Services
Coaching & Strategy
Whenever we try to do something difficult, it’s normal to be confused. In whatever context you are, what is the most valuable thing that you can do? How does this make sense in relation to the rest? What should you focus on, and what can you neglect? In my role as a coach, this is where I intervene.
Through deep listening and pointed questions, balancing affect and intellect, I help you understand the shape of your own brain, allowing you to overcome blockages and regain agency. I help you reframe complex problems, switch mental models, and find creative solutions. We can then crystallise insights, acknowledge constraints, and define goals or next steps.
If needed, I can assist in the development of strategic artefacts - from vision papers to plans, evaluation frameworks, target operating structures, stakeholder maps, etc. We can also consider emotional aspects, whether it’s your own reactions to a situation, or how to navigate internal politics and sensitivities. All sessions are strictly confidential, and optimised for you.
Writing & Editing
Original ideas are often vague in their details, even to their originators. The more transformative your vision, the more at risk it is to lose its integrity under layers of vague language and cliches. This is a challenge for engagement and delegation, but also for recruitment, execution and decision-making. How are you going to prioritise, if you’re not exactly clear what you want to achieve, or why it matters?
I work with you to capture your vision in sharp language, and produce a set of core documents to brief your supporters, your team, or yourself. Through short sequences of individual sessions, I help you define the structure of an argument or develop the blueprint for a new initiative, whether as an op-ed, a keynote, a treatment, a pitch deck or a white paper. I can also offer in-depth assistance for major editorial and writing projects.
Those services are based on a lifelong commitment to writing, editing and philosophy, which I have shared in the form of books, articles, films, exhibitions and digital writing projects. My approach is anchored in extensive reading and studies, informed by broad experience in ambitious organisations, and nurtured by continued spiritual practice.
Process Design & Facilitation
Ventures tend to succeed when people share in the same vision, and actively work on bringing it to life. I design and deliver transformative experiences that result in deeper trust and connection, creative insights, and greater capacity to collaborate. I especially like to create bottom-up processes to build a sense of belonging, bring hidden problems to the surface, and increase consensus.
I have run executive retreats, strategy sessions, and broader engagement processes to define values, goals, risk or work preferences, as well as numerous training courses, problem-solving sessions and design thinking hackathons. Through those, I can help your people develop their capacity to operate in emergent environments, tolerate ambiguity, or adopt more flexible perspectives.
My facilitation style combines elements of human-centred design and liberating structures - cynefin, world café, scenario planning, system mapping, ecocycle design, open space technology, and others. It is also informed by the regular practice of Qi Gong, TRE, dance therapy, meditation, systemic constellations, and Ignatian Spirituality - to balance mind, body and emotions.
Leadership & Organisational Mirror
If needed and appropriate, I might take up a temporary leading role in your venture. Working on the inside, I can help you build an organisation that is perceived as more just, effective and beneficial for all the parties involved. This involves creating shared language and communication habits, models and systems to articulate and acknowledge value, as well as greater awareness of power structures, and development of robust governance systems.
To achieve this, I can help set up and/or align your systems and culture, from recruitment and induction to branding, communication, operations, structure, risk and governance. I will also serve as an organisational mirror to look for mismatches between perceptions across the organisation, and use those to detect tensions or problems, and review strategy, structure, and/or culture.
I have worked in such roles under different titles, as Chief Culture Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Editor in Chief, or Philosopher in Residence - in early stage start-ups, incubators, NGOs and business conglomerates. I have also reflected extensively on this internal mediating function through ongoing dialogue with fellow coaches, facilitators, and organisational designers. You can read more about this in my portfolio.