John Dooner

My work is informed by the belief that Human Dignity is the key to great outcomes and after leaving my last Local Government post (2002), I had the opportunity to work with people and teams who were looking for better alignment, a sense of purpose beyond the now and an opportunity to resolve tensions and conflicts that were holding them back. There have been some huge turning points; the opportunity to work with people as an enabler/coach has been fantastic. I’m a qualified mediator working with individuals and teams and work with groups in developing approaches to see us into a challenging and exciting future that’s also just a bit scary! I like walking, cycling, photography and using my local gym. I delight in connecting with people and believe that we all of us, hold the present in stewardship for the future. I’ve been lucky because I’ve worked with great people, I have to quote Einstein and Oasis, “Stood on the Shoulders of Giants!”

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Step up to fresh and unforeseen challenges

Step up to fresh and unforeseen challenges. A few weeks ago, an existing client asked me if I would consider working with a couple of their team members, the brief was (is) “To increase their...

Let the wild flowers grow

Let the wild flowers grow. Last Spring and Summer, I let the edges of the lawn go feral and some beautiful wild flowers, strangers to the garden, grew there. They’d been waiting to do so...

The not so Magnificent Seven

Curiosity, playfulness and The not so Magnificent Seven. I’m sometimes asked a question along the lines of, “If you could recommend one book about what you do, what would it be?” Being perfectly honest, there...

Who taught snakes how to fish?

Who taught snakes how to fish? The Galapagos Islands. Pivotal in Charles Darwin’s thought processes leading to his publication of “On The Origin of The Species”. Published in full form in 1859, it challenged the...

How is everyone feeling today?

How is everyone feeling today? I recently read an article in a well-regarded monthly magazine that enjoys a monthly circulation of around 20,000. Whereas I don’t agree with its editorial standpoint, it nonetheless remains a...

Macbeth flawed promises and praise

Macbeth, flawed promises and praise. I lead a multi-faceted professional life. Recently, in one week I was working on, “Dimensions of Organisational Culture and Silos”, ”Hard and Soft System Challenges in defining Purpose” and Macbeth....

Grasp that nettle

Grasp that nettle - the introduction. It's been a few years since I met Chris: who’d complained about the rest of the team, around seven of them. Chris found their humour childish and sometimes coarse, their...

Trust – do you have it?

Trust - do you have it? There’s a single word that stretches across multiple dimensions of Leadership and whereas its presence doesn’t always guarantee success, its absence is a good predictor of failure. The word?...

Step Back – Think – Then Think Again!

Step Back - Think - Then Think Again! Do we spend enough time thinking about what might be going on, rather than responding to how we feel about it? Here’s a piece of casework I...

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