May 2026 Newsletter
Reconnecting with One’s Values
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Reconnecting with Values and Aligning Our Actions
May has arrived, bringing with it the fresh beauty of new greenery.
About a month ago, I facilitated a workshop at a facilitation conference in Birmingham, UK, centred around reconnecting with one’s values through a sensory forest-bathing (shinrin-yoku) meditation.
The workshop created space to pause and reflect on the values we may have forgotten or pushed aside in the busyness of everyday life — listening to what those values may be trying to tell us now, and sensing what next steps we may wish to take in response.
The process was structured around the Focused Conversation Method (ORID): Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, and Decisional levels in a flow. ORID is a facilitation framework that guides people through these four levels in order to create meaning and move towards intentional action and decision-making.
I believe that the ORID flow contains essential elements needed in any meaningful dialogue process. I have incorporated it into the facilitation class I introduced at the university where I taught, as well as into workshops that I design and facilitate myself.
This particular workshop was designed not only as a practice for individual reflection, but also as an approach that connects to the quality of dialogue and decision-making within organisations and teams.
Although I had some concerns that it might feel a little too calm and reflective as the very first workshop of the conference, participants shared encouraging feedback such as:
“I realised how much we need more spaces like this.”
“The reflections from the workshop stayed with me long afterwards.”
Hearing these responses reminded me again of both the value of this kind of workshop and the effectiveness of the ORID process itself.
Through my work, I offer facilitation of these kinds of reflective and dialogue-based processes, as well as learning spaces focused on facilitation skills themselves. The ORID framework can be especially effective, for example, in organisational retreats or meetings designed for collective reflection and learning.
Why Those Working on Social Challenges Need Time to Pause
When working alongside people engaged in sectors aiming for social impact, I sometimes sense — even if it is rarely said explicitly — an underlying belief that “there is no time to stop,” or that “if we have spare time, we should simply work harder.”
Certainly, for those dedicating themselves to social impact work and living busy professional lives, taking time to pause and reflect may feel difficult or even unrealistic.
And yet, I believe that is precisely why such moments are needed. To quietly pause, honestly examine the way we are currently working, and reflect — reconnecting with our own values, and asking whether the way we live and work is truly aligned with them. And then, when necessary, making adjustments: changing our approach, or even choosing a different direction altogether. I believe that these kinds of reflective spaces are especially important within the social impact sector.
Not only from the perspective of individual wellbeing, but also for the sustainability of organisations and teams, the ability to pause and reflect is essential. The quality of reflection directly shapes the quality of decision-making. I would even go so far as to say that without such processes, genuine growth becomes very difficult.
You can often recognise organisations or teams that are not engaging in reflection, even from the outside. No matter how much momentum they may appear to have at present, is it really unreasonable to think that stagnation may eventually await them?
At the moment, I am supporting a non-profit organisation as a consultant in reviewing its internal communication practices. Both at the individual and team levels, meaningful awareness and change are clearly beginning to emerge.
At the same time, I am again reminded how important it can be to have the neutral perspective and accompaniment of an external person — someone like the role I currently play — in order to support these subtle shifts, help articulate them, and connect them to meaningful next steps. For people inside an organisation, even when revisiting important issues, it is easy to become caught in familiar reactions such as: “We’ve talked about this before,” “This isn’t new,” or “There they go again saying the same thing.”
This is where an external facilitator can play an important role: listening carefully, helping to put emerging themes into words, making visible what truly needs to be addressed through reports or collective reflection, and affirming, “This matters.” Ironically, it is often precisely this kind of process that many organisations do not adequately make space for.
What I Learn Through Dialogue with Younger Generations
The photo above was taken at the facilitation conference in Birmingham mentioned earlier, together with Charmaine, originally from Singapore. We first met at last year’s conference, and afterwards she reached out to me. Since then, we have continued conversations in a coaching and mentoring relationship. Over the past year, she secured a position in the UK, and at this year’s conference, she facilitated her own workshop as well.
Witnessing this kind of journey up close is deeply inspiring and enriching for me too.
Thinking about younger generations reminds me of something important. During student years, effort is often rewarded relatively visibly through grades and academic achievement. In professional life, however, hard work and capability are not always recognised fairly. Moreover, simply because they are young, people are sometimes treated primarily as recipients of guidance, support, or empowerment — regardless of their actual competence or potential, rather than being seen as active contributors themselves. These are frustrations I often hear in coaching and mentoring conversations with younger people.
At the university where I taught, I also saw highly capable students become frustrated soon after beginning internships — discouraged by the slow pace of organisational work and by the feeling that, even when they believed they could do something well, they were not being trusted with meaningful responsibility.
As a mentor, what I encouraged them to do was to put criticism aside for a moment and instead focus on becoming someone others genuinely appreciate having around — someone who actively supports, takes initiative, and earns trust through action. To step in, contribute, and become the kind of person others think, “I’m really glad this person is here.”
Recently, I often hear the phrase “intergenerational dialogue.” But I sometimes wonder whether what we are seeing is truly dialogue — or simply one-way expectations and assumptions being imposed on others. This too, I feel, requires us to pause and reflect.
Carefully working with these mismatches, frustrations, and differing expectations is itself part of genuine dialogue. It is an essential process for building healthier relationships and ways of working together.
And again, in spaces like these, the presence of a professional facilitator who can support dialogue from a neutral standpoint can make a significant difference. Even if it does not immediately resonate, I hope more organisations and individuals will experience what becomes possible through this kind of facilitated process.
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Each Person’s Unique Colour and Light
Over the past six months or so, I have had opportunities to support the facilitation and space-holding of people who have long practised arts such as kintsugi and Japanese calligraphy. Of course, many people engage deeply in these practices even without formal master or teacher titles.
After two online spring workshops, Mr. Masafumi Imai came to the Netherlands last autumn. A few days after arriving, he said to me, “If there are already this many people teaching kintsugi in the Netherlands, then I will leave it to them.” In other words, he was thinking that this would be both his first and last workshop visit to the Netherlands.
Without really thinking, I immediately responded, “Wait — you don’t have to decide that yet. You can wait until just before returning to Japan.”
After that, we hosted a workshop that began with a meditation inspired by the metaphor of kintsugi, and I had the pleasure of supporting the creation of the space around it. And, as it turned out, by the time he was preparing to leave, Mr. Imai said, “I’ve decided I’ll come back again!” Since then, he has steadily been preparing for future workshops, and I recently heard that this month’s workshop in the Netherlands became fully booked shortly after registration opened.
Just recently, I spoke with K, a Dutch participant who had also attended a workshop I co-facilitated with Japanese calligraphy master Manami, centred around the theme of being present in the “here and now” through calligraphy. When I told him about my earlier conversation with Mr. Imai, he said:
“Chizu, I’m really glad you said that to him. I truly believe Masafumi is a genuine master, and I’m drawn to who he is as a person. I want to learn kintsugi from him.”
Hearing this moved me deeply and quietly.
No matter the field, and no matter how many people may appear to be doing similar work, each person brings their own colour and their own unique atmosphere or space. This feels true not only for kintsugi or calligraphy, but also for my own work as a coach grounded in deep listening, and as a facilitator creating spaces for dialogue and reflection. Even in fields where there are many coaches or facilitators, I believe each person carries their own unique colour and light.
At the conference in the UK, while attending a workshop facilitated by someone else, I came across the card shown in the photo above and felt instantly drawn to it.
“I embrace my light and share it. I choose to show up and shine.”
The moment I read it, I felt intuitively: this is exactly what I aspire to.
[The workshop and card were created by Olayinka Lagunju.]
A New Beginning at Five Years
On 29 April, my sole proprietorship, Synergy Facilitation, quietly marked its fifth anniversary. Over these past five years, I have gained tremendous learning and experience through my work as a university lecturer. At the same time, however, the reality is that — both in terms of time and energy — my own business often had to take second place.
Travelling to Tanzania last October became an opportunity to reconnect with my roots and with my values once again. Through that experience, I was able to reaffirm my decision to leave university teaching behind.
Interestingly, it was almost exactly five years ago that I made a similarly significant decision — to step away from a long-standing identity connected to my work in international organisations. I still vividly remember the same sense of release and liberation I felt at the time. Looking back on it now feels deeply moving.
At the same time, I do not see these past five years as wasted in any way. On the contrary, I feel they were profoundly necessary. I truly believe that everything has meaning. It is precisely because of these five years that I now find myself standing at a new starting point together with a company that has reached its fifth anniversary.
At present, my work is grounded in the following three pillars, which I practise through my roles as a professional coach and facilitator.
Dialogue and Participatory Processes
I design and facilitate spaces where diverse groups of people can engage in safe, meaningful dialogue and think together with genuine participation. My work spans areas including peacebuilding, humanitarian response, environmental issues, and community-based initiatives, with particular attention to ensuring that voices from different backgrounds and positions are carefully heard and included in dialogue and decision-making processes.
I also engage in mediation work grounded in dialogue and deep listening, supporting people experiencing conflict or differences in perspective to move forward together. Recently, I completed internationally recognised mediation training. For me, however, this did not feel like learning something entirely new, but rather a process of integrating and giving clearer structure to practices I have already been cultivating through dialogue, listening, facilitation, and coaching.
Leadership Development
Through participatory workshops, training programmes, mentoring, and team coaching, I support both individual and organisational growth. Areas of focus include dialogue skills, facilitation, intercultural communication, and reflective leadership.
Wellbeing and Resilience
I support individuals working under pressure and within demanding environments to pause, reconnect with their values and direction, and regain perspective. This includes support related to burnout prevention, career transitions, and periods of significant personal or professional change.
A Celebration of Coaching
From 11 to 17 May, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) celebrates International Coaching Week. On 13 May this year, I once again hosted a dialogue gathering for coaches — an event I have been organising annually during this week, now for the fourth year.
It became a rich and meaningful space for dialogue and shared learning with coaches working across humanitarian aid, development, and the wider social impact sector. Being able to exchange reflections and learning from our respective coaching practices in this way felt deeply encouraging and energising. It reminded me once again how valuable it is for coaches to support and inspire one another, and how these conversations give us renewed strength to continue this work.
As part of International Coaching Week, I am also offering a special campaign so that more people can experience the meaning and potential of coaching. The title of the offer is:
“Exploring Your Thoughts & Ideas with a Coach"
Even for people who wonder, “What exactly is coaching?”, I thought it might feel more approachable when described as a space to quietly reflect with someone who listens actively and deeply, and asks questions that open up new perspectives — helping you put your ideas and thoughts into words.
Usually, I offer coaching trial sessions free of charge. For this campaign, however, I am introducing a small fee. In exchange, those who decide to continue afterwards will be eligible for a larger-than-usual discount on ongoing sessions.
The booking link is here. If this resonates with you, please feel free to join.