Exploring Organisational Integrity with Alex Cole-Hamilton
Last week, members of The Oxford Wellbeing Co-op took time out to reflect on a question that sits at the heart of what we are building: what does integrity look like in practice?
We were joined by Alex Cole-Hamilton of Power & Integrity, who facilitated a thoughtful and supportive workshop exploring power, accountability, and organisational alignment.
The challenge of mission-driven work
Mission-led organisations often operate under huge pressure. Limited resources, urgent needs, and complex social challenges can create conditions where integrity becomes difficult to sustain.
Many of us in the Co-op have seen the fallout from this, whether as practitioners, organisers, community members, or clients.
Rather than shying away from these realities, we believe it’s important to bring them into the open. Honest conversations about risk, power, and vulnerability are part of building something that can truly last.
The Three P’s
A key framework Alex introduced was the balance between Purpose, People, and Practices.
Integrity happens when these three elements are aligned. But when one dominates, problems can arise:
Purpose dominating can lead to burnout or harm justified in the name of the mission.
Practices dominating can lead to bureaucracy that disconnects organisations from their purpose.
People dominating can undermine accountability and shared direction.
Keeping these elements in balance is an ongoing process rather than a fixed state.
Looking at power
We also explored how wider systems of power shape organisations including structural inequalities that influence whose voices are heard, whose work is valued, and how decisions are made.
Understanding these dynamics helps organisations move beyond reactive responses and towards a more holistic approach to integrity.
Making space for reflection
One thing we collectively recognised was how valuable it felt to pause and do this work together and how easily it could have been pushed aside in the rush of day-to-day work.
But if we want to build a wellbeing ecosystem that is both accessible and sustainable, reflection and alignment can’t be an afterthought.
Moving forward
The Oxford Wellbeing Co-op is still evolving, and we fully expect to encounter tensions as we grow, between accessibility and sustainability, flexibility and structure, creativity and accountability.
Workshops like this help us develop the shared language and awareness needed to navigate those tensions together.
We’re incredibly grateful to Alex for holding the space for such an honest and generative conversation.
