Our seasoned experience with organizational development spans start-ups to mature systems.


We take a systemic approach to organization development. It begins with a personal connection, aligns diverse teams for success and integrates them with business imperatives.

We bring elements of science to the analysis of organizations through predictive analytics, network analysis and other tools that develop insight and support decision making in your organization. We are experienced at creating leadership development programs that are appropriate to the strategic needs of business.

Stage appropriate development: from start-up to mature systems

What start-up’s need is very different from what mature systems require.  Because we’ve worked across the spectrum, we appreciate and adapt to the differences in needs.  We bring both science and experience to the support of organizations transitioning from stage to stage.

Leadership development programs

We bring years of experience supporting regional and global organizations to develop leaders.  Our programs are bespoke and targeted to support strategic and cultural objectives. We work to grow individuals, increase their connection to colleagues, grow their awareness of the business and focus their leadership initiatives.

System mapping: talent, communication, connections

System mapping helps executives and their teams see where they are and plot their course for the future.  Talent audits using predictive analytics can provide a much needed window into the potential of current talent to take up the leadership positions of the future.  Organizational network analysis can paint the picture of organizational communication or uncover hidden leaders or people in danger of exclusion from the system.  It can reveal patterns of information flow and log jams in decision-making.

Managing Change and Organizational agility

A change in culture means adopting new shared practices and standards for working. More crucially it also means a change in mindset, that is, changing implicit rules and norms that determine ways of being and thinking. Cultural norms can also affect or be embodied in organisational structures, processes and tools.

Organisations and their leaders have by now learned about the importance of “being the change you want to be” and of supporting change through communication and new ways of getting organised. Today we are all familiar with the classic approaches and models describing the dynamics of change and change readiness. Whilst they are still important, they are but one aspect of the new challenge of agility – a new way of being and working that challenges some of the core psychological foundations we used for introducing change such as striking a balance with stability.

Change also challenges the hierarchical principles of how organisations are run. This challenges existing power structures and processes for making sure of results because it delegates decision making and judgment in order to create speed and innovation. Leaders at all levels as well as employees are tasked with balancing speed, quality and innovation against consistency of results and service. There seems to be no time any more for the comfort zone of habits and repetition.

Leaders may find that inviting scrums into their organisation is welcomed enthusiastically by its participants. However, this also challenges their personal strategies for making sure of results – and does so without offering alternatives.

The call for agility cannot be ignored. Common Thread starts with the leaders and the assumption that it is the leaders that need to make the first step. We help you be aware of how you show up as a leader to colleagues, superiors and your organization. We work with a range of expert colleagues and approaches to make you see the system efficiently and effectively. Equipped with this awareness and diagnosis, Common Thread will then work with the whole person and the whole system on how you can all collectively and sustainably make the shifts needed for a more agile, empowered and innovative organisation.

Beth mAcdonald

Beth mAcdonald

Managing Partner

Beth mAcdonald brings 30 years of corporate experience and global consulting on local, regional and global levels to Common Thread. Her expertise in coaching, senior leadership development, design thinking, and state of the art analytical tools for measuring and assessing individual capabilities and cultural landscapes have heightened her appreciation for the power of combining shared concerns and creative differences. Beth’s curiosity and ability to connect shows in an ever-expanding network across generations, cultures, disciplines and continents.  Photography, scuba diving and reading are Beth’s preoccupations when she’s not working.

Accelerate your development

Be a game-changing leader who engages and aligns your organisation through collaborative culture.

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