In my late 20’s I worked on pilot testing ISO9001 in my organisation (one of the many SMEs in the Rupert Murdoch stable) and utilising TQM concepts when it was fashionable to do so. As a female working in a male dominated industry, and in charge of a change program that was not welcome, I saw first-hand the many issues that arose around selling the vision; communicating the why, what and how; problem solving so that issues would never come back; and sustaining change. It was a tough gig.

Later, when I went to university as an undergraduate, I understood the theories of change, and the tools and frameworks that could be utilised to smooth the change pathway. I travelled overseas on a scholarship to four different countries examining the way things were done in those organisations we visited, and marvelled at how well some had adapted to change. That tour, together with my first-hand experience of change led to the completion of a PhD in organisational psychology, specifically relating to vision, values and commitment.

Over the next 25 years I tutored and lectured in a variety of subjects at University, with a focus on Change Management, Organisational Wellness, and Intrapersonal Skills. I have been able to utlise both practical and theoretical knowledge for teaching, but also for consulting, initially to organisations within the printing industry, then through some small business start-ups, and now to clients such as Australian Red Cross.