As with all consultancy and development work that is grounded in human relations, personal values have an important role to play. Here are the some of the values that my approach is based on: Trust and respect Just as I trust my own judgement, I trust that clients will follow their own pace, style and sense of priority. I respect the boundaries that people need to create to feel safe, and the individuality of each person’s process. Challenge and support A balance of challenge and support is the basis of my work. One without the other can lead to distress or inertia. I support clients from concept stage right through to implementation and evaluation, and offer appropriate challenge when they become stuck. In turn I value the challenge and support that clients give to me. Flexibility and responsiveness My approach is to behave in such a way that as the work unfolds, I adapt to the changing circumstances of the client. By listening to their reality I seek to respond to what is going on for them. The contract between us is not about words on paper but about an enabling relationship. Time and commitment Time is precious to us all, but our currency may differ. I aim to commit my time where it can make the greatest difference for the greater good. Part of the support I offer others is in helping them become clear about what they are committed to and where they are prepared to invest their own time. Transparency and purpose I place a high value on working with a sense of purpose, and in helping the client identify the outcomes they are seeking before any visible work begins. With this clarity we can both agree whether to take any further steps, what the possible time and financial commitment might be and what we each need from one another. This transparency of thinking and sense-making is, for me, vital to a healthy working relationship. Context and process Practicality is an important feature of the work, realising plans, change and objectives that achieve the desired results. Therefore understanding, and working from, the client’s context (as opposed to theoretical models) is essential. To do this I focus on process rather than content, ie from joint diagnosis and design to implementation and evaluation. The emphasis is on helping the client find their own questions, their own range of responses and their own authority and self-responsibility to choose.