I have been lucky enough over the last two years to get involved in the mental health sector through my work on change in mental health non-government organisations (NGOs).

I have been very invigorated by this work, which I feel helps people who have been affected by conditions that are not only frightening in themselves for individuals, but are also frequently misunderstood and stigmatised in wider society. As has been pointed out to me, people diagnosed with mental illness are unique in that they can be locked up against their will for indefinite periods without having committed a crime.

This is partly about our discomfort with dealing with behaviour that is out of the ordinary. I know that at times I have felt uncomfortable relating to people who are either experiencing the effects of a mental health condition or its treatment. The treatment can sometimes be as bad as the condition itself.

I have been particularly excited about my work with NGOs who offer what is known as peer support services. This means that people who have experienced mental illness and are in recovery assist others in their own recovery process.

I think that mental health NGOs have a particular set of challenges to deal with, and seven special alert factors are outlined in my latest white paper "Bringing About Change in Mental Health NGOs."

By the way, the picture shows the view from a side window in our master bedroom of a flowering hedge – a good tonic for any upset, don’t you think?

I have just received notification that the Changing Organizations monthly newsletter has been rated one of the top 50 for the last 30 days by bestezines.com.

While I don’t worry about such ratings, the founder of bestezines.com, Christopher Knight and his site ezinearticles.com are both in the top ten of all twitter search terms, according to www.compete.com’s blog. www.compete.com/2009/03/13/twitter-search/. So perhaps it means something.

Hmmm. Not bad for a niche subject like Changing Organizations. Time for a celebratory chocolate fish. Yum.

This is a special day for the blog because we have now done 100 posts.

Strangely enough, this milestone occurs at the same time as I have some new things planned for the blog. I have just spent time in the video editing studio with Jim Greenhough of Execam, videographer extraordinaire. We have been editing my first video post, which will be going up as soon as it is ready – in the next week or so. Actually Jim has been editing it, I was rather fascinated with his amazing software!

So, having been here for 100 posts, I am looking forward to the next 100, as this blog continues to uncover the realities of what goes on in our organisations, and to provide more provocation about our ways of understanding the thinking and taken-for-granted assumptions behind a wide range of aspects of organisational life.

Thank you for being part of it.