4,446 books on Amazon on relational practice, but what does it mean?

Karen Izod, TIHR Professional Partner, joined us recently as part of our lunchtime talk series to present some of her ideas on what 'relational practice' might mean.

With the fashion to call any and every approach to engaging with others ‘relational’ what does relational actually mean? Karen Izod gave us a snapshot of ideas on what relational practice means to her, and how it is embodied in her work as a consultant to organisational change and professional development.

This ‘work in progress’ presentation draws on doctoral research that Karen is presently undertaking based on her publications, consulting and teaching over the past 20 years. It leads her to construct and propose the idea of a ‘relational terrain’, an assemblage of theories, perspectives and practices for understanding, participating and intervening in group life from a relational psychoanalytic perspective.

Transcript

1. 4.446 books on Amazon on relational practice, but what does it mean? A Food for Thought session with Karen Izod Wednesday 6th September 2016 1.00pm This talk is ‘ work in progress’: not all slides have been made available, but can be sent upon request to karenizod@virginmedia.com your feedback is also very welcome ©Karen Izod 2016
2. Supplementary notes to the audio recording Timing / references in the talk: •  8:30: ‘Mindfulness’ - For a detailed introducLon to the themes of Mind-ful ConsulLng see Susan Rosina WhiRle’s introducLon to Mind-ful ConsulLng (2009) Eds, WhiRle, S.R & Izod, K. Karnac Books: London. •  14.30: Reference to slide 5 - Miller, E.J. (1997) EffecLng OrganisaLonal Change in Large Complex Systems: a collaboraLve consultancy approach in Eds. Neumann, J.E., Kellner, K. and Dawson-Shepherd, A. Routledge: London •  16.22: ‘People who felt that ins=ncts and drives were not innate’ Erratum: Fairbairn did not dispute drive as innate, but he saw it as ‘object-seeking’ as a drive for relaLonship, rather than pleasure seeking through the libido. Fairbairn, W.R.D. (1952) PsychoanalyLc Stuides of the Personality, Tavistock PublicaLons: London/New York •  23:40: ‘Work Study group in the 1980s...’ - The work study group at the Tavistock Clinic was led by Evelyn Cleavely. John Bowlby had reLred at this Lme, and was an occasional contributor to the Advanced Social Work Programme. •  Further informa=on on the relaLonal aspects of idenLty, representaLon, regulaLon, revelaLon can be found in Resource-ful ConsulLng, Izod, K, & WhiRle, S.R (2014) Karnac Books: London
3. Relational Practice what does it mean? •  RelaLonal – tending to be used in generalised way to describe pracLces that put people or relaLonships first, or are organised around relaLonship – mainly the ‘talking’ pracLces, counselling, psychotherapy, coaching and supervision - but not exclusively so •  The RelaLonal Turn •  First mooted 1980’s/90’s though evident much earlier in social sciences - espouses commonaliLes of pracLce between different professional acLviLes, economics, architecture, social sciences – pedagogy, coaching, consulLng •  Through •  A focus on processes rather than individual behaviours •  Post modern/post structural concepts on the nature of the individual in relaLon to society •  Emphasises aspect of co-crea=on, shared meaning making, mul=plici=es of truths and plurali=es of voices
4. What do I mean by ‘relational terrain’ •  RelaLonal: having the funcLon of relaLng one thing to another in a search for meaning – travelling within and between systems, together with the act of telling – relaLng, communicaLng – is a communicaLon •  Terrain is: a morphology – sense of movement and shijing ground, an inner landscape with varying organisaLons of structure, forms, textures – and a constructed landscape – domains of knowledge, aspects of experience – have been here before! •  Together – an assemblage of theories, perspecLves, and pracLces for understanding, parLcipaLng and intervening in group and organisaLonal life
5. Relational Terrain located in systems-psychodynamics
6. Components of the Relational Terrain Cultural/ecology Epochal perspecLves on organisaLonal systems, knowledge and experience. Meaning derived from context: Lme and place Rela=onal Group Processes emphasis on dual operaLonal and relaLonal group tasks together with condiLons needed for work Social Theories of Development emphasis on aRachment theories, and processes of recogniLon, representaLon and regulaLon of emoLons Role/s implicaLons for taking up roles (organisaLonal player/agent of and or consultant to change) with emphasis on Presence and idenLty, differenLaLon and mediaLng inner/ outer worlds Rela=onal Core: NegoLaLng and re- negoLaLng meaning: to explore, make and sustain connecLon
7. Relational core: •  At the centre of the RelaLonal Terrain is an intenLon: to promote condiLons whereby human systems can construct, nego,ate and renego,ate meaning: •  Requires the capacity to •  explore, make and sustain connecLons between phenomena emerging in the act of relaLng - which arise in interplay between inner and outer worlds •  Reliant on capacity to: •  Take up a subject to subject relatedness •  An awareness of ‘self-in-process’ •  Work away at emoLons which hold me/us to parLcular posiLons (polarising, essenLalising) •  These features permeate each of the components of the RelaLonal Terrain …..
8. Social theories of development Roles Context/socio —ecological factors Core of RelaLonal Terrain RelaLonal group dynamics