a passionate team of

Professional Thinkers

20 Years of Innovation

Highly experienced change agents providing guidance to anyone interested in Making Things Better.

We’re a passionate team of professional thinkers and problem solvers dedicated to a simple but powerful proposition: To Help People Think.

Jason Clarke

Celebrated author, adventurer, gold medal Olympian and popular TV chef; Jason is none of these things.

Lisa Smith

Lisa is a professional thinker dedicated to helping people unlock their innate creativity and to empower them to think differently – for themselves.
Who We Work With

Since 2000 we’ve worked with just about everyone.

That’s probably why we’ve done so much work in areas of Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork and Collaboration. It’s why we’ve built a great reputation in areas of Creativity, Innovation and Culture Change and how we’ve become skilled trainers in Communication, Decision Making and Problem Solving.

Discover More about Our Clients
Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

We had very positive feedback that it was engaging, thought provoking and funny

Just a quick note I wanted to thank you for the compelling session you delivered for us this week in Singapore. A great start to the second day of our summit. I also enjoyed meeting you personally and I hope to stay in touch. Please feel free to use me as a reference should you ever have the need for that.

Fiona Hathaway, Asia Enterprise Services HR LeaderMicrosoft

Your Leading Change module really was a standout

I’ve been reviewing the DAFL 2019 post-program survey data and designing the program for 2020. Your Leading Change module really was a standout and many people noted that it was the most useful module of the program

Christina Kolar, Organisational Psychologist, Human ResourcesDeakin University

Thanks for joining us yesterday and challenging the team to think differently

Thanks for joining us yesterday and challenging the team to think differently. I have even heard some of your concepts being talked about today in the office – so I hope we have twigged something that will last.

Deb Chapman, ANZ Strategy & Ops ManagerUnilever Australia

Think outside the square? This team takes you to where you never thought possible!

Minds At Work challenges the whole team to think differently. These guys are sinfully delicious to work with.

Judy Robinson, Communications Manager

I have even had feedback from senior engineers in the crowd who felt reinvigorated after your presentation!

Definitely exceeded all expectations and was a perfect fit for both Engineers Without Borders and Engineers Australia in terms of the desired message, urgency, ability etc. Thank you. I have even had feedback from senior engineers in the crowd who felt reinvigorated after your presentation!

Nick Byrne, Knowledge ManagerEngineers Without Borders Australia
Frequently asked questions

Got Questions? Great – we’ve got answers!

What do most groups want from The Minds?

Invariably a shift in mindset and mood, most often from conservative to inventive, helpless to fearless, exhausted to elated. Oh, and tools and techniques they can use straight away to overcome their most pressing challenges.

Are there recurring themes or patterns you’ve noticed?

Sure. What groups ask for cycles over time, depending on how they feel about current events – over the years we’ve seen the pendulum swing between creativity, innovation and vision [in the good times] and problem solving, prioritisation and resilience [in the tough times] whereas leadership, culture, strategy and of course, change are always hot topics.
Although we can usually make a pretty strong case for all of the above, all of the time.

How much time do you need?

How much have you got? How high/deep/wide/far does your group need to think?

Do groups actually change as a result of working with The Minds?

Some do. Some don’t. It depends on how serious they and their leadership are about making change happen.

Do you do some kind of follow-up with your clients?

We always ask for a debrief a few weeks after a session to see how our groups are tracking and offer any additional material and/or support to maintain their momentum; we have many clients who feel free to call on us anytime they want answers, advice or just a few pointers.

Are The Minds really expensive?

No, not really. What’s your budget like?

How do you decide what to do with each client?

We consider the distance between the group’s current state-of-mind [based on what they’ve been through in the last 24-36 months or so and what it needs to be to equip them for the next 12-24 months. That tells us the kind of mindshift required and sends us looking for the best insights, tools and techniques we can find. We then prioritise these based on which will offer the greatest value to the group within the time we have with them.

Are there particular types of client you work with the most?

Yes. They’re almost certainly people who have been charged with leading a group through uncertain times.

Does your work evolve or is it always the same thing?

There’s been a steady evolution over the years; our initial offering of creative thinking for commercial clients gradually ballooned to incorporate innovation and design, decision making and prioritisation for government, community and not-for-profit organisations across Australia and beyond.
Problem finding, mapping and solving entered the mix around the 2010s along with issues around sustainability culture and overwhelm and 2020’s expanded the conversation to the future of work and intelligence.
It’s always evolving but the need to address issues of Change, Innovation and Leadership seems constant.

So you’re consultants?

No. We call ourselves ‘Plumbers of the Mind’ because our work is much more like trade than a consultancy – we like to get in, fix what needs fixing, change what needs changing and then leave our clients with a few tools to get on with.