Organisations are complex human systems
Two organisations can look at the same facts and reach different conclusions. A change that appears entirely rational to one group can feel threatening to another. Silence can be mistaken for agreement. Established relationships, identities and cultures can exert more influence than the formal organisational structure suggests. Understanding those dynamics doesn't remove complexity. It can help you make better-informed decisions within it.
WHERE WE CAN HELP
Commercial Strategy
Understanding the organisation on the other side of the table - its people, relationships, culture and interests - alongside the commercial facts.
Commercial Relationships
Identify misalignment earlier, understand what is affecting the relationship and create the conditions for both organisations to work together more effectively.
Leadership Decisions
Challenge assumptions, expose different perspectives and make room for concerns that may otherwise go unheard.
Technology & Change
Consider the human consequences of transformation alongside its technical, strategic and commercial dimensions.
People & Leadership
Help experienced leaders and teams think differently about behaviour, judgement and the assumptions they bring to professional situations.
Strategic Advisory
Senior strategic advisory services to executives and organisational leaders facing difficult decisions involving people, commercial relationships, leadership and technology.
Start With One Challenge
Begin with the situation that matters most. We don't start with a transformation programme. We start with a live challenge.
01
Define the decision
What are you trying to achieve, and what decision needs to be made?
02
Understand the people
Explore trust, identity, culture, relationships and incentives alongside the business facts.
03
Shape a way forward
Challenge assumptions, explore different perspectives and develop practical options with the people involved.
04
Learn and adapt
Look at what changes, learn from the response and adapt the approach.
Where would better human understanding change the decision you make next?
Swimming Against the Stream
This approach has been shaped by years of working with complex business situations and by doctoral research into how people experience and respond to professional situations. This research led towards a wider question: why do intelligent, experienced people sometimes respond to apparently rational decisions in ways that seem difficult to understand? The result isn't a formula for predicting people. It is another way of understanding the situation before deciding what to do.
John Cunningham
John Cunningham is a strategic adviser and leader with extensive experience working at the intersection of technology, commercial strategy, and complex delivery. His career has involved navigating situations where there isn't a simple answer, requiring deep understanding of human dynamics and organizational identity.
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His doctoral research into how people behave in professional settings has informed a unique perspective on leadership, helping leaders make difficult decisions through a deeper understanding of the human context.