How We Work

At Campden Hill International, we engage our clients in a spirit of curiosity.  Every client interaction is unique and, from the beginning, we stay open to the possibilities it presents.

Generally speaking, the Campden Hill Method consists of the following phases:

Getting Started

Based on preliminary conversations with those closest to the situation, we:

• clarify a set of outcomes and objectives for our work together
• put forward a number of approaches for moving ahead
• suggest some guidelines for making choices

Discovery

During discovery, we sharpen our collective understanding of the current situation. To do this, we:

• interview members of the executive team and other key stakeholders to gather pertinent data
• get to know your team members in their roles and uncover their varying perspectives
• communicate what we learn to all team members so everyone shares the same story

Envisioning What Is Possible

Once we have a handle on the story, we begin building toward a desired future.  These conversations share two essential features:

• They are practical. They are grounded in the reality of your current situation.
• They are generative. They consider possibilities that may not have occurred to anyone previously.

Designing That Future

Here, you create the architecture for realizing what has been envisioned.  Working collaboratively, the key players establish decision criteria and apply those criteria to the alternatives that have been generated. We seek broad-based agreement for moving ahead.

Delivering on the Promise

Now we are ready for implementation. During this phase, we:

• clarify roles and responsibilities
• develop a communication plan
• begin executing strategies that bring you into alignment with what you envisioned

Sustainable change requires regular attention and an open, learning-oriented attitude. A small number of relevant measures makes it possible to adjust along the way.

Select Client List

Michael Ciszewski, Managing Partner

With the pace of life today, we often feel there isn’t time to do everything we need or want to do.  We feel a constant pressure to do more with less, to add one more activity to the schedule, and to perform at a higher level every day. This mindset leaves little time for the vital activities of reflection and learning.

I founded Campden Hill International in the belief that it’s essential for us to find ways to slow down and reflect – if only for a moment. When we make room for these times and spaces, we become capable of transforming ourselves and our work into something that is more integrated and connected.

True to my vision, Campden Hill International contributes to this type of transformation by helping teams develop the habit of reflective learning as a core capability for improving results or overcoming operational and strategic constraints.

Prior to creating Campden Hill International, I spent over 20 years on Wall Street and with international development organizations, where I energized teams in Continental and Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. I have served as head of Merrill Lynch’s Organization Integration practice and director of J.P. Morgan’s European Leadership and Organization Development Group, based in London. With this extensive international experience I have developed the ability to work in a variety of cultures and at all levels of an organization.

I hold a master’s degree in Organization Development from American University | NTL Institute. I am a member of the Organization Development Network in the US and Europe and the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, where I have also been on the Board of Directors. I am the Treasurer of The Lewin Center for Social Action, Social Change, and Social Justice. I serve on the faculties of the Georgetown University Certificate in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management and ODC Europe (NTL)’s Organisation Development Certificate Programme.

michael@campdenhillinternational.com

Christina Best, Senior Partner and Executive Coach

I have been coaching all my professional life, and so, after more than 30 years in Human Resources working in Financial Services, becoming a part of Campden Hill International (CHI) was the most sensible next step leaving my corporate career.  Coaching is an integral part of all the work done at CHI and indeed it was this mindset of making time for the vital activities of reflection and learning which drew me to the organization where I augment their executive and leadership coaching practice.

While responsible for Employee Engagement at Legg Mason Global Asset Management, I pursued a formal training program to become an accredited Executive Coach.  My past endeavours include being in charge of International Human Resources and developing a Talent Management function at Legg Mason; International HR and Learning and Development with JP Morgan, where I was also responsible for HR in Canada and EMEA. More recently, I was the Managing Director of HR for Europe and Asia in CIBC World Markets, working out of their London office.

I started my professional career in consulting working for the Boston Consulting Group and for Willis Towers Watson (then Towers Perrin), both in Toronto.

As an executive coach, I use a strength-based approach in working with clients to discover pathways to success. Building on years of experience in providing advice and counsel to leaders and senior executives, I am an astute listener.  I have worked extensively with leaders in transition where I have enjoyed considerable success. I understand the nature of complex organization systems and the impact these can have on goal achievement. My coaching style has been described as a balance of challenging and supportive.

I have an MBA from the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Business and a BA from the University of Ottawa. I am an Association for Coaching (AC) accredited coach and certified to provide Hogan Assessments.

christina@campdenhillinternational.com