Endings are powerful moments.
They mark not just the close of an experience but the transition into whatever comes next. After two years and 13 sessions of Action Learning together, the group faced the question: How do we honour this journey in a way that feels genuine, memorable, and whole? What content or process would make this meaningful, worthwhile and a “good ending” or even “good enough” ending?
There is no universal blueprint for “good endings,” but what emerged from our final session highlighted a few ideas that might be worth noting when closing long-term programmes, or communities of practice.
Here’s the story of this recent ending.
Reconnecting Before Closing
After two years of working online, coming together in person was a joyful shift — warm, social, unstructured. It began the evening before the final session with a shared meal. A Thai dinner, real laughter, glasses raised, stories shared. This gathering was more than a social event: it created emotional readiness for the deeper reflective work to come the next day.
Opening the Day with Whole-Person Reflection
Our final day began with a head–heart–body check-in, being intentional about the intellectual, emotional, and physical dimensions of transition. A simple planning question followed:
“What would make today feel worthwhile?”
This made it clear that the day belonged to everyone, co-created, not delivered. What emerged and unfolded was a co-created ritual, and a rites of passage.
Witnessing Growth Through Spotlight Sessions
Each person had time to reflect on their development, followed by feedback and observations from the group. These sessions became moments of truth-telling, appreciation, and perspective. It gave everyone a chance to describe their journey while being “witnessed” and really listened to by others; a powerful container for recognising growth. Everyone created a little Ezine booklet (a simple folded A4 paper with 8 pages) to capture the insights, learning, and personal reflections throughout the day. These were additional little memory anchors about the day and the sharing.
Celebration Through Ceremony
There were two main ceremonies:
- Certificates of Achievement and Attendance, honouring commitment and contribution
- An “Oscars-style” award ceremony, with playful and heartfelt categories such as awards for Wisdom, Perspective, Comedian, Revolutionary Spirit, Peacekeeper, Cheerleader, and even “Save the Zombies”
These rituals created a combination of fun and meaning, reinforcing the individuality and the collective identity of the group. Photos captured the moment, helping us keep another touchstone memory for the future alongside the Ezine booklet.
Creating Continuity, Not Just Closure
The day closed with an “Offers and Requests” exchange, inviting generosity with the questions – What would you like to offer, and What would you like to request? This gave the opportunity for everyone to make genuine, and real offers of further connection and support for the future and not just the “lets keep in touch” offer.
Finally, the group talked about commitments and agreed to continuing the group with quarterly self-facilitated sessions, perhaps even a spa day.
This shifted the energy from ending to evolution.
Was it a ‘good ending’? Yes. Because it was:
- Meaningful and sincere — nothing was performative; it felt real and earned
- Personal and collective everyone was seen, and the group identity and culture was celebrated
- Funny and memorable — the humour was bonding and joyful – opened hearts and minds
- Heartfelt and authentic — all emotions were welcomed
- A beginning as well as an ending. The group left with commitments, not just closure for this alone
Endings matter. And when collectively designed with intention, they can become bridges to deeper continuity, community, and growth.
Janie Wilson, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, Dec 2025