Progress through change

Something happened at Tribe Porty recently that we can’t stop thinking about.

One of our members, someone who’s been with us almost since we opened our doors, was made redundant. Tough news, tough time. And then the community did what this community does.

One member offered to share their desk with him, covering half the cost, so he wouldn’t lose his space here while he figured things out. Another member spotted a job on her work WhatsApp group, thought of him, and told him about it.

He got the job!

He wasn’t the only one going through change like this, so it became the focus of one of our Friday Open Works sessions; a regular member-led space, thoughtfully facilitated this time around redundancy, job loss, and change.

It clearly struck a chord, because we’ve since built on it.

Working with change

Maybe it’s the change in temperature and the feeling of a new season beginning.

Or maybe it’s all the talk about AI, and the changes we’re already seeing in the way we work and live.

Whatever it is, we’ve noticed our lunchtime conversations at Tribe have been increasingly about change. People facing change they didn’t choose. People thinking about a change they do want, but not knowing where to start. People wondering what the future of work might look like, and where they fit into it.

So, rather than trying to have all the answers, we thought we’d create some space to explore it together.

Sometimes the thing that helps most when work feels uncertain is simply knowing you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

Community helps

That’s something we’ve seen again and again at Tribe. People sharing ideas, making introductions, offering encouragement, spotting opportunities for one another, and creating space to talk honestly about what’s next.

And that’s really the thinking behind our Progress Sessions.

Not networking for the sake of networking. Not a room full of people telling you to “hustle” your way through uncertainty. And definitely not another list of things you should be doing to have your career perfectly figured out.

Instead, these sessions are about making a little time to pause, think, learn something useful and connect with other people who might be navigating some of the same questions.

Because progress doesn’t always look like a promotion, a new job or a five-year plan.

Sometimes progress is updating your CV after months of avoiding it.

Sometimes it’s having a conversation with someone who works in a field you’re curious about.

Sometimes it’s realising that the thing you thought was a setback has opened up a possibility you hadn’t considered.

Sometimes it’s getting your confidence back.

And sometimes it’s simply leaving the house, meeting some good people and remembering that you’re part of something bigger than your current work situation.

Progress doesn’t have to be a solo project

One of the things we love most about Tribe is that people don’t just come here to work alongside one another.

They notice each other.

They ask questions.

They make introductions.

They share opportunities.

They recommend people.

They listen.

What we know for certain is that having people around you makes navigating change a little easier. Come with a plan, come with a question, or come with absolutely no idea what your next step is. You don’t have to have it all worked out. You just have to start somewhere.

Three different ways to think about what’s next

This October, we’re running three evening Progress Sessions, bringing together practical career support, wellbeing and peer encouragement.

They’re open to everyone, you don’t need to be a Tribe member, and you don’t need to be going through redundancy or a major career change to come along.

You might be actively looking for work. You might be considering a career pivot. You might be self-employed and thinking about what’s next. Or you might simply have that niggling feeling that you’d like to make a change, but haven’t quite worked out what that change is yet.

Progress Sessions 

• 1st October / Preparing For What’s Next – Navigating uncertainty and creating career opportunities. Led by Nicola Hainey, Leadership and Effectiveness Coach. 
• 7th October / Wellbeing by Design: Try, Review, Adjust – This session takes a try, review, adjust approach to the work ahead, less about getting everything right from the start, more about learning. Led by Dani Trudeau. 
• 15th October / Collaborative Coworking – An evening coworking session with peer support and light touch facilitation. Sometimes a fresh perspective — or simply knowing you’re not facing something alone — can make all the difference. This is a collaborative session designed to help you make tangible progress, together.

Find out more and book your spot here. These sessions are completely free to access for current Tribe Porty Members. Find out more about memberships by clicking here.

As always we’d love to connect and hear your thoughts, let us know what you think and what you want to see more of at Tribe Porty. You can read our latest Annual Report here.