Hi there, I’m Anna.
I love solving messy problems since I’m a glutton for punishment – the kind where you have to unpick lots of threads and look beyond surface symptoms to help people and organisations get to grips with a particular challenge. I like enjoy helping people make sense of what is going on and working through the options to move on in a positive way. This is often with leaders but I’m also keen on working with whole teams, including both staff and trustees.
I enjoy working with people to find a step by step pathway through a process to a successful outcome – particularly when it involves change in programmes, processes and people. It’s great to collaborate on new approaches and getting ‘future fit’. I tend to be more comfortable with a facilitative rather than prescriptive approach.
The work I enjoy commonly fits under labels like ‘organisational development, strategic thinking, programme planning, and aligning stakeholder perspectives but
• I love to work across the arts and cultural sector, with individuals, organisations and collaborations
• I love working with people who can be flexible and imaginative, and who are happy to use creative methods to unlock thinking and borrow good ideas from elsewhere. Bravery is also an important attribute.
• It’s great to work with people who pay attention to how things happen and who is involved, not just what happens or what the output is.
• Work is most satisfying with a client when it is mutually challenging–both sides pushing each other to be sharper, finding the moment to play devil’s advocate, ask questions and be curious about innovative approaches
Some of the organisations I’ve worked with include Metal, Birmingham Music Hub, Wordsworth Trust, National Glass Centre, Nesta, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
• In the future I’d love to support people and organisations to be more customer-oriented and to think creatively about how to use technology to deliver their mission more effectively. I’m also particularly interested in helping people take an idea to scale and to absorb and plan for the changes that requires.
What have people said about me? They’ve been kind enough to say
• “Anna is fantastic to work with, displaying a rare combination of strategic vision and a rigorous, methodical approach to practical problems. She communicates with great facility and works very well with people at all levels, whilst showing an impressive ability to hold her conviction in a diplomatic way.
• “Anna is quickly able to identify and hone in on the real issues”
• “She has a great breadth of perspective, pulling in this knowledge to help inform discussions and decisions”
• “She delivers! Simple as that.”
My specialist areas are
• Change management, project management & programme design.
• Organisational development including governance, culture and values, learning
• Strategy & business planning, including new venture design and business modelling
• Integrating technology and off line solutions