Agreeable challenge

WRKWLL is fortunate to have a group of thinkers who are ready to challenge prevailing norms and look beyond established wisdom. Two recent examples illustrate this mindset.

1. In our industry, icebreakers are common—often dreaded, tolerated, or indulged. Done well, they build group cohesion and energy. At a recent WRKWLL gathering, “Two Truths, One Lie” was suggested for new and established associates. When asked to prepare their truths and lies, participants questioned the idea of lying for fun. Comments highlighted a clash of cultural values, discomfort with deception, and the icebreaker’s inherent whiteness and Eurocentric bias. Others noted it could be unsuitable for neurodivergent members or simply that they were fed up with these types of performative activities. The person who made the initial suggestion reacted with reciprocal openness at having their thinking challenged, and ultimately, time was spent at the beginning of the session getting to know each other in different ways.

2. When nominations for associate awards were requested, the premise was again thoughtfully and reasonably challenged, as undermining the associate collective model we are trying to foster. Why celebrate individual achievement over collective effort? Why encourage competition when we could recognise collaboration and solidarity? And, don’t these types of awards favour certain personality types, and those whose work is the most high prominent? These questions led to a rethink of how we celebrate quality work without reinforcing existing power dynamics, and finding different methods to recognise the excellence of those who collaboratively deliver our work.
Both examples show the value of non-judgmental spaces where people can speak up, question, and debate. WRKWLL is fortunate to have talented associates who notice everyday privilege and skewed power dynamics. Whilst questioning icebreakers or awards alone won’t change the world, fostering a culture that welcomes critique and remonstrates with elitist thinking, is something we value highly and will continue to nurture.

Note: as a result of the icebreaker discussion, WRKWLL is developing an “inclusive icebreaker resource”, ready to be shared in the coming weeks.