About this site

I’m early in my exploration of conflict transformation. I’m using this site to blog about what I’m learning. I’m interested in how conflict transformation theory might apply to my work with leaders and teams in tech organizations (where my goal is to help leaders facilitate the constructive conflict their teams often avoid, and to transform the more destructive conflict that prevents them from doing their best work).

This site is about thinking out loud, connecting ideas, testing concepts against what I see in practice, and working through what I don’t yet understand.

About me

I’m currently an Enterprise Coach at Cisco, where I work with IT leaders on organizational transformation, value delivery, and the shift from hierarchical to facilitative leadership. I’ve spent 30 years in the tech industry working with software development teams and their leaders, helping organizations to improve their processes and how they work together.

While I was working on my Co-Active Coach certification between 2016 and 2018, I was introduced to the work of the Arbinger Institute, and their insight that people in conflict often unknowingly reinforce and perpetuate the very patterns they’re trying to escape. Using tools I learned from Arbinger, and helping people turn their destructive patterns into effective collaboration has been personally rewarding and has made me want to go deeper.

Bio

Rob Purdie has worked with software development teams and their leaders since 1995, started and led companies, founded and organized community groups, and led large-scale Agile transformation efforts. He is a trained ToP Facilitator, a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, a Certified Arbinger Facilitator, and a Certified Expert in Enterprise Coaching.