Having gone through a significant un-arsing myself, I've learned that pretty much everyone is lovely. It's the structures, communication styles, and ways we understand work that bring out the arse in the very best of us. And that is fixable.
Managing mental health teams in the NHS taught me that the answer was in being kinder, not nicer — short-term smiles pale in comparison to the harder, more honest work of long-term kindness.
Conducting social research in academia, charities, and local authorities, I knew theory would help but it wouldn't solve — because the messiness of the real world is what provides the real answers.
And facilitating learning spaces in organisations from schools to international finance taught me that trust and honesty sit at the heart of strong organisations — but, much like a chainsaw, they have to be wielded carefully to avoid disaster.
Three years, hundreds of hours of research and conversations, twenty-five workshops, more than a hundred coaching sessions, an encyclopaedia of training resources, two series of video training, an award nomination, and hundreds of kinder-at-work people later, I've changed the name (thanks, SEO), developed the practice, and am itching to grow. I think there's some cracking stuff here to share.
I love to learn about different work spaces and get stuck into the meat of your problems (or whatever sits at the centre of your problem-plates, should you be meat-averse). I love asking challenging questions, and being challenged myself. I love thinking creatively and combining grand theories with the intricate details of each context I work in. And what I love most is seeing how that helps individuals and organisations get a little kinder. Because the world really needs as much kindness as possible.
If that sounds good, get in touch. If not, no problem — just remember, if you find yourself being an arse at work, it's not your fault.
MPhil, Cambridge. PGCE, Huddersfield. Wisdom, The Streets (of the beautiful West Country). Based in Cornwall, working UK-wide and beyond.