Emily is a full-time facilitator at Your Own Place. She joined the company in the post-Covid haze of April 2021.
“This week it’s been confirmed for me that it isn’t all an elaborate prank. Rebecca White, CEO and Founder of Your Own Place CIC is moving on to pastures new.
As a team we’ve grappled with how to say goodbye in a way that is worthy of Rebecca. As a team, it feels necessary to document this somehow, but we are finding it so hard to put into words the impact that she has had on each of us.
I love the culture at Your Own Place – and I’m not shy about saying this! A few weeks ago, we gathered to discuss the transition of Rebecca leaving. We planned how we would support each other – because big change is hard. We’ll continue to make time for each other, bring our feelings to our weekly sharing and listening time, continue to meet for some work-free time during the week.
What also happened at this CEO Transition planning meeting: we were asked how we felt when we found out that Rebecca was leaving.
One of my colleagues said that she saw all the stages of grief quickly pass over my face. We laughed about this – because it was true that I felt that way, and because we can.
Rebecca is an icon, a true leader, a role model – and I can identify quotes to show some of the characteristics of her leadership.
“Let’s not let perfection be the enemy of the good”
Rebecca embraces the Review Cycle wholeheartedly, and because of this, it is embedded in Your Own Place. This approach of using our experience and resources to create the best we can, reviewing, making it better, reviewing, making it better, helps us all to find a point where we’ve done enough. We know we will improve every time we revisit – and there’s no such thing as perfect.
“This is the first time I’ve been CEO of a social enterprise”
I think this is equalising – reminding us all that it’s her chosen passion and also that we don’t always know how it will work or what will happen, but that first times can go really well. It’s been meant as a way of encouraging a try it and see what happens approach.
“Well done this week” and “Thank you”
Acknowledgement and appreciation of the work we do – when they feel truly genuine, are so motivating.
I could continue – I could talk about the values that are instilled from day one, the limitless support, the never-too-busy to check a document approach, the listening – but apparently I have other work to do today!
Rebecca, I want to say thank you from all the team, past and present, for creating such a welcoming and values-based environment in which we thrive and have thrived. We are all wishing you peace, joy and rest. And we can’t wait to see what you do next!”
