Updated consultancy website

Yesterday was a quiet day, so I spent time updating a few things. First up, my LinkedIn profile to be more intentional about the pivot towards systemic work I'm making in the second half of my career.

As such my headline now reads: "Strategy and systems thinking for mission-driven organisations" and I've updated both my 'top skills' and my 'About' section so that it's no longer just a quote from Epictetus:

I help charities, NGOs, and public bodies when people, process, and purpose have drifted apart. Systems thinking shows how the organisation works, and from there I work with leadership teams to decide what to change first.

There are two ways to work with me. On my own, through Dynamic Skillset, I run short systems reviews, longer strategy work, and critical friend support. I’m a curious generalist with deep expertise in AI and digital literacies, and in digital credentials.

With Tom Watson, through FIELD STATION, we help organisations reduce their dependence on Big Tech and build data capability. We're running a three-year programme with The Wildlife Trusts.

Before this, I spent 10 years co-running We Are Open Co-op, where clients included Amnesty International UK, BBC R&D, and Skills Development Scotland. I was founding product manager for MoodleNet at Moodle, led Web Literacy and Open Badges work at Mozilla, and completed a doctorate in digital literacies.

For most organisations, a good place to start is a three-day Watershed Review. Message me, or book a call at dynamicskillset.com

Second, I thought I should ensure my Dynamic Skillset consultancy website directly reflects the work I'm offering clients. So I overhauled it, including (for the first time ever!) putting prices on there. I was a little conflicted about doing so, but potential clients should know what I offer and how much these things cost.

The Watershed Review is based on this tool which is both open source and freely available for to use. So, you may ask, why would you pay to use it?

The answer is that I don't want to exclude anyone from having access to the tools I build to help people and organisations. The value that I bring shouldn't be from providing proprietary software nor from expensive subscriptions to them. Instead, it should come from blending my knowledge, experience, and training with what AI-assisted tools have to offer. If I'm doing it correctly, then what an organisation gains from a Watershed Review should be several orders of magnitude more valuable than if they tried to go it alone.

I've offered Critical Friend support in the past and really enjoyed it. And, to be honest, a lot of what I end up doing with organisations fits into this bucket. These days, I'm sure there are plenty of senior leaders who are just asking their little robot friends what to do. But that's not always enough; sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

Strategy Reviews are tailored to organisations' needs but will always include stakeholder mapping, horizon models, boundary decisions, holistic thinking, and feedback loops. This includes Theory of Change style work, but is aimed to be more holistic than that.

This menu isn't an exhaustive list of what I can offer organisations, but it's a start. My website is a shop window and a way to make myself more legible to potential clients. I think it's better than what went before, and I hope you'd agree.

Third, I'm planning on launching a Dynamic SKillset newsletter in 2027. I'll probably have a test issue ready before Christmas and I've been experimenting with some lovely synoptic chart-style imagery. More on that soon...