What I observed from our time with Cathryn Lloyd/Maverick Minds and also the feedback from the senior management team was the importance of making time to get out of the trenches some creative thinking time and also to connect as a team. The various theoretical concepts Maverick Minds exposed us to and the relationship building processes really helped set the scene for how we communicated with each other. The design thinking building process enabled us to envisage new organsiational approaches was raved about. It created a shared understanding and language. It was fun as well and very collaborative. There was no room for judgments or rejections and we were able to physically see and engage with the ideas people expressed. Cathryn is an exceptional facilitator and was able to motivate all involved to not only participate and generate ideas but to give of themselves and share feelings and vulnerabilities in a safe space. It has been a very worthwhile experience for us as a leadership team. We look forward to following up on what we have started.

I’ve been meaning to write to you and thank you for a fantastic session. It was completely unexpected! I think everybody at the festival was surprised at how easy it was to talk to each other, considering we were strangers… and a lot of us were from different backgrounds, ages, etc. I learnt a lot from the experience and think your concept of arts-based learning is a fantastic one, a good way to break the boundaries of logical thinking that we endure during the week.

We were looking for a facilitator for our WELL Practitioners Network Conference held in Brisbane, November 2012 and were very fortunate to find Cathryn at Maverick Minds. From the initial contact we had with Cathryn, she started her research to identify what we are about, what the work of WELL Practitioners involved, the related government programs and identifying facilitation strategies that would benefit the participants. As a result of her research and preparation, Cathryn was able to add a personal touch to our conference, through having obtained a sound understanding of the WELL program and the people involved. Her participation in network and social activities, at the conference, enabled her to establish a sound relationship with conference participants which enhanced the effectiveness of her facilitation role. We would have no hesitation in considering Cathryn for the facilitator role at future conferences.