HUMAN – sci-fi meets aid
4 August 2016As a long-time fan of science fiction, I was delighted to hear that J. was writing a new novel, the world’s first humanitarian science fiction. J. is a fabulous writer as his previous books – fiction and non-fiction, all with humanitarian themes – attest. I’m not sure what it’s like for someone who is a professional…
Change, and strategy, and creativity – another take
29 July 2014I love this! Change as creating. Did I mention how much I love this? Congratulations to Karen Dawson, Julie Huffaker, Ian Prinsloo, Sarah Moyle, Andrea Grant and Leonardo Spinedi, and Laila Woozeer. Lucky people to have had the opportunity to work and play with each other and at the fabulous Banff Center in Canada. Jealous?…
Courage and vulnerability
2 March 2013Artists perform. They live for their art, whatever that may be. I’m learning more and more about my art – connecting people and ideas aka facilitating – from other artists. This week I offered a workshop on Creative Facilitation. There were people in the room who had known me a long time, others who I met…
Collecting insights
26 September 2012There was a lot happening at the Applied Improvisation Network Conference in San Francisco. As well as the pre-planned sessions, and the open space offerings, the one-on-one and small group conversations, and the serendipitous moments, there was the Twitter and Facebook back channel, photos being posted on Flickr, videos being made, drawings made, and people…
Wish I’d thought of that!
7 September 2012Doesn’t really matter what it is, when I see something I really like, a great idea, a new use for something, I invariably wish I’d thought of that. I do understand that most good ideas are crowd sourced, or group generated – Keith Sawyer did a great job in his book Group Genius in debunking…
Peeking from behind the mask
24 March 2012Two articles in today’s Melbourne Age newspaper stood out. This one and this one. “Tell the story – the more times you tell it, the better off you’ll be.” This was the advice given to Brant Webb and Todd Russell, survivors of the Beaconsfield goldmine disaster. They were trapped underground in a small wire cage…
Travelling a different road
15 November 2011For many years I’ve been waiting for the planets to align to do two things* – Robert McKee’s Story Seminar and a workshop or seminar with Dave Snowden. I’m still waiting to do the Story Seminar. There is a link, of course. Dave Snowden punctuates his often rambling and diverse ideas and opinions with stories.…
Spend a day exploring the edges of work
1 September 2011About 16 years ago, I made the leap from full-time employment and started my own business. I agonised over a business name. I wanted something that would last the distance, and not lock me in to some sort of work that I’d outgrow. I eventually settled on Beyond the Edge Pty Ltd. I was initially…
Exploring the Edges of Work II
18 August 2011Anyone visiting recently will probably know that I’m exploring the edges of work – offering a series of short workshops to explore how we might move beyond the rigidity of existing systems and processes to open up workplace creativity, innovation and agility – especially when the currency of much of today’s work is ideas. So…
Revisiting the Hero’s Journey
21 November 2010It’s about 10 years ago that I decided I wanted to be a scriptwriter. I’ve since discovered that everyone, at some stage or another during their lifetime, wants to be a scriptwriter. Or so it seems. Scriptwriting was to be my next career – the one I’d turn to when I was sick of facilitating,…