Podcasts and talks Looking ahead to our 80th anniversary Chair of Council, Lucian Hudson, reflects on tradition and ways to build on it, at the Institute's AGM, 16 July 2026 Talks & presentations The role of food clubs in tackling food insecurity An interactive workshop exploring our evaluation of the Nourish the Nation programme Discovery Discovery Session - Dynamics of Freelancing Investigate what it really means to work independently: a Discovery Session on Dynamics of Freelancing Lunchtime Talks ‘My soul stands now planted’ – Rooting, re-rooting and self-constitution in Organizational Role-Taking Lunchtime Talk with Dr Shely Halachmi Sussman, offering a framework for understanding the process of constituting oneself in role. Talks & presentations Making work worth doing: panel event with Socio-Technical Systems Roundtable Teaming with robots and AI: New STS principles in theory and practice Lunchtime Talks Defence against the Dark Arts of cyber: who cares for the caretakers? Lunchtime Talk with Nancy Gossling: a tale of fear, fantasy and evil: analysis of cyber dynamics, insecurities and containment Lunchtime Talks Waiting for sense to break through: the power of ‘generative uncertainty’ in a polarised world Lunchtime talk with Dr Nicola Redhouse, Lecturer in Publishing and Editing at the School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne, Australia. Lunchtime Talks Faith and organisations, with Mark Argent, psychoanalytic psychotherapist and organisational consultant Workshop From Dream to Insight: transforming organisational understanding through social dreaming In conversation with Mannie Sher Lunchtime Talks Two Traditions, One Living System: NTL and Tavistock on group, authority and change Lunchtime Talk with Dr Lennox Joseph, consultant, author & NTL Institute for Applied Behavioural Science practitioner Lunchtime Talks The Political Engagement of Psychoanalysis: Nic Waal and the Edith Jacobson Case Lunchtime Talk with Dr Lene Auestad, author and philosopher, University of Oslo: stories, psychoanalysis and politics. Hosted by Dr Mannie Sher Lunchtime Talks On Talking about Groups: the Leicester Conference, for Insiders and Outsiders Lunchtime Talk with Lily Scherlis, Brooklyn-based writer, artist and PhD candidate, University of Chicago Lunchtime Talks Taking an honest approach: step into the role of a participatory researcher This Lunchtime Talk will explore participatory research with Ryan Wise & Dr Thomas Spielhofer (Tavistock Institute) and Callum Ross & Lisa Androulidakis (Habitus Collective) Lunchtime Talks Lunchtime Talk: Thinking with machines, with Dr Jean Cooper Ambivalence, projection and the place of AI in Systems Psychodynamics Lunchtime Talks Lunchtime Talk: Hope and resistance in oppressive systems, with Dr Katy Mason Inspired by ideas in The Handmaid’s Tale, this talk will focus on resistance networks in systems where it feels too radical to openly offer any countercultural narrative | Wednesday October 22nd, 1pm to 2:30pm | online Lunchtime Talks Lunchtime Talk: building democracy at work Bridging theory and practice in action research, with Hanne Finnestrand, Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Talks & presentations Further discovery sessions for Deepening Creative Practice, 1st and 8th April 2025 Free session to find out what Deepening Creative Practice will look like in 2025 Lunchtime Talks Lunchtime Talk: The new national Just Transition framework for Scotland Dr David Drabble (Tavistock Institute) and Dr Kirsten Jenkins (University of Edinburgh). This talk considered the new Just Transition framework and how it will aid the redesign of socio-economic systems in the face of climate change Lunchtime Talks Turning chaos into growth: Lessons from war zones for leaders and organisations Lunchtime Talk with Yeshim Harris | Wednesday 19 February 2025, 1pm — 2:30pm UTC Lunchtime Talks You’ve got the part!’ Wanted and unwanted roles in organisational ethnography Lunchtime Talk with Dr Peter Shepherd, independent consultant: How the researcher’s identity in situ is shaped and reshaped by expectations and projections | Wednesday 19 March 2025, 1pm — 2.30pm (UTC) Lunchtime Talks The Uncanny, the Mystical and the Myth: Finding space for the irrational in leadership thinking Noel McQuaid presents this Food for Thought Lunchtime Talk, 22nd January at 1pm Lunchtime Talks The Role of Creativity in Evaluative Practice Join us in this session to explore how creativity plays a role in Evaluative Practice on Weds 11th December 1pm-2.30pm Podcast: the dynamics of shame, with Dr Eliat Aram Dr Eliat Aram focuses on shame in this podcast, drawing on her research and practice over the last 25 years Lunchtime Talks Seeking an adultier adult: explore human creativity in organisations Over the last few decades, there has been an increased focus on how organisations can ‘improve’ creativity and innovation. Join us on Weds November 20 at 1pm — 2.30pm to discuss Podcast: Hidden forces that drive group behaviour Introduction to group relations and the work of TIHR from Rachel Kelly, Group Relations Consultant and OD Consultant Talks & presentations High Performance Dynamics and Creativity: launch event for the Creative Digital Futures Lab Join Professor Eenasul Fateh on Thursday 26th September, 6pm — 8pm Lunchtime Talks Scrambling Time and Matter in Sulphur This Food for Thought lunchtime talk will share Heni Hale’s process of encountering archive materials of The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. Wednesday 18 September 2024, 1pm — 2.30pm Lunchtime Talks Exploring the human-technology constellation to understand our entangled modern world In this talk, on 17th July at 1pm, Dr Nick Waggett will explore how digital technologies have become incorporated into our intra- and inter-psychic processes. Lunchtime Talks Dreaming for the Future, with Dr Franca Fubini and Susan Long Inspired by Susan Long’s writing about anticipatory dreams and dreaming for the future, Franca Fubini will explore how the matrix dreams from the past in order to develop dreaming for the future. Lunchtime Talks Unlocking Leadership, with Mariana Moura Unlocking Leadership: The Next Generation of Family Business, with Mariana Moura. Join us for a captivating exploration of family business dynamics with Mariana Moura, a Brazilian consultant in the field of family enterprises. Exhibitions The 2023/4 Deepening Creative Practice group presents: Kuråt Watch the film made by this year’s Deepening Creative Practice group Lunchtime Talks Professional joy: don’t let your dream die with you Steven H. Cady asks ‘why is it that traditional career paths often fall short of yielding true fulfillment?’ Professional development Book Launch: ‘Systems Psychodynamics’ Join us to celebrate the launch of all three volumes in the Systems Psychodynamics series. Professional development Professional Development Open Evening The Tavistock Institute invites you to our Professional Development Open Evening. Lunchtime Talks The Experience of Being 70 and over Dr Mannie Sher kicked off our 2018 lunchtime talk series with his talk ‘Experience of Being 70 and over — an overview of the group relations conference’. Lunchtime Talks The Five Facets of Theory of Change Richard Allen, Principal Researcher and Consultant at the Tavistock Institute, presents research into the ‘five facets of Theory of Change’. Lunchtime Talks The Dynamics of Habit and Ritual: Theories from China Michael Puett’s lunchtime talk offered an exploration of theories of human psychology and group dynamics as they arose in early China and agues that these theoretical understandings have much to offer contemporary practice. Lunchtime Talks Agon in the Office – Contests and Gatherings in the Theatre of Work Jessica Burlingame continues an inquiry begun during her workshop at the Tavistock Institute’s 70th anniversary Festival Lunchtime Talks Losing Political Office Jane Roberts, author of the book Losing Political Office, brought insights from her new book as possible food for those working, consulting to governance and political systems. Lunchtime Talks Eric Miller’s application of an anthropological training to TIHR work The evolution of Eric Miller’s methodology Lunchtime Talks Lifting neighbourhoods out of poverty How do we harness resources to create a more cohesive system? Lunchtime Talks The Chair: politics, sociology and how to sit on one In this talk, Rachel Kelly traced the history of the chair through human evolution, the significance and symbolism of the chair, the chair as ‘object of desire’ and what makes a comfortable chair. Lunchtime Talks Female Genital Cutting, human rights and religious freedom This talk looked at issues of negotiating independence and the politics of knowledge production in the case of Female Genital Cutting. Lunchtime Talks CyborgORG: The Human/Machine Organization From coal mines to WeWork: learning from the Tavistock Tradition, researching the contemporary workplace — a lunchtime talk by Jack Marmorstein. Lunchtime Talks Looked After Children #1 Reflections from TIHR researchers on evaluating the Adoption Support Fund 2015-2017. Lunchtime Talks Poetry in the Here and Now Joe Cullen selects poems from his own work as the Bard of Dalston that ask questions of the here and now. Lunchtime Talks The Hidden Gem of Leadership Followership Lessons from a Convent Community Lunchtime Talks One, Two, Three… Groups Dr Yossi Triest talks about bridging the gap between the ‘unconscious of the individual’ and the ‘unconscious of the group.’ Lunchtime Talks The ‘Impossibility’ of Working in the Current NHS Dr Rachel Gibbons facilitates a conversation to think about what is wrong with the NHS. Lunchtime Talks The Tavistock Community: our story so far… A talk presented by Agnès Berthoz, Laure Fraval, Kalina Stamenova and Eva Worm Lunchtime Talks Virtual Reality A lunchtime talk by Coreene Archer and David Drabble. Lunchtime Talks The challenge of blending spirituality with organisational demands What happens in the areas in which organisational structure and spiritual experience intersect or are in tension with one another? Lunchtime Talks Bringing out the best in times of uncertainty In this talk, Professor Georgie Parry-Crooke explores what the right hat or hats might be for collaborative evaluation roles. Lunchtime Talks Evaluation: from reflective to deliberative practice? Giorgia Iacopini explores what drives policy-making, taking us beyond the assumptions of policy work that still inform the evidence-based policy movement. Lunchtime Talks Why we need children’s hospices David Strudley CBE FRSA makes the case for a major expansion of children’s hospice services. Lunchtime Talks Integration of Young People who are NEET Learning from the ‘NEETs in Action’ Erasmus+ project. Lunchtime Talks Lateral Authority Exploring Lateral Relations at Work — a talk by Petros Oratis Lunchtime Talks Learning from Women and Girls, a Lunchtime Talk The story and learnings from the Women and Girls Initiative Lunchtime Talks Making an Online Learning course — all the fun and all the challenges Lunchtime Talks Is there a Doctor in the House? What defines GPs’ primary tasks, roles, and systems? Lunchtime Talks Complexity and Evaluation — latest developments Dr Dione Hills asks — how can a better understanding of complexity have an impact on the way we think? Lunchtime Talks Everyday life, policy and research: older people and social exclusion Dr Philip Corran explores the challenges of balancing everyday life and policy when it comes to ageing, disability and social exclusion. Lunchtime Talks Systems thinking at the Tavistock Institute — past, present and future Lunchtime Talks Connecting and Communicating in the midst of a Pandemic Reflections on living in the time of Coronavirus. Talks & presentations The Tavistock Touch: continued As a result of interest in Lucian Hudson’s Lunchtime Talk on Touch, the Tavistock Community has created an opportunity to explore the phenomenon of touch further. Lunchtime Talks The Tavistock Touch: what is our role now in repairing the world? Lucian J. Hudson explores what it means to touch during a time of social distancing. Lunchtime Talks Emotional Labour Exploring the impact of repeated bereavements for staff in a special school Lunchtime Talks Consultancy with a light touch Me and Work: experiences of consulting to organisations, sharing feelings, emotions, failures and learning from them. Lunchtime Talks A.K. Rice: A Forgotten Giant at The Tavistock Institute Jean Neumann and Antonio Sama trace A.K. Rice’s legacy embedded and captured in articles, books and other source documents. Lunchtime Talks Under the surface and far apart The dynamics of discord in remote teams Lunchtime Talks The Medical Self: why doctors make bad patients Professor Dame Clare Gerada explores the reasons why doctors find it so hard to seek help when needed. Lunchtime Talks Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and the Environment A talk by our staff exploring how we apply Tavistock social science to our environmental work. Lunchtime Talks The Art of Not Knowing In this talk, Marian Timmermans combines models from Tavistock and Transactional Analysis in dealing with the unknown when working with groups. Lunchtime Talks Experiences of Deepening Creative Practice Join the Deepening Creative Practice community in a collective space to play, explore and experiment. Lunchtime Talks Global socio-technical systems perspectives The development of compassionate work and organisation design Lunchtime Talks Evaluating design enabled innovations Special session: towards a common impact evaluation methodology Lunchtime Talks Applied Anthropology in Organisational Research & Consultancy Why is anthropology important when understanding organisations? Lunchtime Talks Implementation Science Below the Waterline Allison Metz joined us recently to speak about the role of trust and psychological safety in the use of evidence. Lunchtime Talks Book Launch: ‘An Introduction to Systems Psychodynamics’ David Lawlor and Mannie Sher speak on systems psychodynamics theory and its application to organisational consultancy as part of this book launch of An Introduction to Systems Psychodynamics Lunchtime Talks The Future of Humanity Report — a mashup of indices and qualitative analysis of reports. A talk by Professor Steven H. Cady. Lunchtime Talks Impact of Covid-19 on front-line practitioners Anna Sophie Hahne, Georgie Parry-Crooke and Thomas Spielhofer presented findings from the TIHR Covid-19 research study. Talks & presentations Digital Surgery — approaches and challenges of working virtually Lunchtime Talks How ‘Human Relations’ Got Its Name The Journal as Boundary Object Lunchtime Talks Consultants: are our ethics for real or just skin deep?... Being a consultant means helping the client. How open are we to when we are not? Lunchtime Talks Boosting Human Capital for the 21st century The Tavistock Institute team talk about a project designed to help low-skilled jobseekers train for future employment. Lunchtime Talks Psychoanalysis Goes to War (Eventually) A prehistory of the Tavistock Institute. Lunchtime Talks An Ancient Greek Philosophy of Management Consulting How we can introduce useful novelty into our thinking about management consulting? Lunchtime Talks Survive and Thrive. What are we learning from the pandemic? The Tavistock Institute team reflect on what learning about resilience is emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. Lunchtime Talks What is restored to the picture by delving into the Tavistock archive? Alice White’s lunchtime talk provides insight into the people, processes, challenges and opportunities behind the Civil Resettlement Units of the 1940s. Lunchtime Talks Exploring Harold Bridger’s Archive This talk explores the ways in which Harold Bridger shaped the history, memory, and identity of the Tavistock Institute between the years 1947 and c.1990 Professional development Strategic Thinking, Design and the Theory of Change How can the Theory of Change framework be effectively employed in a wide range of social interventions? Lunchtime Talks Exploring professional identity How do we marry professionalism with individual identity? Lunchtime Talks “All we do is have meetings...” What do meetings tell us about group dynamics and workplace culture? Podcast: "We have to stay with the trouble" Dr Eliat Aram and Dr Simon Western discuss sustainability, the environment, urban development, and creative working around how the future is being shaped. Where she was to where she is now: an animation celebrating the Women and Girls Initiative The WGI film (2022), made by Leeds Animation Workshop with women and girls working with and supported by WGI funded projects. Corona-Time Notes: The Virus of Horror Social dynamics of self-organising groups In the light of historical evidence from the Tavistock Institute Archive Juliet Scott’s Keynote in Finland. “We dealt with the archive not as a technical cataloguing exercise but as part of a wider and regulatory ecosystem, breathing new life into an organisation’s system.” Psychodynamics of Practitioner - Patient Relationships in the Manual Therapies Understanding the dynamics of the practitioner-patient relationship in the manual therapies can improve treatment outcomes. In a series of video interviews... Norwegian Evaluation Conference Dione Hills gives keynote on the occasion of a joint anniversary. Learning from Veterans Reflecting on a recent feasibility study for the Forces in Mind Trust. Sometimes you learn more from facing challenges than from success. In our latest research report, this was definitely the case....