of continual critical learning and recognises the ongoing challenge of remaining sharp in practice. While few facilitators are likely to admit to poor practice, it is not unlikely that we descend into our own particular complacent patterns and experienced habits, which if not continually questioned in a consciously reflexive manner, may result in stagnation and diminish our effectiveness to bring about the change we espouse. This account, therefore, serves as an inside-out means of personal learning and additionally offers food for thought to other facilitators and practitioners, particularly to those who might describe themselves as seasoned or experienced. It concludes with a determination that to remain sharp in practice, one needs to find mechanisms and moments that help to question the ease of our experience.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflection
• critical reflexivity
• critical action learning
• supervision
• experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Kathryn Winterburn is an Independent OD Consultant and Director of Winterburn Works Ltd. She works with individuals, teams, boards and other diverse groups within organisations supporting their development and learning to enact change.