"Looking at what we do with a view to doing it better"
The wisest people I meet, and work alongside, want sustainable progress and successful outcomes in work and life, as I do.
​
I’ve learnt our best work emerges when:
​
-
there’s a culture of respect and interdependence,
-
collaboration enables and empowers,
-
self-evaluation leads to self-belief,
-
we become determined to take action.
​
Simply put, it’s about ‘looking at what we do with a view to doing it better’.
Collaborating, restoring and empowering
Much of my life has been about fixing and restoring things, in work and at leisure. The process has parallels, whether it's empowering people and organisations, or hammering a sculpture and restoring antiques. We analyse the current state, plan how to make it better and take skilled, decisive action. There is one crucial difference - humans are not objects. Humans have views, they can express them. So, we should listen. Too many don't. I do.
Listening allows us to explore the rich vein of each other's experiences, knowledge and insights. We can mine our practical intelligence, or nous, and refine the best wisdom of 'where we are'. We can forge a vision about 'where we need to be' and we can make a plan for success. We do it best when we are empowered to do it ourselves, not when we are hammered into shape by someone else. Yes, we might need help along the way and that's the work I love to do.
​
In the end its our faith that's restored when we have a hand in shaping our hopes into a successful new reality.
​
Older now, and some say wiser, I'm still passionate about restoration. So, if you have a project in mind, human, material or object, make contact.
​
John is wise and he wants you to be wise too. It sounds dramatic but he changed my life by helping me regain the courage and self-belief which had been temporarily taken from me.
Client Evaluation from anonymous 360 degree feedback
I have so often seen the long-lasting impact that John has when he works with groups and individuals alike. He brings an insight that is rooted in research and people matter to him - he ensures their needs come first.
Philip Holmes, Director, BCEM Ltd
John is extraordinarily energetic and creative, with a capacity to pull together disparate ideas in a way that is readily accessible. He is a pleasure to work with bringing warmth and a profound sense of values and purpose into everything he does.
Kevin Ford, CEO Ford Professional Management and Visiting Fellow Cranfield School of Management
iAbacus
®
I am very proud of creating the iAbacus online self-evaluation and strategic planning tool with Dan O'brien. It captures the heart of my experience and research in evaluation, analysis and planning. We are delighted watching it transform people and organisations around the world.
Since launching the software in 2012, we know iAbacus has helped thousands of people and organisations take charge of their improvement and journey to success.
​