This blog is intended to spark and further dialogue about personal and professional development in the humanitarian aid sector, or indeed any organisational setting.  I do not claim to be an expert.  I am not an academic.  I hope that experts and academics will contribute freely to this dialogue.  Above all, my wish is that the blog is a useful resource for managers and employees alike – to assist with developing their personal and professional capacity to serve their beneficiaries.  

 The blog will begin with a focus on personal development and the important role managers play in supporting themselves and staff.  It will be interesting and exciting to see where it goes from there!  

My name is Joan Johnson (www.joanmariejohnson.wordpress.com), and after 20 years as an organisational and personal development consultant and coach, I have come to specialise in helping managers and employees develop more effective relationships – so that the work gets done, and inter-personal stress is reduced or eliminated.

My background includes: a degree in international relations, a masters in business, 7 years with the U.S. Peace Corps, more years with various government organisations, wide-ranging interests in philosophy, social psychology, physics, emotional intelligence, coaching, neuro-linguistics, adult education, leadership, etc.  More recently, I have been priviledged to return to the humanitarian aid sector in Australia, where I’ve had the pleasure of conducting several personal, interpersonal and supervisory leadership coaching programs, primarily for one large agency – though I also have numerous individual clients.  While it has been extremely well-received, I am very conscious of the thousands of aid workers out there, who have little or no access to this type of information.  With this blog, and through partnerships with others, I hope to change that.  Please join and share in the dialogue!