Why Sablons?

Ok folks, so here we go. Another former senior executive moving into the world of self-employment - and hopefully, an opportunity for you and your organisations to think differently.

What is Sablons?

Sablons comes from my daily view as I set up my company. I live on the beautiful island of Jersey, in the English Channel and just off the coast of Normandy, France.

From my window I see some of the largest tidal ranges in the world, uncovering kilometres of sand (Sablons is French for sand!) and an ever-changing landscape.

Change is a constant, and it can be dramatic or subtle. As I look out of my window, I can see how storms dramatically change the swell of the tide, the shape of the sands left at low tide and debris washed up. During calmer times, I can view the wildlife in the water and listen to the lapping waves. All of these changes are impacted by features such as the wind, the time of year, the moon and atmospheric changes.

The same applies to organisations. Both internal and external factors affect how organisations operate. Not everything is within your control, but some ways and approaches mean you can weather the harshest storm, or enjoy the reassurance that everything is ticking along just fine. But none of this just happens. Change doesn't 'just happen'.

Being in organisations that have faced both dramatic storms, and the need for change, I have come to appreciate how change can be done well. I have also seen the impact of when change is not done well, sometimes through ignorance, sometimes by happy amateurs who think they know how to make change happen. The cost of doing change badly is greater than any investment made into the change in the first place.

At the end of every change is the workforce. They can make or break what you want to achieve. New technology can have the best implementation, but without the right change approach, it will quickly become an unwanted overhead or sore. Organisational structural changes often cause more anxiety than intended. Again, very little time is focussed on the change management of structural change - the point at which a structural change comes into effect is not the end of the change, but the hardest part to make the change worthwhile. I'm here to change that.

So, Sablons, The People Consultancy, is here to focus on the value you have in your people. And to help you do it well. Our key success is that what we work with you on, we also provide skills and a plan to continue after we have gone.

About me

As the founder of Sablons, The People Consultancy, I have over 20 years of experience at senior levels including the board room in the public, private and third sectors.

My role is often during times of significant change, or the desire for change.

My motivation is to see a job done well. Far too often, I have seen consultancies come and go with very little regard for what they leave behind. I have seen change fail, and unnecessarily fail. I have also seen how the cookie-cutter approach of larger consultancies is applied shamelessly, without tailoring to the individual needs or state of the engaging them.

I have seen how organisations have the potential through their people to be better, and I have delivered that potential.

For me, organisations invest and prioritise investments in their people. This investment, like any other, must demonstrate that the approach, methods and proportionality delivery the results and returns needed.

Celebrating my successes doesn't come naturally to me, I'd much rather other people sit in the spotlight. However, the work I have led and delivered over the past 20 years has to be recognised by my peers through recognition as a Top 10 'Most Influential' HR leader; twice winning 'Team of the Year' at national awards for big programme delivery, award-winning strategies for crisis management and recovery; and for diversity, equity and inclusion strategies.

I contribute to articles that have appeared in The Times, Raconteur, and HR Magazine and am a speaker at conferences on a variety of topics related to change, transformation and people management.