Deborah Lange [M.A Social Ecology (Hons), B. Bus. (HRD), Grad. Dip Learning, Dip. Ed, Cert. in Holistic Ed., Cert. NLP, Cert., Coaching.)]
is a creative spirit for the integration of the arts, science, business, the environment and spirituality using an eclectic array of mediums for an environment that enhances creativity and is imbued with humanessence. She applies research and methods based on ecological and human values that create healthy and sustainable businesses, communities and workplaces within ethical, aesthetic, environmental, social and economic imperatives.
She is an exceptional designer of work and conversational space, in corporate, conference, community and eco-spiritual environments. Her design of the space creates a felt prescence that evokes learning from multiple intelligences thereby allowing creative ideas and new energies for partnership and co-operation to emerge.
She has inspired people both in-house and at numerous conferences and festivals and conversation circles in countries including Slovenia, South Africa, Singapore, Borneo, India and Australia. Her work has been appreciated by varied sectors of the workforce including mining engineers, women in business, lawyers, accountants, medical and health practitioners, the aged care industry, primary industries, the retail industry and more.
Through the integration of business, science, arts, spirituality and the natural environment she enables people to experience and open to more of their potential both individually and collectively. The felt presence that is created stays with people and evokes an ongoing curiosity and inquiry for more deep learning. Difficult conversations with tensions from multiple viewpoints are able to be held respectfully and new thoughts and behaviours emerge that are congruent within an ecological, living systems view of our world. She helps us shed behaviours, practices and structures that inhibit our growth based on mechanistic theory that needs to be applied to technology not to humans and living systems.
Deborah has worked across the broad area of human learning and development, with major corporations such as Bridgestone, BHP Billiton, the Australian Taxation Office and Primary Industries. Deborah brings design principles to businesses and communities that enhance creativity, collaboration, autonomy and leadership from a freedom within limits approach, well-being, family friendly work practices and corporate citizenship.
deborahlange@me.com and deb@deblange.com.au
Deborah Lange
Highlights of consulting projects:
Process Consultant for a Global Leadership Program with BHP, providing the environment for global leaders to learn systemic knowledge on transformational leadership in the workplace and cultures of commitment and learning
Culture Change Consultant for major workplace change in the Australian Taxation Office as jobs and divisions undertook major culture transformation to understand and apply the systemic nature of the work including partnering with inter-dependent internal and external stakeholders.
Culture Change with the Ralph Review of Business Taxation as employees from the Taxation Office, Treasury and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel were re-located to a multi-disciplinary site to collaborate in teams on the Review of Business Taxation
Co-Leader and initiator in a major national awareness strategy of the principles of Natural Capitalism (green principles)
Author of papers on Change processes, sustainability and creativity
Leader and implementer of major community, government and private sector collaborative awareness campaigns, managing multiple projects across multiple sites
Design and implementation of performance management and development programs; three sixty degree feedback programs
Facilitator of major conflict resolution processes; team building; coaching and mentoring projects
Deborah is dedicated to the development of people and organisations through a holistic approach that integrates the arts and science. She believes there is a vast reservoir of creativity and wisdom to be untapped when people experience holistic processes that open our multiple intelligences previously inhibited through our limited views of the past. Creativity and wisdom are critical in a world that is changing so rapidly.
Extensive academic studies some of which are a Masters of Applied Science, Social Ecology (Honours), Business Degree in Learning and Organisational Development, Certificates in Neuro-Linguisitic Programming, Coaching, Holistic Human Development and Social Artistry, together with extensive experiential learning from both work and meditation, nature and the arts has given her rich insights for her work in organisational design.
In addition she has served as a committee member of the International Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management, Association, as a Councillor of the South Australian Division of the Australian Human Resource Institute and the Institute of Training and Development. Deborah has a wealth of experience as a person who has been commited to personal and professional development throughout her lifeime to create a positive difference in the world.
In 1980 Deborah was recognised for her vision for the inter-connections of education, community, the private sector, the arts and the environment with an award in education. In 1988, Deborah initiated one of the first inter-linking partnerships between government, community and private sector programs in Australia, and was recognised with a Bicentennial Award for that creation. Whilst this work of co-operation and partnerships has deepened and evolved since that time it is a never ending journey as we learn how to live and work within a mindset of abundance, shared responsibility, mutuality, triple bottom line achievements for organisations and society and compassionate, ethical practises.
In Summary
Deborah is told by clients that she is gifted in creating an environment of safety, trust and creativity into which individuals or groups feel they can fully co-create experiences that provide insights within emotional, symbolic and spititual dimensions and achieve inspiring consequences.
A quote from a client… “ She is a person with excellent skills and deep knowledge, and a spiritual nature that shines out and touches people."
An example of applications as Host, Designer, Mentor, Coach, Facilitator:
INTEGRATION OF ARTS AND NATURE EXPERINCES FOR LEARNING AND CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
HOST OF EXPRESSIVE CAFES
HOST OF WILDERNESS RETREATS
DESIGNS FOR CO-OPERATIVE CONVERSATIONS AND STORYTELLING
CIRCLE DIALOGE FOR STRATEGIC AND GENERATIVE LEARNING
CREATIVE PARTICIPATIVE PLANNING
360-DEGREE FEEDBACK FOR INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS
OPEN SPACE AND SELF-ORGANISING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR ORGANISATION DESIGN
VALUES IN ACTION PROCESSES
COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL DISSONANCE
AESTHETIC AND APPRECIATIVE ORGANISATION DESIGN
EMBEDDING ACTION LEARNING IN ORGANISATION DESIGN
REFLECTIVE INQUIRY AND EVALUATION PRACTICES
UNCOVERING THE MYSTERIES OF PERSONAL AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
DEVELOPMENT OF TRUST, CO-OPERATION AND LEADERSHIP ACROSS ORGANISATIONS
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY, CONNECTEDNESS AND OWNERSHIP
A Sample of Papers and Publications include:
“ New Learners and the Practtice of Social Artistry”, International Conference on the Integration of Values; Art Of Living Bangalore, India
Contributor to “The Natural Advantage of Nations” 2004 “Arts and Sustainability”, 2003
“The Integration of Arts, Science and Business an Approach for Systemic Change¨, ALARPM International conference, Pretoria, South Africa, 2003
“Systemic Dialogue¨ International Learning Village, Castle Borl, Slovenia 2003
“Systemic Approach to Conflict¨ Conflict Resolution and Mediation Forum 2002
“A Sense of Being¨ Chapter 9 in “Effective Change Management Processes¨ Editors S Sankaran, B Dick, R Passfield, P Swepson, Southern Cross University Press, 2001
“Compassionate Practice¨ World Congress Keynote on Participatory Change; 2000
“Collective Dialogue for Change¨ Singapore Institute of Management, 1999
“Is it Solutions we Need or Better Understanding?¨ Keynote National Conference Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management Association, 1998
"What Action is Better, What is a Better World?" ALARPM, 1997
"Hoshin Kanri Planning" SA Business, 1997
" Three Dimensional Leadership" SA Business Innovation Group, 1997
"Creativity at Work" SA Business Innovation Group, 1997
"Self-organising Systems in Leadership Development" System and Learning Conference, 1996
"Leading Change in Organisations" Institute of Credit Managers Conference, 1996
"Lifelong Learning" Business and Professional Women, 1996
"Strategic Management and Action Learning" Action Learning Forum, 1996
"Meaningful Work" Singapore Institute of Management, 1996
“ A Systemic Approach to PDCA¨ AQC, AHRI, AITD, ALARPM joint Seminar on Developing Best Practice - 1995
“Dialogue for Collective Understanding¨
ALARPM & Sydney Institute of Technology Conference, 1995
“Critical Conversations¨
Institute of Cultural Affairs, National Conference 1995
Collective Inquiry¨, Cybernetics Association, 1995
“The Organisation as a Critical Learning System¨
National Australian Institute of Training and Development Conference, 1994
“Hi-tech = Hi-touch¨ Learning, Environment and Technology Association, National Conference, 1994
“Accessing Women's Wisdom¨ National Women in Education Conference, 1994