Kia ora, I’m Helen.
I’m endlessly curious about knowledge … how it lives inside people’s experience, how it emerges when people think together, and how it can be shaped so others can use it.
I’m drawn to creating and sharing ideas that help people see their work and their world differently.
Over time I’ve gathered a cross-disciplinary mix of skills and experience. They come together in ways that are sometimes unexpected, yet always valuable, like the aid of a Swiss Army knife in unfamiliar territory.
What matters to me is usefulness. Knowledge becomes valuable when it helps people think more clearly, act more thoughtfully, and make something different possible.
The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.
~ W. E. B. Du Bois
Patterns in My Work
My work draws on a diverse mix of experience, perspectives, and capabilities. Different situations call forward different combinations of these. Several patterns appear repeatedly in my work.
Cultivating collective knowing
Creating spaces where people generate insight, explore ideas and develop shared understanding.
Helping practitioner knowledge take shape
Supporting experienced practitioners to express and share what they have learnt through practice.
Shaping knowledge so it can be mobile
Structuring ideas into frameworks, artefacts and tools others can use.
Enabling meaningful learning
Designing and hosting experiences for people to learn through inquiry, reflection and practical doing.
Making sense in complex adaptive systems
Helping people notice and explore patterns in their situation so meaningful change can emerge.
Accompanying practitioner development
Mentoring and support practitioners as they deepen their judgement and practice.
Knowledge in Service of Capability Development
Knowledge I create takes many forms. Sometimes it becomes an article that explores an idea. Sometimes it becomes a framework or resource others can use. Sometimes it becomes a workshop where people learn together. This site gives you access to many of these contributions.
Articles
Thought pieces exploring change, design, human factors and learning.
Resources
Frameworks, models, and practical tools developed through practice.
Learning Experiences
Group learning experiences that explore complex ideas through doing.
If something here resonates with your work or thinking, I’d love to talk with you. I’m a big fan of sharing over a cup of tea. Let’s make it happen!
Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand
hello@helenmpalmer.com
+64 27 546 1498