Our paper is a practitioner reflection that explores the concepts of engaged learning as a means of erasing the specious divide between academia and policy/management practice. It takes the form of a conversation between the two authors, each of whom have significant experience in both camps, but who also would seem to fall more neatly into one than the other. The paper outlines our experiences in professional development, with an emphasis on a specific series of organisational trust workshops, which use an 'embodied values' approach so that learning outcomes are built into the structure and process of the session rather than just in content. We utilise a conversational approach as this enables us to expand on broader themes as well as draw on our experiences. More importantly, it also is redolent of the embodied values approach and demonstrates the types of shared learning we seek to promote as useful for the future.