Case Studies 

A selection of examples of Wholestory’s work, creating space for leaders to reflect, reenergise and refocus. 

Case Study 

Client: 
Disability Federation of Ireland 
Project: 
Chief Officers’ Leadership Network 
Kieran Murphy’s role: 
Working with Dermot O’Donnell, Development Manager, DFI, Kieran designed the format and content of the Leadership Network and facilitates the Network meetings. 
Description: 
The Disability Federation of Ireland has a large number of member organisations who provide a range of services and supports to people with disabilities. 
As part of its membership offering, the DFI, wanted to provide a peer to peer network for Chief Officers to come together to support and learn from each other in their professional development journeys. 
 
The DFI has hosted two Networks to date: 
North West Leadership Network 2018- 2019 
North East Leadership Network 2019 - 2020 
Features: 
The Network meets for 5 days over a 12 months period, meeting every 12 weeks. 
The approach involves: 
Focusing on real challenges being faced by disability organisations, which are current for the Chief Officers and which they have a hunger to resolve; 
Sharing insights and learnings from each other’s experience; 
Achieving a balance between, on the one hand, new insights and understanding and on the other hand the practical application of these insights; 
‘If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got’ – recognise that the process will include unlearning – some patterns of thinking and action may need to be unlearned and new habits established in order to make progress; 
Building a safe, confidential space where there are high levels of trust so that Chief Officers can be open about the real challenges they are facing; 
Conviction that meeting with other leaders, in similar situations, will strengthen each person’s capacity to work creatively with their situation. 
Benefits: 
The benefits include: 
A supportive space for Chief Officers to step back from their day to day busyness and responsibilities, to pause, to reflect and to meet their peers 
Gain insights, new ideas, and share information 
Be reenergised and refreshed, and get in touch with their own resourcefulness and resilience 
Reconnect with their deeper purpose which sustains and inspires them in their role as Chief Officer 
Develop their awareness of how they are impacting on people and situations. And generating choices about how they might work differently. 
Quotes: 
"Kieran’s open and patient approach to the conception and initiation stage allowed his experience to guide, rather than direct the planning stage, thereby enhancing the likelihood of ‘getting it right first time’ both in terms of timing and pace. Working with Kieran has proven a most enjoyable and rewarding experience." 
 
Dermot O’Donnell 

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