Antonia Maclean

M: 07831 127961
T/F: 01733 380291

My background includes...

...a degree in management sciences from UMIST, where my main areas of interest were industrial sociology and consumer behaviour - the 'left and right wings' of the discipline! In fact the world of work, and especially the way people interact and collaborate, have interested me ever since I started running my first business - a small pig-breeding unit - at the age of 13. I never bought the idea that the workplace had to be organised along traditional 'them and us' lines - which was one of the reasons I joined a famously non-unionised business, Mars Inc, on leaving university.

What I'm particularly interested in is...

...how to make groups of people perform effectively in the service of a common goal. Right from the beginning of my career, I've always tended to focus on the 'human' characteristics of people at work, because you have to understand all the factors that can influence their motivation, drive and contribution. My major influences range from the sixth-century Rule of St Benedict - arguably one of the first ever organisation development manuals - to Arie de Geus, whose book 'The Living Company' demonstrates the importance of continuous learning to any business's successful development. When I go into a company, my first task - in the simplest terms - is to get a feel for whether the way it's organised is correctly aligned with what it's trying to achieve. Just as important is the question of where the power really lies in an organisation - in other words, how does its 'leadership' manifest itself in practice, and how can it be improved? These are the kinds of issues that inform my approach to OD.

When I'm not working I like to...

...involve myself in a wide range of activities in my local community. I'm chair of governors for the local primary school, and I've also done a lot of work at the village youth club. Walking and gardening are my major relaxations.

Something you'd never guess about me is...

...I used to do stand-up comedy! And I still make considerable use of the skills I learnt, as humour - particularly developing little scenes and cameos - is definitely one of the fastest ways of getting people to learn.