Working environments where people understand and value what makes them different, and where those differences help individuals and teams thrive.
Steve Beard
We spend a huge part of our lives at work, yet too often we feel pressure to fit an expectation of who we should be, how we should behave or what success should look like.
I’d like to see working environments where people feel safe enough to be themselves and connected enough to value each other; where difference is something to understand and value rather than manage away; and where people feel able to find their own way of being effective, fulfilled and successful.
That means creating workplaces where:
Difference is valued.
We don't need everyone to think, communicate, lead or contribute in the same way.
People can be themselves and be effective.
Bringing their strengths, experiences, personality and individuality to what they do.
Curiosity replaces judgement.
Particularly when someone sees the world, or approaches something, differently from us.
Self-awareness matters.
Understanding ourselves gives us more choice about how we work, lead, develop and respond to others.
Success can look different for different people.
There isn't one model of a successful career, leader or team member.
This is the kind of working world I believe in - and what my work with individuals, leaders and teams is all about
The world I’d like to see
Most of us have times at work when something doesn't feel quite right, when we are facing a new challenge, or when we simply want to understand ourselves, other people or a situation better.
What I do to help
You don't always need to have the answer, or even be completely sure what the question is. Sometimes having the space to think, talk things through and see things from a different perspective can help you understand what is really going on and what you might want to do next.
I work with individuals and teams when there is something they want to understand better, something that isn't quite working, or simply a sense that things could be different.
As an Individual
You might be:
At a career crossroads, wondering what you really want next, even when things look pretty successful from the outside.
Finding leadership harder or different than you expected, and trying to find a way of leading that feels like you.
Trying to understand yourself better, what motivates you, what drains you, your strengths and the impact you have on others.
Dealing with a difficult relationship or situation at work, and needing somewhere safe to think it through.
Feeling unsettled or stuck, perhaps knowing something needs to change without being completely sure what that is.
Wanting to grow and develop, but in a way that fits who you are rather than somebody else's idea of who you should become.
You might be:
A group of very different people who would benefit from understanding and valuing those differences more.
Working well, but capable of more, with an opportunity to strengthen relationships, trust and how people work together.
Finding some relationships or ways of working difficult, even though the individuals involved are capable and committed.
Going through change, with a need to reconnect, understand what people need and find a way forward together.
Not having the conversations that matter, or finding that some voices are heard more easily than others.
Wanting to understand what makes the team effective, and consciously create more of the conditions that allow people to be at their best.
You don't need to know exactly what you need before we talk - understanding that can be a useful place to start.
As a Team
How I can help you
There isn't one way of working together. What we do should depend on you, what you want to understand or change, and what would genuinely be useful.
Some people come to me with a very specific question. Others want ongoing support as they work through something more complex. With teams, the starting point might be understanding each other better, addressing a particular challenge or creating the conditions to work more effectively together.
I've kept the ways I work deliberately simple.
PUFFIN AWARENESS
Understand yourself and others better
Using tools such as Insights Discovery and Motivational Maps, we can explore how you naturally work, communicate and respond to others, what makes you tick, what motivates you, what sitss in you blind spot, and what might be getting in your way.
This can be useful for individuals or as a starting point for teams who want to understand and value their differences.
Explore Puffin Awareness →
PUFFIN DEVELOPMENT
Support as you work through something or develop
A longer coaching or mentoring relationship, shaped around you rather than a standard programme.
This might be about leadership, confidence, relationships, career choices, personal effectiveness or simply working out what you want next. I bring coaching where that helps, but I'm also happy to share my own experience and perspective when that would be useful.
Explore Puffin Development →
That's absolutely fine. You don't need to choose a service before getting in touch.
A conversation about what is going on and what might help is often the best place to start.
PUFFIN THINKING
Somewhere to think about something that matters right now
A focused space around a question, challenge, decision or situation you want to explore. This might be one conversation, or a small number of sessions.
You don't need a development programme or a long series of coaching sessions. Sometimes a good conversation, some challenge and a different perspective are enough to help you see what is going on more clearly.
Explore Puffin Thinking →
PUFFIN TEAMS
Helping different people work better together
Bespoke work with teams to build understanding, strengthen relationships and make better use of the different people within them.
That might involve a workshop, individual conversations, Insights Discovery, team coaching or a combination of approaches. The starting point is always what is happening in your team and what would genuinely make a difference.
Explore Puffin Teams →
Not sure which one?
Why work with me?
I bring a lot of experience to what I do, but I don't come with a fixed formula for how you should lead, work or live your professional life.
I've spent more than 30 y working in professional environments, much of it leading people, teams and businesses. I've experienced many of the challenges I now help others think through, and I've learned as much from the things I've found difficult as the things that came naturally.
That experience matters, but so does how we work together.
I'll listen and be curious.
I’ll want to understand you, your situation and what matters to you before jumping to solutions.
I'll recognise and value what makes you different.
I'll support you in laying the foundations, revealing your preferences, motivations and ways of approaching the world.
I'll create a safe space to be honest.
You don't need to have everything worked out, say the right thing or pretend things are fine when they're not.
I’ll challenge you when it helps.
Support doesn't mean simply agreeing. I'll ask questions, notice things and sometimes offer a different perspective.
I'll bring my experience, but I won't assume my answer is your answer.
I'm comfortable moving between coaching, mentoring and simply thinking something through together.
I'll be myself too.
Warm, straightforward and thoughtful, and where appropriate we'll probably find some humour along the way. This is a human relationship, not a process being done to you.
The aim isn't to turn you into somebody different. It's to help you understand more, make choices with greater confidence and find what works for you.
A little about me
I've spent more than 30 years working in professional and consulting environments. I started out as a health economist and technical specialist, and over time that career took me into leading people, teams and businesses, including senior executive and Board roles.
I learned a lot along the way, not least that becoming more senior doesn't mean you suddenly have everything worked out. I had to learn how I wanted to lead, how to work with people who approached things very differently from me, and how to make the most of my own preferences rather than trying to fit somebody else's idea of what a leader should be.
One thing was remarkably consistent throughout. People came to me to talk things through. Sometimes they worked for me, sometimes alongside me and sometimes they were peers. We talked about careers, difficult situations, relationships, leadership, decisions and change. Often they simply needed somewhere to make sense of what was going on.
For a long time I probably thought of that as something I did alongside my 'proper' job. Over time I came to realise it was actually an important part of what I brought, particularly when people or organisations were going through change.
So when I thought about what I wanted to focus on at this stage of my career, I didn't need to invent something new. I decided to spend more of my time doing something I'd been doing for years, and something I knew mattered to me.
I still bring all the experience I've gathered along the way, but these days I get to concentrate on the part I particularly enjoy: helping people and teams understand things a little better and work out what might come next.
What others say
Perhaps the best way to understand what it is like to work with me is to hear from people who already have.
Feeling understood
“He wasn’t just teaching me leadership skills, but doing this in a way which took account of what was important to me.”
Carl Prescott, Senior Director, AXIS Reimbursement
Understanding ourselves and each other
“Steve created a welcoming and open environment where everyone felt comfortable exploring their strengths, communication styles, and areas for growth.”
Maria De Francesco, Co-founder, HEOR Value Hub
“He understands people and how to help them understand their own working habits, how to work with others and therefore how to build a highly functioning team.”
Ann-Marie Chapmen, Lumanity
Seeing things differently
“The penny dropped that we had very different motivators, allowing me to quickly pivot, reframe the relationship and expand / challenge my own perceptions / behaviours.”
Christie Harper, CEO & Founder, Gatehouse ICS
Experience and perspective
“Steve has years of rich experience to draw from, and brings a thorough, considered and measured perspective to all he does.”
Brenda Dooley, Founder / CEO, AXIS Reimbursement
Why Puffin?
There isn't a complicated brand story behind the puffin. I just found myself drawn to them.
They're distinctive, adaptable and remarkably good at thriving in challenging environments. They can cope with pretty tough conditions, while also being social, connected and very much themselves.
Somewhere along the way that started to feel like a pretty good visual representation of what Beard Insights is about.
And, living on Anglesey, I'm lucky enough to have them not too far away.
Let's talk
If something you've read here has struck a chord, perhaps the next step is simply a conversation.
You don't need to know exactly what you need, which of my services might fit, or even be completely sure what the question is. We can start with what is going on and see where the conversation takes us.
I keep the amount of work I take on deliberately limited. That gives me the time and space to work properly with the people and teams I support, and to focus on situations where I think my experience and way of working can genuinely help.
If that sounds like it might be useful, let's have a chat.
LET'S TALK