About me…
More and more I see my role as one of facilitating others to perform at their best. Whether that is through sharing my experience in training courses, facilitating workshops or offering coaching - my focus is always on helping individuals and their organisations get better results.
Over the past 25 years I have led, trained and coached people to deliver successful change - tangible business outcomes that have made a difference. My deep understanding of the people side of change has made it possible for me to help organisations, large IT transformation programmes, operational teams and individuals get better results. I have spoken at a number of l conferences including the PMI, APM and CQI and appear on Podcasts.
I have experience in a wide range of change disciplines and I love to share my knowledge with the people I train and coach. Things will go wrong. Change is hard. Obstacles get in the way. People will resist.
Highlights in the last year have been to help:
managers in the NHS with tools and techniques to cope with the never-ending cycle of change;
leaders and managers shape their culture - this work has covered a number of sectors
run interactive problem solving workshops to support companies who want to transform their customers’ experience
What matters most to me is to be curious and to continue to learn even when it can feel like there is a mountain to climb. To do change well, you need to be resilient.
My career…
I have learned a lot over my working life - here are a few reflections on what I’ve picked up and enjoyed along the way…
#1 - no one has all the answers. If you have the humility to admit you are human and make mistakes, you are likely to have a much healthier set of relationships at work (and in life in general)
#2 - people experience the world in different ways - the culture training I have delivered across the globe has made me appreciate the power of being genuinely curious about what motivates other people
#3 - holding up a mirror to yourself first is usually a good idea before judging others
#4 - IT investment is important if we want to make progress and become more efficient - but it is not enough to think only about technology. Listening to the people who will use a new system or process is vital if change is going to be embedded into future ways of working.
#5 - Tools and methods (eg Six Sigma/Lean) are fantastically powerful - but you must never lose sight of why change is needed and what results you are trying to achieve (thanks BT).
#6 - A good coach is worth their weight in gold. As one of the first wave of Black Belts at Vodafone I received coaching from an impressive bunch of Master Blackbelts who opened my eyes to the power of data.
#7 - Putting the customer first is rare - during its pioneering early years, Orange really did put the customer first. The MD read every single customer complaint and signed the responses - I never forgot that.
#8 - I am pleased I had a grounding in IT and Telecoms but I realised early on that my passion was to make life better for customers and employees
#9 - Working with like-minded people is hugely rewarding and life-enhancing
Qualifications
Six Sigma Black Belt
PROSCI Certified Change Practitioner
Senn Delaney Culture Facilitator
Successful Trainers - Advanced Accreditation
Early years
School in Glasgow
A keen musician, I started the piano at aged 7, the violin at 8 and the harp at 9 and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of GB.
Cambridge University - read Music and English
Outside work
I set up the Brandon Hill chamber Orchestra in 1987 with a group of like-minded musicians. I am a committed violinist and harpist.
I was brought up in Glasgow and now live in Bristol. I enjoy Pilates, golf, skiing and walking my Border Terrier, Herbie.