Workshops
There’s no point to workshops that you can’t remember ANYTHING about when you get back to work
““I have to say, you set a strong precedent for the rest of our events! My colleagues only want to talk about sessions where participants come away with something to show for it (I quite agree!).””
My teaching is FUN!
I’m really a teacher ninja, you might think you’re just having fun but you’re really getting a new set of skills and new tools to change the world! Best of all, my learning is sticky so you’ve absolutely got those new skills with you when your feet are back under the desk.
READY TO GO WORKSHOPS, YOU CAN BOOK NOW
The Conversations Workshop
YOU NEED IT BECAUSE Clarity, empathy and emotional regulation are critical to navigating complex workplace conversations.
IT’S MADE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE Difficult conversations can be emotionally challenging due to past experiences that may use ineffective communication styles, power dynamics and confuse the problem with the person. This workshop sensitively acknowledges this common experience and introduces a supportive framework that emphasises clear communication and emotional resilience.
YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO Use shared language and models using the What I Heard You Say, Is That Right, Is There More? and the Observe, Not Absorb frameworks across the organisation. This will support difficult conversations and constructive dialogue. It’s 3 hours and suitable for whole organisation training.
The Feedback Workshop
YOU NEED IT BECAUSE Receiving and using feedback is important for personal growth, job satisfaction, and a healthy workplace culture.
IT’S MADE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE Feedback can be emotionally challenging due to past experiences that may use shaming, bullying or power dynamics as a substitute for effective feedback. This workshop sensitively acknowledges this common experience and introduces supportive frameworks that emphasise evidence based feedback and emotional resilience.
YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO Use shared language and models using the Situation, Behaviour, Impact and the Feedback Feedforward frameworks across the organisation. This will support feedback and ideas to be shared in a healthy and constructive way. It’s 3 hours and suitable for whole organisation training.
The Decisions Workshop
YOU NEED IT BECAUSE Making decisions without a framework and set of agreed criteria can lead to decisions made using outdated practices and unexamined biases.
IT’S MADE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE Evaluation and decision making may be emotionally challenging due to past experiences with processes that lacked a predetermined set of evidence based criteria leading to interpersonal conflict. This workshop sensitively acknowledges these common experiences and introduces a supportive framework for determining shared criteria and standards.
YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO Use shared language and Rubric models across the organisation. This will support improved collaborative decision making and decisions that align organisational goals and the artistic mission. It’s 3 hours and suitable for whole organisation training.
The Trust Workshop
YOU NEED IT BECAUSE Trust in the workplace can significantly improve individual job satisfaction, workplace culture and organisational success. Trust doesn’t happen by accident, it needs to be cultivated, especially in high stakes environments.
IT’S MADE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE Trust can be emotionally challenging due to past experiences that may use criticism without constructive guidance, bias or inappropriate boundaries. Or workplaces or professional experiences with lack of transparency, ineffective communication or failure to address concerns. This workshop sensitively acknowledges these common experiences and introduces a supportive framework that emphasises personal responsibility and boundaries.
YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO Use shared language and models using the Trust Ladder and the Character and Competency frameworks across the organisation. This will support the development of personal responsibility and collaboration. It’s 3 hours and suitable for whole organisation training.
The Empathy Workshop
YOU NEED IT BECAUSE Understanding the perspective of others is the key to creative problem solving, collaboration and a healthy workplace culture. Our needs are necessarily not the needs of colleagues and our audience.
IT’S MADE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE Empathy may be emotionally challenging due to past experiences of cultural norms that emphasise stoic professionalism over genuine emotional expression or where intense competition creates a reluctance to engage openly with colleagues. This workshop sensitively acknowledges these common experiences and introduces a supportive framework to consider the needs of others when solving problems or creating new solutions.
YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO Use shared language and the Design Thinking model across the organisation. This will support improved collaboration, reflective listening and understanding the perspective of others. It’s 3 hours and suitable for whole organisation training.
“It was a great reminder to think deeper about the reason we create art and the ways that we share it, and especially that its value is determined by how it serves the needs of others.”
Emma Plehal, Communications Manager, Minnesota Orchestra
“The value in understanding what communities need rather than providing what we want to give.”
Sylvia Hosking, Schools Program Manager, Learning, Engagement & Innovation, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
“The most valuable thing I experienced was listening with an open mind.”
Erin Tan, Artistic Planning, Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Strategy
ONE AND DONE OR ALONG FOR THE RIDE
Sometimes you just need a chat with somebody who isn’t stuck in the weeds. I’m here for a one and done gig, and know that just one discussion can be transformative. Or I’ll hitch my carriage along for the ride bringing my obsession with all things business theory along for the ride. Full disclosure, we’re likely to try some or all of my skills in Design Thinking, Systems Thinking and Trauma Informed Process.
In less than an hour I helped my Global Leaders Program (GLP) team to get from this hot mess…
There is a lack of centralized communication between researchers, organizations, practitioners, and performers that address health issues through music therapy. This inhibits the public’s access to diverse health resources long term. Our mission is to improve communication and understanding between these populations so that more job opportunities become available and funding and research becomes more centralized. During our first-year pilot project, our organization will partner with the Music Therapy Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA to provide early career development services and secure job opportunities post-graduation.
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To THIS crystal clear mission statement…
“To achieve more diverse job opportunities, music therapists need stronger advocacy to convince the health sector of the necessity of their work.”
In the course of an hour, Susan helped to shift my thinking on key problematics involving the Grainger Museum and its eponymous founder, particularly helping me to understand challenges as opportunities… In my note-taking I had drawn a picture of two hands, cupped around dichotomous ideas: over the left hand I had written “sadomasochism, racialism”, and over the right hand, “experimentation, breaking boundaries, radicalism”. Through well-chosen metaphors, Susan guided me to conceptualise a resolution to the biggest challenges. From practical advice on immediate actions, to long-term radical thinking, Susan guided my strategic thought process across a range of ideas with a light, sure, warm, and encouraging hand, all the while giving generously of her deep professional expertise.
Dr Heather Gaunt, Curator, Grainger Museum
Program Design
Music needs virtuosi on and beyond the stage. I am obsessed with dreaming, designing, delivering and evaluating programs that develop talent.
I catapult forward the thinking and skills of all kinds of folks in the music sector from artists and arts managers to pre-college, tertiary students, early stage administrators, freelance and professional performers and experienced arts leaders. I’ve delivered culture shifting programming for the Australian National Academy of Music, Young Classical Artists Trust (UK) and IgniteLAB for the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and here are a few other things I’ve hatched from scratch…
Artist Assembly for Melbourne Recital Centre
“Susan has provided invaluable advice on our program design and delivered much of the content. Our young artists have greatly benefitted from working with her, she has also been an eloquent and passionate advocate for the program when working with our staff and meeting with our program donors. Susan’s expertise as a musician, entrepreneur, educator and innovator ensures that the program aligns with our organisational priorities and supports our artists to thrive on and beyond the stage.”
Marshall McGuire, Director of Programming, Melbourne Recital Centre
AMEB Award for AMEB
“Susan is the perfect person to guide is in the design, philosophy and motivation behind the setting up of this Award. Her input at the webinar was fantastic. She said all the things that are sometimes quite hard to articulate about why this is important, and of course it’s always great to have someone not from AMEB to talk about it!
Fiona Seers, Head of Examining Australian Music Examinations Board.
Navigate Well for Arts Wellbeing Collective
“Susan is one of our incredible consultants who has done the most stellar job with Navigate Well (working with an unbelievably complex brief, she’s absolutely nailed it). I can also speak to her talents as a facilitator, strategist, writer, researcher and generally brilliant human.”
Tracy Margieson, Head of Program, Arts Wellbeing Collective
Speaker
I CAN TALK AND I CAN KEEP QUIET AND ASK REALLY AWESOME QUESTIONS
I’ve been trusted by these awesome organisations to lead their people to Think Again about their work. I’ve also been trusted to keep quiet, other than asking a nuanced question to elicit great conversations.
✦ Support Act
✦ Arts Centre Wellbeing Collective
✦ Melbourne Recital Centre
✦ Young Classical Artists Trust (UK)
✦ Royal Northern College of Music (UK)
✦ League of American Orchestras (USA)
✦ College Music Society 21st Century Music School Design Symposium (USA)
✦ NIDA National Institute of Dramatic Art
✦ The Association of Directors of Music in Independent Schools
✦ Compton School
✦ Victorian Instrumental Music Teachers Association
✦ Australian Youth Orchestra
✦ SA Youth Arts
✦ Screen Well
✦ Melbourne Youth Orchestras
“Susan is a warm, intelligent and engaging moderator, and seamlessly manages conversation between speakers so that you never notice that she is directing the flow. She weaves the audience into the experience, so that the discussion really does offer something for everyone. She also manages to keep to time! And she’s funny!”
Dove Rengger-Thorpe, Senior Enrichment Officer, University of Melbourne
“Susan’s research into 21st century music careers is eye-opening. The inherent skills that are taken for granted by musicians are actually sought-after qualities in other sectors and Susan was able to highlight the valuable contribution that music graduates can make. She presented a range of innovative models for undertaking tertiary music study that prepare graduates for career success. Her thorough knowledge of career pathways and excellent presentation gave parents some peace of mind as to their children’s futures. A worthwhile eye-opener for anyone considering music studies. ”
Michelle Forbes, Manager of Artistic Planning and Education, Melbourne Youth Music