A radical idea, perhaps. It rests on the fact that nature in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe has repeatedly pushed me towards new ideas and changes of perspective, in places where another workshop in a meeting room would have changed nothing.
This is explicitly an experimental offering. I am first looking for people who want to come along to learn from nature. Then I will tailor the programme, its length and its focus to that group. Whoever joins early helps shape what it is about. The trip takes place mostly inside Kenyan conservancies or nature reserves, but also includes company visits. Similar concepts can be found in the established research field of biomimicry, even if we don’t necessarily apply its methods in a scientifically. What adds another layer is the mental side. Spending time in raw nature makes it easy to clear your mind and rethink digital HR from a fresh perspective: Learn from nature in nature.
Lead time
At least nine months for preparation, goal setting and logistics.
How booking works
What comes from me is the workshop itself: preparation, goal setting, planning, facilitation, group discussions, one-to-one sessions and debriefs.
The “travel agency part” – accommodation, transport and logistics – is booked through a specialised agency I work with. That keeps the travel side and the advisory side cleanly separated, and each party does what it does best.
Of course we will have experienced local guides with us in the wild, even though I have completed a certified field guide course in Kenya myself. Where possible, we will use “community-owned” conservancies rather than national parks – there is something to learn about cooperation there as well.
What we will encounter
The goals are individual – the themes that reliably show up in the savannah are not.
Focus & collaboration
Termites
A mound rises almost as if by magic, perfectly air-conditioned for fungus farming – with no electricity and no engineer, across generations. What does that mean for process design, sustainability and governance?
Diversity & experience
Elephants
Social structures in which the knowledge of older animals is essential for survival.
Young animals raised by the whole group. An image that fits organisations remarkably well.
Creativity & adaptation
Whistling thorn acacia
Defence through partnership rather than more thorns. Partnership through creating shared interests. Creative solutions rarely come from more of the same.
- Refresh in nature
- Leave the comfort zone
- Question the familiar
- Your own goals
- Observe nature
- Let inspiration in
- Bring ideas back
- Team discussion
- Develop solutions
Sample itinerary
Six to seven days, adaptable to the group. This is how it could look like:
- Preparation (in advance, remote or on site)Develop expectations and goals for each participant, agree shared goals, planning, ground rules, and “homework” to prepare.
- Day 1 · ArrivalArrive, finish the homework, get to know the group.
- Day 2 · RefreshWalking in nature and switching off. Actually leaving day-to-day business behind – that is part of the method, not a side programme.
- Days 3–5 · In the conservancyObserving nature from a safari vehicle or on foot, with debriefs in the group and one-to-one where useful.
Experiencing inspiration, questioning “knowledge”, reformulating goals, developing solutions. - Day 6 · Silicon SavannahDiscussion with entrepreneurs from Nairobi’s tech scene.
- Day 6 or 7 · Journey homeWith a result that connects back to your organisation.
Possible goals for participants
- Ideas for streamlining HR processes in your own organisation
- Planning a new HRIS implementation
- Completely rethinking a sub-optimal process map
- Sharpening your own advisory offering in HR IT – questioning entrenched methods
- A change of perspective when facing poor adoption
- Product design for solution providers
- Improving project management through streamlining
The themes we reliably meet along the way are always the same: focus on what matters, collaboration, adaptability, diversity and creativity.
Who accompanies the journey
I am a trained field guide (EcoTraining) and completed, among other things, the Open University course “Introduction to Rewilding” by Rewilding Europe. That helps me plan the journey, pick up the right observations, give context and translate it into the workshop.
Even so, I am not the one guiding: experienced local guides are with us in the wilderness, for safety, local knowledge and the quality of what we get to see. I concentrate on what follows from it for your digital HR.
What matters most to me, right after the safety of the group:
- Respectful treatment of nature: we are guests in the wildlife’s home
- “Leave nothing, take only memories!”
- No interference with natural processes
- Respectful interaction, as equals, with local people, and respect for the local culture.
- But once all of that is right, let’s also enjoy this unique nature together. That is when the inspiration comes too.
Interested? Get in touch, with no obligation.
I am collecting expressions of interest right now and tailoring the programme to the group. No contract, no commitment – just a conversation about what you would want to take away.
Pictures from the places we’ll work in
Photographs from the Maasai Mara, the Mara Conservancies, Enonkishu, Lewa, Ngare Ndare and the Aberdares. The exact shape of the trip is worked out with the group.
