Listening without prejudice: the boardroom facilitator with the sure touch of a pilot

Howard Atkins is a GameShift Thinking Partner

He’s just qualified as an instructor on the Boeing 737. “It’s a childhood dream” he says, “ I’m thrilled that I get to do it”.

There’s a lot of the essence of Howard’s work right there in that sentence. Freedom is massively important to him.

Howard’s strong OD background has its roots in his Masters at Sheffield, with its strong psychoanalytical orientation, and grew through his years at Ashridge Consulting including time teaching on the legendary AMOC programme that developed a generation of consultants.

“I’ve been a people watcher my entire life” Howard notes, “with a keen eye for phrases, gestures and the assumptions and patterns that lie beneath”. That sharp attention allows him to make game-changing observations that countless individuals and teams have found incredibly valuable. “I love helping people and organisations to be free to become the best version of themselves. So often we get tied up in old stories that don’t help us – organisations as much as individuals.

You won’t find Howard writing for the web, or becoming a TEDx speaker, “I recoil from it” he says, I’d much rather be a well-kept secret”. He’s someone who’d rather be a good neighbour, a close friend, someone you visit and cook good food with. He’s certainly an organisational consultant who values “longer-term relationships that really make a difference in peoples’ lives”

Lots of teams have found Howard exactly the right facilitator and coach to have as their co-pilot.

If you’d like to explore involving Howard in your project, do get in touch.

GameShift. Your Thinking Partner.