EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Restoring coherence ______ through systemic clarity
Client context
A national NGO in Africa faced growing tension amid formal complaints and stalled progress. The director wanted someone who could see the deeper system and work at the roots, not the symptoms. The context carried post apartheid legacies and sensitive power dynamics.
The ______ gap
Intent was equity, safety and effective work. Reality was a formal structure that blocked innovation, misunderstood power, and patterns of control under pressure. Staff did not always see their own authority, and hierarchy masked how behaviours shifted across contexts.
Approach
We co-designed a one week programme with collective discovery, workshops and same-day follow ups. We worked with real moments where authority and ambiguity clashed, and introduced tools such as delegation boards and game based diagnostics. We reframed long tensions as systemic conditions rather than individual failure, repositioned roles, and created channels for deeper exploration that staff could continue after the engagement.
What changed
Staff built shared understanding of power, structure and ambiguity. Key roles were repositioned, tensions eased, and empathy and purpose returned. People recognised their own leadership and influence. The organisation regained stability and coherence.
Results
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A safer and more stable culture with renewed cohesion
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Clearer accountability and more confident leadership across the team
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Foundations for a national child safety policy
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Repeatable tools and workshops that leadership can run themselves
Conclusion
By naming power cleanly and restoring role clarity, the organisation recovered safety and direction. Simple tools now live in the system and can be used without external support. The team is focused on keeping the practices regular and link them to programme outcomes so progress remains visible.
TESTIMONIALS
Their ______ words
You were able to see dynamics on every level, top, down, middle, individual and group, and show them to us in real time. We understood it is not about who failed but about the conditions, what the system is set up to produce. You should not just mind the cake in the oven, but the oven itself.”
Managing director
National NGO
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