Oxford Creativity TRIZ Expert

RonDon

Ron has a solid environmental background with a Combined Science degree in Ecology and Geology. He spent 21 years at English Nature initially designing and developing computer systems then moving onto implementing a knowledge management strategy.

He is a founder of the Participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI) Institute, experienced in working with a wide range of different communities from NHS, Charities, Wildlife Trusts to major Corporate organisations. He specialises in taking a complex systems approach to problem solving where sharing, learning and relationship building are as important benefits as solving the problem at hand.

An accomplished conference speaker especially in knowledge management, complexity and storytelling, Ron enjoys working as a coach, facilitator or trainer in the preferred fields of community/team building, knowledge sharing and of course problem solving using TRIZ.

Fact File

When did you join the Oxford Creativity team

July 2009

What year was your photo taken

2018

Before Oxford Creativity...

Ron has a solid environmental background with a Combined Science degree in Ecology and Geology. He spent 21 years at English Nature which he left in 2008.

What are you most proud of

The amount of positive feedback from all of the participants on our five day training courses and the amount of praise for all of our amazing trainers.

What your Oxford Creativity work involves

I particularly enjoy getting the most from a group or workshop, especially when they realise that all the insights come from within themselves. TRIZ does not need to be prescriptive and machine-like it can be fun, experimental and generate small improvements through to the most disruptive ecosystem change.

What are you currently focussing on with Oxford Creativity

Applying Oxford TRIZ to non technical problems. I would like to develop and run TRIZ for Knowledge Managers and TRIZ for Sustainability.

Please reflect on your role

Coming from a non-engineering background I like to think I add the naivety and oblique approach needed to explore as diverse a range of solutions as possible. My priority is often to maximise engagement and collaboration at a level all the participants are comfortable with. I enjoy the wide breadth of problem solving workshops I have been involved with from food science, telescope design to resolving building/environmental issues.

Home and Hobbies

Caravanning. Music. Walking. Wildlife photography.

Likes

Real Ale. Stories. Bright colourful shirts with contrasting cuffs.

Dislikes

Jelly. Egg white. Over-engineered project plans.

Everyone at Oxford Creativity will always remember that...

I love my favourite training props - Talking sticks and Ting-she bells. Also, how I display my disapproval when a roomful of participants fail to identify ‘sustainability’ as an attribute for their ‘ideal car'!

Ron Donaldson

TRIZ Expert