Kevin Dixon

Career

A graduate of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR) and City University Master of Arts (MA) Social Science in Advanced Organisational Consultation and TIHR Professional Associate, Kevin is owner (since 2005) of Cross Boundary Solutions Ltd, an independent consultancy practice based in Bournemouth.  Prior to starting his practice, Kevin worked in a number of senior positions in the UK Civil Service, including Head of Accountability & External Audit in HM Treasury, Head of Finance & Facilities Management at the Serious Fraud Office, and the Department of Finance, Ireland Civil Service. 

Whilst working in HM Treasury, Kevin was a Treasury witness (1997-2000) to the Committee of Public Accountants of the House of Commons dealing with issues of National Audit Office value-for-money reports. This brought Kevin into contact regularly with top management and politicians. It was during this time and subsequently whilst on secondment to Ireland that Kevin became increasingly interested in the practice of leadership, integrity of systems and the painful consequences for individuals and organisations when things go wrong.

It was during a conversation with another consultant jogger along the Sandymount coast to the Poolbeg lighthouse that Kevin heard about TIHR Advanced Organisational Consultation (AOC) programme which has three pillars:  consultancy competence, organisational theory and systems psychodynamics.   Kevin says the AOC programme was a “life-enhancing experience” which enabled him to gain a deeper understanding of himself and others and his passion for helping organisations create and implement workable solutions to their personal and organisational development problems.

Using a continuous learning model of consulting, education and writing in his practice for the last seven years, Kevin has worked on assignments in the public, private and voluntary & community sectors. Kevin uniquely combines his significant financial management expertise gained in central government with a deep understanding of leadership, group behaviour and relation the wider business and systemic environment.

Besides consulting, Kevin is Educational Professional at Bournemouth University Business School (2008-date) where he designs and delivers Masters in Business Administration (MBA) modules and short-courses including induction, mentoring, Business Ethics & Corporate Governance, Leadership & Change and an elective “Leading Public & Community Services”.

Consulting practice

Whilst Kevin has been an independent practitioner since 2005, prior to this he has worked as an internal Senior Consultant for five years both in Ireland and initially on returning to the UK .   Kevin’ has worked in highly political environments often working across organisational and functional boundaries whether in co-ordination and control or as a member or lead of project teams.  Kevin specialises in:

• Coaching leaders to practice leadership – especially combining business ethics, good corporate governance and customer experience
• Designing and facilitating educational and learning events for individuals and groups to lead in transition - including managing identities, boundary management, crossing boundaries, role change, conflict interactions and customer insights
• Helping organisations and groups to develop emotional awareness to create emergent change – especially through robust employee involvement, participative change processes and Action Learning
• Developing collaborative and participative forms of working within and between organisations - including inter-departmental working, teamwork, multi-disciplinary teams or cross-functional teams 

Tools

• Authentic Leadership Coaching
• British Psychological Society Certificate of Competence in Occupational Testing Level A (Ability Tests) and B (Personality Questionnaires e.g. ORPHEUS)
• FEBI (Focus Energy Balance Indicator) with Focus Leadership
• N2N (Naive to Natural) Customer Centricity with Beyond Philosophy

Qualifications

• MA Social Science & Graduate of the Tavistock Institute Advanced Organisational Consultation MA & practice certification programme (consultancy competence, organisational theory, systems psychodynamics)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountancy (ACMA)Qualified Accountant, 20 years + Associate
• British Psychological Society Certificate of Competence in Occupational Testing Level A and B
• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA (Hon’s) International Business Policy
• Facilities Management ( Part College of Estate Management Post-Graduate Diploma)

Personal statement

“In this increasingly complex world the simple fact remains that it is the imperfections of human beings that make us resourceful.  Being ‘human’ we live in connection with others, within a social system of relationships that forge our identity whether in the place of work, at home with our families or with our friends.  Today, the ‘virtual’ world of the World Wide Web and Social Media offers the possibility of connections across geographical, cultural and ethnic divides that have shaped the world for centuries.  The place of work is where these differences are played out whether in a micro or macro business environment leadership requires an understanding of human behaviour in order to achieve their primary objectives.  Often creativity and innovation come from the playful interactions and collaborations of individuals within cohesive teams linked by the desire to succeed.  Working with differences in perceptions and providing space for ‘sense-making’ and ‘reality-testing’ enables and facilitates the possibility of employee involvement and enjoyment in the work task.  Placing the customer at the centre of business strengthens the bond and cements relationships between business and the community. Whilst organisations face enormous challenges in surviving the current economic recession, discovering the potential for new ways of organising and connecting offers exciting possibilities in the emerging landscape of collaboration, partnership and enterprise that ‘glue’ organisations to the communities they serve."

Associations and Memberships

Associate:

• Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA).
• Principal Consultant, Tavistock Institute
• Principal Consultant, Beyond Philosophy

Member:

• Accredited Affiliate of the Centre for Leadership Studies, Exeter University Business School
• Institute of Business Ethics
• European Business Ethics Network (EBEN)
• International Society for the Psychoanalytic Studies of Organisations (ISPSO)
• Organisation for the Psychoanalytic Understanding of Society (OPUS)

Recent Publications

2010

• Dixon , K. R., and Jones R. M., (2010). Financial Bodies called to Account:  Corporate risks of carrying fear and greed on behalf of the body politic.  In:  Jones, R. M. The Body of the Organisation and Its Health. London : Karnac, Chapter 9.

2009

• Dixon , K.R, (2009).  Energy World:  Developing the accountancy profession for ethical leadership.   In: Whittle, S and Izod, K., eds. Mindful Consulting.  London : Karnac, Chapter 10.
• Dixon , K. R, (2009).  Business Ethics;  finding the truth of things in uni-central and multi-central configurations presented at the European Business Ethics Conference, University of the West of England, Bristol, April 2009.
• Dixon , K. R, (2009).  A Crisis in Leadership:  The Phantasmagoria of money, Aphanisis and Art  presented at Crisis in Leadership Conference, Centre for Leadership Studies, Exeter University Business School, Exeter , December 2009