Here you will find feedback about my involvement in projects and workshops. In some cases, the people making the feedback are named (thank you!), while in other cases, the feedback was obtained from anonymous feedback surveys of participants after the events.
Strategy Projects
The experience was a very positive experience. One of the issues for any organisation is always that of staff who may not wish to come along for the journey and ours is no different in this respect. All staff participated in the workshop. However their involvement in the scanning process was very patchy and perhaps did not work as well as hoped. Adjustments to the approach were made by Thinking Futures as a result which was great. A number of staff commented on the usefulness of the approach. The outcomes will provide a good stepping stone for moving forward. Ellen Brackenreg, Director, Student Support Services, University of Western Sydney (2009)
Maree was clearly expert in the scenario planning approach to strategic planning, she was open and honest in her dealings with us and provided excellent reference material and support to questions...The major workshops were under control, planned and managed very well. I admire Maree's ability to distill data into manageable units and draw order from the chaos. In terms of facilitation, Maree has a relaxed and inviting style...There were times when Maree needed to change the program to meet participants' needs and did so on the spot. She also managed objections very well and openly which allowed the program to progress.
Michele Haywood, Manager, Organisational Development and Improvement, Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE (2008)
So You Think You Can Plan? Workshops
Provided very relevant and useful information!
I found the workshop interesting and informative and the presenter was entertaining and knowledgeable.
The overall approach to the day was great. Not much new information but very timely for my institution and so very valuable.
Overall, an inspiring session.
Overall, a very constructive and helpful experience. Many thanks.
Strategic Thinking Workshops
You did a terrific job covering a lot of territory in quick time. I enjoyed myself.
Typical comments regarding your session were thought provoking, stimulating, and allowed for lateral thinking.
Thanks for your presentation yesterday. It really assisted us to get our thinking aligned and laid out the next steps that we need to take.
Many thanks for taking the time to facilitate the workshop. It was great. I really enjoyed it...
Very useful - came away with a lot of ideas to implement in my strategic planning.
I got good value from your framework and have downloaded the resources.
Facilitation Feedback
Great informal, participative facilitation.Thank you!
Thanks again for facilitating our ... workshops. You were able to provide direction and structure to the meetings that allowed us to broach this subject with two groups that each have their own sensitivities.
Thank you again for the great presentations and setting the scene for the workshop. We did get some great ideas out of the groups, and it also became apparent that the strategic plans needs some work.
I think you're a fabulous facilitator...I think it was hard to keep people on track and you kept us in check very well, and on time.
Thanks for your good work as Facilitator for the recent...workshop. There is one detrimental effect from doing such a great job, you get requested to do it again.
Facilitator to be congratulated for reading the group and feeding back.
Very pleased with the facilitator.
One of the better planning sessions I have attended and I have attended many!!
Thank you for the obvious care you put into preparing and facilitating the workshop. It served its purpose admirably.
Presentation Feedback
It really was a very useful and informative presentation - probably the best working session I attended at the Conference.
In a generally very good range of sessions I attended, I was very glad to have heard your talk, and to join in the discussion at the end.
Thank you for a fascinating presentation. Having attended, I find myself very interested in futures work.
Thanks once again for a very informative presentation.
Really good and innovative work - lots of ideas to take back to the workplace and sources of further information.
I hope that you would be willing to come and do another session for our Masters students next year - it was a real highlight of last semester's course.
Feedback to the event was very positive...they said the event was "brilliant and interesting."
A bit mind boggling, but very interesting!
A high content level and stimulating subject matter encouraging thinking outside the box.
Brilliant - intellectually stimulating, well presented, scholarly, but with real world application.
Provided me with a new way of thinking about strategic planning.
Thought provoking and detailed presentation.
Strategic Planning Workshops 2007
Liked the broadening of the horizon approach, we covered a wide range of issues.
Thinking out to 2017 was a useful experience.
Helped re thinking outside the box; helped external thinking beyond short term future.
Provided a focus about the future by considering many options (both “outside the square” as well as “inside the square”).
Structured introspection.
Helped clarify issues and possible ways forward.
It made you consider factors out of the ordinary.
Focused thoughts and ideas on major priorities.
Helped me in my understanding of ... possibilities and potentials for the group into the future.
Helped to build a framework and open discussion.
Thoughts going outside the square.
The swap between present, short and long-term futures worked well.
Logical structure for thinking. Good balance of thinking and doing.
The presentation and exercises/brainstorming did ease the strategic planning process.
Scenario Planning Workshops
Animal Health Scenarios 2010
A highly positive experience - it was a pleasure to work with a consultant who was always looking to value add what they had promised to deliver. Belinda Wright, Office of Chief Veterinary Officer, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2010)
University Library Scenarios 2006
In 2006 I approached Maree Conway to facilitate a scenario planning workshop for the University Library. Having used scenario planning processes in previous organisations, I was delighted to find that Maree had a good, ‘common sense’ grounding in the area and was flexible in her development of a program for us. This was important as we didn’t have a lot of time and needed to fit into annual planning cycles. Maree's deep knowledge of the University sector and understanding of trends in libraries was particularly useful, including her contribution to the environmental scanning phase. Her facilitation of the process and final presentation of the report was professional and achieved a good outcome that I was looking for.
Phillip G Kent, (then) University Librarian, Victoria University, Australia
Feedback from Participants at this Workshop
Gave us a great insight into key thinking. Also gave us a chance to provide input.
Assists us in planning for the foreseeable/unforeeable future. Also enables us to compare existing trends with possible trends.
Future focus overlap on strategic planning useful.
Allows for free thinking on our futures.
Prompts deep thought processes - yet allows for 'off-centre' ideas.
The best thing was sharing our worlds, open discussion on what people are thinking about.
Made you think outside the box.
Understanding different perceptions/beliefs people had.
Helps break out of present mindset.
Helped to broaden horizons, move out of existing focus, and show that you can think well ahead when required.
Water Company Scenarios 2005
It has started on the journey of a new way of looking at our business environment
Using some of the concepts to get my staff thinking about the future
Provides a good structure to build on existing business and strategic planning processes
The process will be used
Opportunities identified as well as avoiding negatives
Definitely very eye opening, especially backtracking phase
Interesting process. Two days only scratches the surface.I’m sure if followed up on a more frequent basis will improve the organization development.
