We bring people together to create enduring solutions that everyone owns
For more than twenty years, our expert ToP facilitators have supported teams, groups, partners and stakeholders tackling the big stuff: environmental issues, policy changes, team dynamics and change. Whether you are in a farming community grappling with catchment issues, a company needing a strategy that all staff will actually own, or an NGO needing to design a new service programme, we can help. We are professional facilitators. We can work directly with you. And we can train you and your team in facilitative leadership skills to do this effectively yourselves.
Our Logo
In 2007, we asked master carver Nathan Foote to design us a logo.
Nathan wanted to know what we did, and why.
Helen explained that facilitation is about creating a safe space within which people could have honest conversations.
“He was also interested in the creativity that an effective facilitator can bring about – the idea of the group generating something new together” Helen says.
Nathan then brought to the task his magical ability to tell a story through mahi toi. In our case this was a flowing charcoal drawing that reminds some of a germinating seed, others of a water droplet, and yet others of a wave rider, depicting the essence of facilitation and being a facilitator.
Our earth colours, reflecting the natural resource spaces within which we mostly work, completed our logo creation.
Nathan is well known for his carvings, including Māui, the Western Pou/Tomokanga at Ātea a Rangi – Star Compass at Waitangi regional park in Te Matau ā Māui (Hawke’s Bay). We feel privileged to have had his input early in our journey.
Our Story
Our Philosophy & Approach
We live our values when we work with you. When you hire a ToP™ professional, you can expect the approach to be:
Co-Creative
We work in partnership with you at all stages – planning, delivery and follow-up.
Intentional
We foster authentic dialogue and sharing of ideas in a way that unleashes creativity and full human potential.
Respectful and culturally sensitive
We engender trust and full engagement and through this the creation of solutions that people own.
Participatory and inclusive
We create spaces where power imbalances are set aside, enabling all participants to bring their best selves to the task at hand
Action-oriented
We make every minute together count, and ensure the group identifies clear conclusions, and a clear pathway forward.
Consensus building
Our events are highly collaborative and harness diversity to create new, fresh ways of solving problems
Suitable for complex and challenging situations
We are process design experts. We work with you to map out the steps required to help a group navigate and process information, explore options and create solutions.
Scalable
We can co-create with you a productive hour-long session, a two-day retreat, or a complex multi-year collaborative engagement process
Ethical
We operate in accordance with the International Association of Facilitators Code of Ethics: we work to our client’s needs and provide independent neutral facilitation where the products developed are the group’s.
What our clients have said
"Our team now have the skills to immediately improve how we run events and to do so in a way that builds connections and understanding from the beginning."
Ariana Te Whetu, Tokona te Raki
"The strength of the facilitation process built respect for the different views and encouraged all to participate. Michelle harnessed the diversity of the committee and assisted it to reach 109 unanimous recommendations."
Peter Gawith, Chairman, Ruamahanga Whaitua Committee
“Just want to say a huge thank you for being a dream facilitation team! Some very constructive discussions and some good relationships built to move the review forward.”
Aidan Burch, MBIE
Newsletter Sign Up
Sign up for our newsletter for our training course dates, occasional features about facilitation and updates on our work.
Organisations we have worked with
