FAQs
What does “Strategy that is Grounded in Local Culture. Designed for Global Impact mean?”
· Culturally grounded: Respects lived experience, history, and social context
· Locally rooted: Builds on community and/or organizational knowledge and existing systems
· Institution-supported: Ensures legitimacy, scalability, and long-term stability
So, really, what is your approach?
My approach integrates disciplined project and program management with conflict resolution and restorative justice principles. I focus on culturally grounded, locally rooted, institution-supported solutions that help organizations move complex strategies forward while strengthening trust, reducing burnout, and increasing long-term sustainability.
What is Restorative Justice and why is it part of your approach?
Restorative justice is a framework for addressing harm by centering relationships, accountability, and repair rather than punishment alone. In organizational and program contexts, it focuses on rebuilding trust, strengthening systems, and creating sustainable solutions that people recognize.
When I studied in Pristina, Kosovo I learned the value of local culture and justice systems in post-conflict peacebuilding. That experience challenged a common assumption in Western organizational change, that disruption or rebuilding from scratch is inherently innovative. In practice, I’ve found that identifying what is already working and using it as a foundation leads to better outcomes, greater buy-in, and significantly lower cost.
What is Conflict Resolution and why is it part of your approach?
Conflict resolution refers to structured approaches for addressing disagreement, misalignment, or tension in a way that improves outcomes rather than escalating risk. In my work, it includes negotiation, facilitation, and systems-level analysis to resolve issues early before they derail strategy, budgets, or teams.
Where does PMI, or your PMP, fit into your approach?
PMI refers to the standards and methodologies developed by the Project Management Institute, which provide globally recognized best practices for managing scope, schedule, risk, cost, and governance.
I am a Project Management Professional (PMP®), which means my work is grounded in rigorous, standards-based project and program management. I use PMI discipline to ensure clarity, accountability, and delivery—especially in complex, high-stakes environments.
I integrate PMI methodology with conflict resolution and restorative justice principles to address the human and relational dynamics that most project plans assume, but rarely proactively manage. This combination allows strategies not only to be well-designed, but to actually take hold and endure.
What do YOU mean by Stakeholder Engagement?
In my approach, stakeholder engagement is a structured process for identifying, engaging, and aligning stakeholders with different mandates, incentives, and levels of influence. I emphasize inclusion, transparency, and psychological safety, especially in politically complex or cross-sector environments. It’s about understanding power dynamics and the context around the strategy to make sure that it is successful and reduce re-work.
How do you use Change Management in your work?
Change management is the intentional process of helping individuals, teams, and systems adapt to new strategies, structures, or policies. I focus on reducing resistance by addressing trust, clarity, and capacity, not just communication plans (although they are important).
Incorporating change management methodology reframes change from a top-down mandate to an approach that is human-centered and ethical.
Why is psychological safety important?
Psychological safety is the condition in which people can speak honestly, raise concerns, and challenge assumptions without fear of retaliation. Psychological safety is essential for innovation, ethical decision-making, and effective risk management.
Psychological Safety is the foundation for high performing teams and resilient organizations. If teams want to move from ambiguity to reality, psychological safety is crucial. …And it will save you a lot of money.
What is Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is a structured (and if needed, confidential) partnership that supports leaders navigating complexity, change, and high-stakes decision-making. Using my approach, coaching goes beyond performance optimization to address the relational, political, and systemic dynamics that shape leadership effectiveness and strategy in mission-driven environments.
I draw on project and program management discipline, conflict resolution, and restorative justice to help executives clarify priorities, manage competing mandates, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and lead with steadiness under pressure. The focus is practical and grounded: real decisions, real constraints, and strategies leaders can sustain without burnout or performative change.
Is this approach “too soft” for complex or high-stakes programs?
LOL. No. My work is grounded in formal project management discipline and executive-level accountability. The difference is that I directly address the human dynamics and hidden problems that most methodologies ignore. My approach requires hard conversations and reality checks, which will save you money in the long-term by addressing root causes and building grounded strategies for growth and change.
What kind of a dog is Hamish?
Thanks to Embark, we know that Hamish is…
· Australian cattle dog – 28%
· Supermutt – 18%
· Poodle – 13%
· Pittie – 12%
· ChowChow – 9%
· Lab – 9%
· German Shephard – 6%
· American Eskimo Dog – 5%
But, I think he’s 100% Muppet.