To do what I do now, I draw on a range of training and experience (which you can find out more about here), and years of testing things, figuring out what’s relevant, and developing models for sensemaking and learning. I figure that if I can share what I know, it will save others some energy and time, which can be spent on changing the world instead!
Two kinds of learning
There are complementary aspects to consider in this work: one is learning the skills, methodologies, and tools; the other is learning about yourself in the process, and growing your insights and self-understanding.
In terms of practical skills, you need to be able to:
- Identify when you are / are not operating in complexity, to choose the right kind of approach in response!
- Understand and plan a process that will take you through convening and co-designing through to results.
- Design and facilitate inclusive gatherings with a range of participants (in person or online, sometimes hybrid).
- Have some techniques available to manage friction and conflict and turn them into a tool for positive change.
When engaging meaningfully with others using new ways of working centred on relationship-building, it can be a profound journey of inner personal and professional transformation. It gives rise to questions such as:
- What is my role and responsibility in this process? Have I been trained to provide answers and solutions? How does it feel to show up and say, ‘I don’t know, let’s figure it out together’?
- What is my preferred level of control? Can I learn to trust people and participative processes, and have faith that the results might not be what I want, but will be what we need?
- What is my relationship to power? Do I centre myself, the organisation, other people, or the collective? How do I enable others to grow and flourish, so they too can make valuable contributions?
- How is the quality of my listening? Do I listen to understand or listen to respond?
- What do I believe about people? What narratives have I internalised about myself and about others, which may or may not be helpful? How can I connect with my compassion and value everyone involved?
- Do I believe I can learn new ways of working? Do I feel comfortable not getting it ‘right first time’, learning by doing, and improving as I go? Can I approach this with curiosity?
This is why teams and individuals need time and space beyond just their skills training, to reflect (whether together or individually) and integrate their learning and growth.
Ways in which I can support your / your team’s learning
Training: I create and deliver (online or in-person) bespoke sessions that are adapted to your team and organisation’s needs, on co-production, participative processes, facilitation, and relational communication (i.e. dealing with conflict in change processes). All my sessions are interactive and participative. I share models and frameworks to understand the processes at play, and offer tools and techniques for practical application.
Mentoring: I hold small group mentoring sessions for teams as a follow-up to training sessions, to support the implementation of their learning in real time. These are a combination of reflective spaces and advisory sessions.
Action learning: I facilitate action learning sets for groups (internal teams or stakeholders across organisations) to come together, build relationships and support one another through a process of change. I model the processes and upskill the group so they can self-manage after the initial period.
Coaching: I work one-to-one with people on an individual basis or as part of a team, to hold a space for their personal and professional development. I work in a client-led way, and we cover whatever needs to be covered. I am an ILM-trained coach, drawing on a range of modalities including conflict resolution skills. (I often work with leaders and teams as they introduce difficult change, but not exclusively.)
Want to see some examples of training sessions and workshops I have created and delivered? Click to reveal!
- Co-production and citizen involvement:
- Introduction to co-production and involvement (Co-production Network for Wales / Co-production Lab Wales)
- Implementation of co-production and involvement (Co-production Network for Wales / Co-production Lab Wales)
- How do we embed understandings of power in our co-production?(Platfform)
- Collaboration and partnership working:
- Working with partners for public engagement events (Being Human Festival)
- Facilitation skills :
- Facilitation skills for meaningful engagement (Co-production Network for Wales / Co-production Lab Wales)
- Conflict and communication:
- Conflict and communication skills for public facing teams(Natural Resources Wales)
- Dialogue for collaboration and co-production (CAVDAS)
Want to see some nice things people have said about my work? Click to reveal!
- “I really enjoyed the training session today, the geek – sorry I should say the policy / researcher in me 🙂 – really connected with the thinking behind the practical application & the words of wisdom in regard to staff.” – All Wales Forum for Parents and Carers (training)
- “Thank you so much for the heartful training. As well as the good practical tips! You created a really comfortable space to share and learn. They were things I’d heard before but they were really eloquently and carefully explained, so they made new sense in this light.” – Natural Resources Wales (training)
- “Thanks again for a great session – I was so impressed by your skills and warmth as a trainer and facilitator!”– National Lottery Community Fund (training)
- “The Conflict and Communication workshop was a bit life-changing, really – really useful stuff in there that I’m finding is coming into my mind all the time.” – Oxford Co-production Festival (training)
- “I wanted to thank you so much personally for the light bulb moments, that has changed my way of thinking.” – Mencap (mentoring)
- “I cannot thank you enough for Friday – all the support, listening, kindness and understanding. You made a huge difference to me.” – Swansea Regional Partnership Board (mentoring)
- “I was in the office this morning for a cuppa and they were quoting things that you taught them about co-production over two years ago, and they were saying that some things took a while to click but they’ve remembered so much!” – (training, several years later!)
- “Thank you for the tectonic changes in my mind!” – participant in the New Systems Alliance Strengths-Based Learning Programme event on “How do we embed understandings of power in our co-production?” (learning session)