ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the associate role within the complex social and political changes that are occurring in the way people are employed and choosing to employ themselves. The host organization and associate are additionally in a foreground/background relationship, which might also shift in relation to the client at different stages of the work. Its intention is to draw from the voices of the associate, the host organization, and the client system, with the aim of teasing out and illustrating some of the dynamics involved and how it might bring a 'mind-ful' attentiveness to our practice. A prolificacy of relationships and of hierarchical and status positions may operate over time between players, offering different degrees of insider/outsider connections for both host and client organizations. For organizations, the taking on of associates can allow for leaner, more flexible organizational structures, a smaller core staff, keeping overheads and cash-flow demands to a minimum.
