Speaking
Are you looking for an inspiring keynote for your next conference? A talk for a leaders' lunch meeting? Or some thought-provoking input for a virtual office get together?
What to expect
I deliver engaging and thought-provoking talks – in person or online – grounded in the practical insights of Needs Understanding. Each session draws on real-world experiences and challenges, helping people make sense of their strongest reactions and the relationships that matter most. Participants leave with fresh insights, practical communication tools and a stronger understanding of how to navigate human dynamics at work.
Fingerprint needs at work: uncovering the patterns that sabotage communication
No matter how well we hide it, why do some situations reduce us to feeling as though we're five years old again? Why do some people press our buttons, whilst others are easy to deal with? And why do we get furiously angry about things that our colleagues take in their stride, whilst they are losing it over something else entirely?
Each of us has between two and five fingerprint needs – deep, often unconscious drivers behind our strongest reactions. Left unexamined, they can quietly disrupt how we communicate and connect both at work and at home. But with the right lens, these patterns can give us a whole new perspective, one that brings clarity, compassion, and a source of practical change.
Audience Takeaways:
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Discover what fingerprint needs are – and why they matter in everyday work
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Learn practical ways to shift out of reactivity and back into connection
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Improve communication and collaboration by making sense of strong reactions – yours and others’
From mythical monsters to emotional mastery: what we should have learned at school
Why do we sometimes find ourselves overreacting – or completely shutting down – without knowing why? Why do we so often struggle to say what we really mean, especially when it matters most? Why do certain people trigger us more than others – and why didn’t anyone teach us how to make sense of that?
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Needs Understanding offers a set of practical tools for navigating the emotional patterns that shape how we live, work, and relate to one another. From fingerprint needs to mythical monsters and inner resource tanks, it uses playful, memorable metaphors to help us make sense of what’s going on underneath the surface.
This session brings insight, compassion, and a gentle sense of humour to the emotional habits we were never taught to name—but can absolutely learn to change.
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Audience Takeaways:
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Recognise patterns that get in the way of connection and where they come from
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Understand what your strongest reactions are really trying to signal
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Learn tools for navigating tension and communication challenges with more ease​
