The Elders Practice Group
"Practice... Without Preach"
An Online Monthly Constellation Group
Facilitated by Zena Me
ARE YOU READY TO:
Raise Consciousness,
Reinvent Social Systems and
Revitalise Communities?
This is a chance to work with me and fellow Elders to build the kind of strong eldership foundations that you’ve been longing for, (so that you never need to justify or explain who you are and what you do, again)…
Articulate Your Unique Point of View
Belong to a Beautiful and Wise Community…
Confidently Attract the Right People to Work with and
Discover Your Unique Eldership Niche.
Dearest elder in training,I’ve written this letter to you to invite you to join my Monthly Elders Practice Group.There's a lot to say about this Group so I highly recommend making yourself a lovely, hot drink and sitting down to read slowly…
WHAT IS ELDERSHIP?
You may be wondering what I mean by ‘Eldership’.Eldership isn’t easily recognisable in our Western world. It’s part of our world that’s disappeared (gone out of fashion, even). Yet it is still seen in indigenous communities such as the Native American Indians or the Aborigines because it is an essential function of a healthy, thriving society.Elders:- Are those who we can turn to as we stand in the eye of the storm.- Symbolise the continuity of life and the connection to the planet and its universal wisdom.- Offer dependability and stability.- Hold the bridge between the physical world, the ancestors and the unknown mystical realm.- Are the wise ones, who capture and decimate history and ancestral wisdom for future generations.Eldership is a function rather than an identity. It's not about age but about wisdom.And it’s desperately needed in our world right now...
WHY AN ELDERS PRACTICE GROUP?
I’ve created this group especially for coaches, constellators and senior leaders who long to make a deeper social impact by bringing their wisdom and experience to support the transformation of our human social systems.For FAMILIES
For FUTURE GENERATIONS
For ORGANISATIONS
For COMMUNITIESEvery hour you spend on your eldership practice will save you tenfold over the next few years…Every pound you spend on honing your eldership niche, will save you hundreds and thousands over the next decade...Being an Elder means a more meaningful and long lasting contribution. Leaving a legacy for future generations...
ABOUT YOU
You’re someone whose an AUTHORITY in your field and you’ve been around for a long time, but you’re currently at the stage of life where you want to be a wise elder.You want to wake up in the morning and feel ENERGISED about your life and work, but to achieve this you need THE SPACE AND FREEDOM TO BE CREATIVE and to explore more of the things that really excite, intrigue and 'call' you.You can’t quite put your finger on what this new way may look like. Right now it’s just an INNER FEELING.What you do know is that you’re good at spotting PATTERNS and the deeper issues that lie hidden beneath the surface.You’re also fascinated by DIFFERENT APPROACHES, often ones that sit outside the ‘norm’ in your field.You strongly believe if people could GO DEEPER, they’d get better outcomes, feel more connected, achieve more and be happier in their work and their life.You INTUITIVELY know that hidden behavioural patterns are something that people are not consciously aware of and often struggle to be seen.And, you'd love to help surface these (often painful) hidden patterns to help heal and transform them, but to do this you know that you need to build a SAFE CONTAINER for yourself, so you can HOLD A SAFE SPACE for others.But you're stuck how to get 'there'.Although you know all this, you're not sure what your unique niche is or even how to find it......And that's where this Eldership Practice Group comes in...
ABOUT ME
I specialise in Eldership and am the Founder of the Eldership Leaders and the Community of Elders.For over 30 years I've worked with Senior Leaders in blue chip companies such as GE Capital, Lloyds bank, Marshalls PLC, Capita, LV Insurance, Covance, the Department of Work and Pensions and many Local Government organisations.But my greatest accomplishment so far has been doing the kind of work that changes mind sets that inspires social change.I've helped hundreds of Senior Leaders, Coaches and Constellators, just like you, to connect to their deeper purpose and talents, so they can walk the path of Eldership and make a unique difference in their chosen field.
WHY LISTEN TO ME?
Around 1998, at the age of twenty eight, I had a 'spiritual awakening'.I've always been a deeply intuitive and empathic person, however, during this time a number of close friends and family died within a short space of time, sending my life path in a very different direction. It was as if, to quote the book: 'One day my soul opened up'.I suddenly became more consciously aware of my clairsentient and clairvoyant gifts; however, working in the Corporate world, it became a challenge to INTEGRATE these newly found gifts into my work.So I turned to the perfoming arts field to study presence, creativity (and spirituality) and constellations and embodied practice.This led me to teaching leadership at Cranfield Business School and introducing constellations to illuminate hidden patterns and ancestral trauma.This Eldership Practice Group is the culmination of all my personal research, experience and exploration over the past 26 years. It's deeply rooted in my soul's purpose and is my small contribution to society and the planet.My purpose is to build a community to guide leaders, like you, to become Elders.Our collective purpose is to build a bridge between the past and future generations to transform our outdated social systems.
"I loved working with Zena. She gives her heart to what she does, which means she cares, and as the recipient, you know you are getting total investment and involvement. Zena woke up parts of me that had lain dormant, teaching me a more spiritual side, helping me focus on the people I work with, and nurturing them differently.
Consequently, I have been able to unlock some of the genius in other people, something they have told me.
I put a huge amount of this down to the help and coaching Zena gave to me.
She's a genuine, lovely person who I would definitely work with again given the opportunity."
Neil Rampe Chief Revenue Officer at M24Seven
WHAT DOES ELDERSHIP MEAN TO ME?
AN ELDER IS SOMEONE WHO...
Holds the meta position for an individual and the system
Operates counter cultural and makes others see things from new perspectives
Symbolises non- attachment to the system(s)
Models courageous conversations / insights
Puts others in touch with their innate ability to sense the truth
Wakes others up
Sets others free from the cultural / conditioning of the systems
Has the courage and confidence to ‘name the elephant in the room’
THE ELDERSHIP PRACTICE GROUP
WHAT DO YOU LONG FOR FROM THIS ELDERS PRACTICE GROUP?
To do work that’s meaningful and that makes a difference
To be authentic and seen
To have the courage to speak your truth
To influence social change and transformation
To do deeper work
To do work that’s aligned to your deeper (soul) purpose
To feel a stronger sense of belonging
To have a business / model that’s aligned with your vision
To monetise what you do in a healthy, conscious way that feels good to everyone
WHO IS THE PROGRAMME A PERFECT FIT FOR?
This Group is a PERFECT fit for you if :
You’d love to do more of what you really love but don’t know where to start.
You long to find your specialist niche but haven’t worked out what that is yet.
You find yourself doing work that no longer feels a ‘right' fit anymore.
You long to be doing great work that makes a difference, particularly around social transformation.
You’ve not yet worked out how to fully pivot to a new field.
You hesitate to talk about the deeper stuff, because you’re worried that you'll bedismissed or rejected.
You love the idea of working with senior leaders at a deeper level, but need to build a safer container.
You hate the idea of ‘marketing’ yourself.
You can’t imagine doing the whole social media circus, in fact you’d rather avoid it.
WHAT WILL YOU WALK AWAY WITH?
The confidence to show up more authentically.
An ability to think more systemically and work more powerfully.
A clearer sense of your unique niche and point of view.
Knowledge of the kind of people you're here to help and support
More confidence in building community and safe belonging.
A deeper sense of your self as an Elder.
The one thing I've learnt on the road to Eldership is that you can’t do this alone.You'll need the kind of help and guidance that goes beyond books, workshops and personal practice.You'll need a community and a regular practice group.
"Zena is an insightful, thought provoking and stretching coach. Her guidance through the Cranfield School of Management’s High Performance Leadership Course was invaluable. Her friendly and approachable nature made learning with her an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I highly recommend Zena for any person or organisation seeking insightful and quality personal and professional development, which will have a positive impact for years to come."
Asma Maya Joseph-Hussain, CEO, The Safety Centre
WHO IS THIS ELDERSHIP PROGRAMME NOT A FIT FOR?
This isn't the programme for you if:
You’re a very independent type that prefers to solve problems alone.
You need someone available 24/7.
You need instant results. (Becoming an elder is an ongoing PRACTICE, there isn't an end point).
You hate working on-line. (This group is predominantly designed to be online using zoom meetings)
AN ELDER'S PURPOSE:
To live in integrity and authenticity in all aspects of lifeTo act as a transformational presence for individuals, groups, organisations and communitiesTo be courageous and express truth and insightTo be a wise guiding force for future generationsTo hold safe containers for ‘liminal’ space for transformation to occur
WHAT WILL THE PRACTICE GROUP STRUCTURE LOOK LIKE?
Each month we will meet as a group online. The purpose will be to choose an 'Eldership' issue to constellate as a group.This could be related to a family issue, a work issue or something where someone feels stuck and would like to explore a possible resolution through a constellation.The constellation will last an hour.The group will then use the remaining time for plenary discussion about the systemic themes and how they may relate to eldership.
WHAT ARE CONSTELLATIONS?
“In all chaos there is a cosmos. In all disorder a secret order.” — Carl JungConstellations is a powerful process to resolve complex issues
and wicked problems by Illuminating Invisible Dynamics
in Relationship Systems.Systemic constellations is a pioneering, innovative process that brings an unprecedented level of clarity to illuminate and resolve dilemmas and complex issues that lie hidden in our unconscious awareness.The Constellations Process creates a 3D model that brings fresh information, profound insight, simplicity and movement that re-energises and brings agency and direction back to individuals, groups, organisations and communities.Based on the work of the German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger in body, group and family therapy, Senior Leaders in European Businesses began to see that Constellations could be applied to organisations to navigate past the blocks and resistance to resolving complex dilemmas they were facing.Success in companies such as BMW and IBM has now meant that there’s a strong and growing interest in this fascinating process all over the world.
THE PRELIMINARIES: Where we start...During this stage you will meet for a one hour zoom session with Zena to explore where you are right now and develop your own personal route map and practices for achieving your expectations.During this stage you will also explore:
Your own Eldership
Systemic principles
Contracting and committing
Building the Container for your journey
Creating and developing your own transformational practices that support you on your journey
THE THREE CORE ELEMENTS OF THE PRACTICE GROUP:
CORE ELEMENT #1 - THE ONLINE PRACTICE GROUP PLATFORM
When you join the group you’ll get a link to access the online platform. On there will be booklets and resources which are free to you as part of being part of this group.I will be adding resources as we go too.CORE ELEMENT #2 - DAILY JOURNALLING
Journalling is a way to go deeper into your felt sense and explore the hidden patterns in your system. I recommend that you do this in the morning, however what's important is that you find some time to write ideally, every day.CORE ELEMENT #3 - FRIDAY REFLECTIONS
This is an opportunity for you to reflect on the week and explore what's emerged for you. It will take the form of messaging via the platform and if it's appropriate for me to respond, I will.
THE 4 ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU GET FROM THIS GROUP
ADDITIONAL THING #1: CONTINUOUS ACCESS TO OTHER PRACTICE GROUP MEMBERS.
The online platform will give you ongoing access to the group members where you can find out how others are doing on their journey. The boundaries are established so that we create a safe container for our discussions.ADDITIONAL THING #2: ACCESS TO 1:1 COACHING / CONSTELLATION SESSIONS AT A HALF THE RATE ( £150 per 1 hour session).
If you need some focused one-to-one time beyond the weekly session, I extend a special rate for those currently on the programme. I normally charge £300 for systemic coaching, but if you’re in the group and need some extra support, you get it at the reduced rate.ADDITIONAL THING #3: ACCESS TO MY MINDSHARE WHILE WE WORK TOGETHER.
When I’m working with groups I tend to have deep insights outside of the sessions. They come when I’m out walking, reflecting, journaling etc.Even when we’re not together I will be thinking about you. There’s an enormous amount of value in having access to this kind of focus and collective intelligence.ADDITIONAL THING #4: SPECIAL PRICING
If you join for the first six months round of this practice group, then you’ll be offered the same price per month if you want to continue.New people joining will pay an increased price.
THE INVESTMENT
The cost is £150 per month with a minimum six month commitment.If you want to continue with the group, this can be reviewed at the end of the six months, (if it feels like a good fit on both sides).
"Zena was my tutor for a leadership programme for High Performance Leadership. What stayed with me from working with Zena was her analytical approach which was on point about me as a leader, the organisation and their relationships. Zena brought that to life, making it tangible by using a systemic approach. Learning from Zena has been a privilege, if you ever get the chance grab it, it will be fun, memorable and life changing."
Tumikilani Banda Associate Director, NHS
WHY SIGN UP NOW?
If this feels like a fit for you, there are a few compelling reasons to consider signing up nowish, beyond the obvious:REASON # 1 - The sooner you start, the sooner you will be on the path to embodying your integrity and becoming an elder.REASON #2: The world urgently needs elders in all walks of life. Those who role model integrity and show others what ‘purpose’ looks like.REASON #3: I only have room for a limited number of people on this round of the programme.These people will be the original founding elders.This has never been done before…I’d love you to be the first...
LOWERING YOUR RISK
I understand that being in this group is a commitment for you in time, money and emotional labour.If you’d like to set up a time to a talk to me about it via zoom, then just drop me an email and we can talk.I'm not a believer in selling so this will be more about:“Is this a fit?”
If This Feels Like A Fit…GREAT!
Just go ahead and book and I'lll schedule a 60 minute zoom call to welcome you into the group.
Deep smileZena x
START CLOSE IN
Start close in,
don’t take the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.Start with
the ground
you know,
the pale ground
beneath your feet,
your own
way of starting
the conversation.Start with your own
question,
give up on other
people’s questions,
don’t let them
smother something
simple.To find
another’s voice,
follow
your own voice,
wait until
that voice
becomes a
private ear
listening
to another.Start right now
take a small step
you can call your own
don’t follow
someone else’s
heroics, be humble
and focused,
start close in,
don’t mistake
that other
for your own.Start close in,
don’t take
the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.- David Whyte, River Flow:New and Selected Poems