I have had the pleasure of working with Don Dunoon since 2017 in the leadership and management development space for our organisation with a focus on improving relationships through conversations and building leadership capability.
Don has a switched on and approachable style. In his sessions he listens attentively then offers questions or challenges according to what he has heard. The way he uses language, especially in the OBREAU Tripod model, to create understanding and raise the level of thinking in a group session is impressive. His level of knowledge in leadership and communication within the business context is exceptional. Match this with his ability to hold space for people to grapple with shifting mindsets from technical to relational and adaptive makes his approach a deep and enriched learning experience.
Exploring the OBREAU has been a game changer for many of the managers in our organisation. Having a majority technical and scientific workforce has sometimes meant the more human side of leading has been undernourished, which is why OBREAU has worked so well in our context. It has given a framework for understanding and a tool to refer to but also just to try and understand the self and communication on a different level.
The use of blended learning as part of the exploration of OBREAU has meant that the understanding has deepened, and practice enhanced because the participants can come to the workshops raring to go. I was able to be trained as a facilitator of these sessions and have only just finished leading my first cohort through. It was great to see how the online modules got people thinking first then in the sessions they were sharing of how they had been experimenting with the concepts and what had and hadn’t worked.
The feedback we continually receive from the programs Don has designed, delivered and worked with us on has always been a cry for “we want more”!
