Building Relational Work — Even When Messy

On 31 May 2023, Matt Bell dropped a message into our thread that captured the spirit of our journey: “Love this coming together. Just musing… and connecting.”

We were juggling so many moving parts—strategy discussions, collaboration days, even ideas for community film-making. But instead of locking down a plan, we opened up a space.

The thread became a swirl of ideas: co-hosted days to explore relational working, light-touch training sessions, and invitations to imagine something more human than a meeting.

It reminded us that our best thinking often comes not from the whiteboard but from the weave—when we connect across silos, projects, and roles.

Relational working isn’t a tool. It’s a posture. One that says: let’s stay open. Let’s notice who’s missing. Let’s build something we couldn’t do alone.

Sometimes that means messy threads and half-baked ideas. But it also means moments of genuine connection—like this one—that help us move forward in ways that feel true.