Testimonials

The feedback and testimonials on this page are provided by participants in workshops who responded to anonymous evaluation surveys, as well as feedback from people who have agreed that their name and comments can be published on my site.

Feedback about workshops and evaluating longer term projects are critical elements to ensure that services I provide are relevant and useful.  Ensuring that projects and processes can be tailored to meet the needs of individual organisations is a hallmark of my work.

Strategy Projects

(Projects involving a combination of scanning, strategic thinking and planning, usually run over around six months)

The experience was a very positive experience. One of the issues for any organisation is always that of staff who may not wish to come along for the journey and ours is no different in this respect. All staff participated in the workshop. However their involvement in the scanning process was very patchy and perhaps did not work as well as hoped. Adjustments to the approach were made by Thinking Futures as a result which was great. A number of staff commented on the usefulness of the approach. The outcomes will provide a good stepping stone for moving forward.
Ellen Brackenreg, Director, Student Support Services, University of Western Sydney (2009)

Maree was clearly expert in the scenario planning approach to strategic planning, she was open and honest in her dealings with us and provided excellent reference material and support to questions…The major workshops were under control, planned and managed very well. I admire Maree’s ability to distill data into manageable units and draw order from the chaos. In terms of facilitation, Maree has a relaxed and inviting style…There were times when Maree needed to change the program to meet participants’ needs and did so on the spot. She also managed objections very well and openly which allowed the program to progress.
Michele Haywood, Manager, Organisational Development and Improvement, Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE (2008)

Thinking Futures was flexible and adaptive in altering the scope of the work as we moved forward – this was very helpful.
Project Manager, Making VU Program Office, Victoria University (2009).

Scenario Planning Projects

(Projects using scenario planning as the primary methodology, usually run over three-four months)

Animal Health Scenarios

A highly positive experience – it was a pleasure to work with a consultant who was always looking to value add what they had promised to deliver.
Belinda Wright, Office of Chief Veterinary Officer, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2010)

Library Scenarios

In 2006 I approached Maree Conway to facilitate a scenario planning workshop for the University Library. Having used scenario planning processes in previous organisations, I was delighted to find that Maree had a good, ‘common sense’ grounding in the area and was flexible in her development of a program for us. This was important as we didn’t have a lot of time and needed to fit into annual planning cycles. Maree’s deep knowledge of the University sector and understanding of trends in libraries was particularly useful, including her contribution to the environmental scanning phase. Her facilitation of the process and final presentation of the report was professional and achieved a good outcome that I was looking for.
Phillip G Kent, (then) University Librarian, Victoria University, Australia (2006)

Feedback from Participants at this Scenario Planning Workshop

• Gave us a great insight into key thinking. Also gave us a chance to provide input.
• Assists us in planning for the foreseeable/unforeeable future. Also enables us to compare existing trends with possible trends.
• Future focus overlap on strategic planning useful.
• Allows for free thinking on our futures.
• Prompts deep thought processes – yet allows for ‘off-centre’ ideas.
• The best thing was sharing our worlds, open discussion on what people are thinking about.
• Made you think outside the box.
• Understanding different perceptions/beliefs people had.
• Helps break out of present mindset.
• Helped to broaden horizons, move out of existing focus, and show that you can think well ahead when required.

Water Company Scenarios (2005)

• It has started on the journey of a new way of looking at our business environment
• Using some of the concepts to get my staff thinking about the future
• Provides a good structure to build on existing business and strategic planning processes
• The process will be used
• Opportunities identified as well as avoiding negatives
• Definitely very eye opening, especially backtracking phase
• Interesting process. Two days only scratches the surface.  I’m sure if followed up on a more frequent basis will improve the organization development.

Workshops

(Workshops on strategic thinking, scanning and strategic planning, usually run over one day)

So you think you can plan? (2007- present)

• Provided very relevant and useful information!
• I found the workshop interesting and informative and the presenter was entertaining and knowledgeable.
• The overall approach to the day was great. Not much new information but very timely for my institution and so very valuable.
• Overall, an inspiring session.
• Overall, a very constructive and helpful experience. Many thanks.

• Liked the broadening of the horizon approach, we covered a wide range of issues.
• Thinking out to 2017 was a useful experience.
• Helped re thinking outside the box; helped external thinking beyond short term future.
• Provided a focus about the future by considering many options (both “outside the square” as well as “inside the square”).
• Structured introspection.
• Helped clarify issues and possible ways forward.
• It made you consider factors out of the ordinary.

• Focused thoughts and ideas on major priorities.
• Helped me in my understanding of … possibilities and potentials for the group into the future.
• Helped to build a framework and open discussion.
• Thoughts going outside the square.
• The swap between present, short and long-term futures worked well.
• Logical structure for thinking. Good balance of thinking and doing.
• The presentation and exercises/brainstorming did ease the strategic planning process.

Strategic Thinking Workshops (2008 – present)

• You did a terrific job covering a lot of territory in quick time. I enjoyed myself.
• Typical comments regarding your session were thought provoking, stimulating, and allowed for lateral thinking.
• Thanks for your presentation yesterday. It really assisted us to get our thinking aligned and laid out the next steps that we need to take.
• Many thanks for taking the time to facilitate the workshop.  It was great.  I really enjoyed it…
• Very useful – came away with a lot of ideas to implement in my strategic planning.
• I got good value from your framework and have downloaded the resources.

Environmental Scanning Workshops (2010 – present)

• Maree’s initial presentation on trends was a great talking point – her knowledge about the sector helped get people “on side” very quickly, and as a result discussions were enthusiastic and productive…We received some good feedback from participants – I’d definitely look at getting Maree in again next year to do a longer, more focused workshop.

Combined Scanning and Strategic Thinking Workshops (2010 – present)

• Congratulations on last week. Everyone said it went well and was extremely useful. We are already getting people asking when the course can be repeated.

Facilitation of Planning Workshops

(Usually one day planning workshops where the main task was to move participants through a process to reach the agreed end point)

• Great informal, participative facilitation.Thank you!
• Thanks again for facilitating our … workshops. You were able to provide direction and structure to the meetings that allowed us to broach this subject with two groups that each have their own sensitivities.
• Thank you again for the great presentations and setting the scene for the workshop. We did get some great ideas out of the groups, and it also became apparent that the strategic plans needs some work.
• I think you’re a fabulous facilitator…I think it was hard to keep people on track and you kept us in check very well, and on time.
• Thanks for your good work as Facilitator for the recent…workshop. There is one detrimental effect from doing such a great job, you get requested to do it again.
• Facilitator to be congratulated for reading the group and feeding back.
• Very pleased with the facilitator.
• One of the better planning sessions I have attended and I have attended many!!
• Thank you for the obvious care you put into preparing and facilitating the workshop. It served its purpose admirably.
• Thank you so much for your tremendous facilitation on Friday.  I’ve had great feedback from colleagues, so thank you for running such a terrific workshop.

Presentations

(Presentations made to conferences or organisations, usually around one hour in length – and as you can see, I ‘talk’ with  my hands!)

• Maree is clearly an expert in the field of higher education futures, and she spoke very well, without notes and engaged the audience throughout. Maree provided us with some interesting stimulating and useful insights, and left us wanting more.
• So pleased to finally see Maree Conway present. Great, as expected.
• It really was a very useful and informative presentation – probably the best working session I attended at the Conference.
• Thank you for a fascinating presentation. Having attended, I find myself very interested in futures work.
• Thanks once again for a very informative presentation.
• Really good and innovative work – lots of ideas to take back to the workplace and sources of further information.
• I hope that you would be willing to come and do another session for our Masters students next year – it was a real highlight of last semester’s course.
• Feedback to the event was very positive…they said the event was “brilliant and interesting.”
• A bit mind boggling, but very interesting!
• A high content level and stimulating subject matter encouraging thinking outside the box.
• Brilliant – intellectually stimulating, well presented, scholarly, but with real world application.
• Provided me with a new way of thinking about strategic planning.
• Thought provoking and detailed presentation.

I really enjoyed your presentation. It was one of the better ones of the conference and was very thought provoking. Kerrilyn Toal, Team Leader, Learning Materials Centre – Wagga Production Unit, Charles Sturt University.

Thanks again for a great, thought provoking presentation. Tania Tambiah, Research Manager, Faculty of Business, University of Technology, Sydney.

Typical comments regarding your session were thought provoking, stimulating, and allowed for lateral thinking (especially in the workshop session). Feedback from organisers after ITPNZ Conference Keynote, 2005.

In a generally very good range of sessions I attended, I was very glad to have heard your talk, and to join in the discussion at the end. Thanks again.  Participant at 2006 AUA Conference Workshop.

Maree’s presentation was very beneficial to me as my role is very much linked to environmental scanning…it has also helped me articulate what my new role is, something that I have struggled to do prior to [the presentation]. So I now have a better sense of purpose in terms of my contribution to the system. Participant at Strategic Thinking Workshop, 2009.

Just a note to thank you for a fantastic presentation. I really enjoyed it, it’s really got me thinking… Dr Maryam Omair, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Faculty of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University.

I loved Maree’s session – wish we had more time for it. Participant at Leadership Masterclass, 2009.