In this lunchtime talk, Anne Benson explored what “Drawing on classic and contemporary Tavistock approaches” might mean…

“Drawing on classic and contemporary Tavistock approaches”. This phrase pops up in our brochures and marketing material. What does it mean? To some, it means transformative and life-changing experiences, or maybe practical ways of really getting beneath the surface of organisational life. Others remain sceptical viewing it as outdated or cultish and for some, it means nothing at all. One theme that runs throughout the tradition, and possibly core to it, is debate and the contested nature of what can or must be included.

In this talk, Anne offered her, necessarily partial, account of Learning in the Tavistock Tradition: its evolution over time; what it stands for and its continued relevance for society now and in the coming decades. She traced its journey to date through the ideas, methods and applications that currently constitute the tradition. Asking do we need to reconsider any of the core constructs – the nature and meaning of boundary in our simultaneously boundary-less and boundary enforced world; the ‘here and now’ in increasingly virtual encounters; our changing relationship to authority in a networked world?

Recording of the talk

Anne Benson is an organisational, team and leadership development consultant, coach and clinician with 30 years’ experience of working primarily in and with the health and social care sector. She began her career as a nurse. For the last twenty years she has been working in practice based consultancy, education and development.  She currently works as a principal consultant and researcher for the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations where she is Head of Professional Development Programmes. She has worked in NHS, Local Authority, Higher Education and third sector organisations as well as organisations with a national and international remit, most recently The Kings Fund (2009 – 2015). Clinically she has worked in in-patient, community and primary care services in the NHS and Local Government. Current programmes of work include co-directing the Practitioner Certificate in Consulting and Change in the UK and Netherlands; contributing to the design and delivery of a capacity development programme in China; consulting to NHS, Higher Education and third sector individuals and services. Alongside her consultancy and development work she has a small private practice as a Cognitive Analytic Therapist.

Learning in the Tavistock Tradition was presented by Anne Benson as part of the Tavistock Institute’s Food For Thought series.