Candour doesn’t have to come at the expense of kindness.
Nor should treating people fairly mean avoiding difficult conclusions.
I established Rowan Sage to continue using my experience to help people and organisations. I believe the most useful work often begins with an uncomfortable question, but how you ask it, how you listen and what you do with the answer matter just as much.
These aren’t values I’ve chosen because they look good on a website. They’re the standards I want to be held to.
Our mission
To help you see what you might be missing, understand what matters and decide what needs to happen next.
Through coaching, independent reviews and strategic advice, I bring experience, careful scrutiny and constructive challenge to situations that deserve more than a convenient answer. The aim is always to leave you better informed and better able to act.
A culture where asking difficult questions is a strength.
And where people aren’t made to feel smaller for speaking up.
I want leaders and organisations to be more curious about what has happened than concerned with defending what they already believe. I want people to be heard and treated consistently, even when the conversation is difficult.
Accountability matters. So does learning. One shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid the other.
The principles behind the work.
I don’t expect you to take my values on trust simply because I’ve written them down. They should be evident in the questions I ask, the conclusions I reach and the way I treat you and everyone involved.
Integrity
I’ll be clear about what I know, what I don’t know and what the information actually supports. You can expect discretion, independence and honesty, even when the answer isn’t the one you hoped for.
Fairness
People deserve to be heard and treated consistently. I won’t decide what happened before listening, and I won’t confuse an assumption with a fact. Fairness matters most when a situation is difficult.
Candour with kindness
I’ll ask the awkward question and say what I think needs saying. But being direct isn’t a licence to be unkind. Challenge is more useful when it comes with respect and compassion.
Curiosity
What else could explain this? What haven’t we considered? I’m willing to question my own thinking as well as yours, and to change my view when better information comes to light.
Accountability and learning
Understanding what went wrong isn’t about finding the nearest person to blame. Equally, learning is not a reason to avoid responsibility. We need to understand the causes, address what matters and do something useful with what we learn.
People matter
I believe people are an organisation’s greatest asset, not an inconvenience to be managed. How people are led, listened to and treated affects their confidence, their performance and the organisation around them.
“The most valuable conversation isn’t always the most comfortable one. ”
Jodie Miller · Founder, Rowan Sage Advisory
What does this actually mean for you?
Different clients need different things. The principles don’t change.
In coaching
You get space to think, but not empty reassurance. I’ll listen carefully, challenge your assumptions and respect that the decisions are yours.
In independent reviews
People are treated fairly, information is examined critically and conclusions follow the evidence, not the most convenient account.
In strategic consultancy
You’ll receive straight advice grounded in experience, with attention to what is practical, what remains unclear and what the consequences might be.
If this is how you want to work, let’s talk.
Whether you’re looking for coaching, an independent review or specialist advice, we’ll start with a confidential conversation about what you need. I’ll tell you whether I think I can help.
Start a confidential conversationNo obligation. No complicated process. Just a conversation.