[A necessary preamble]
After a caterpillar is a caterpillar, and before it becomes a butterfly, it’s mush. Literally. There’s a cocoon of course, but an incredible transformation is occurring inside that cocoon: the caterpillar carefully and intentionally abandons itself in order to become something new. It inhabits a liminal space between order and chaos, one it moves through at its own pace. Depending on the species, this transformation might take a few days, several weeks, or as long as a year. The mush is in no rush. Human cultures aren’t particularly good at dealing with this kind of liminal space – especially in our age of hyper-optimisation and productivity. Rather than sit in between, in the mush, we much prefer the certainty of progress and linearity. We’d rather charge ahead than take the time required to undergo a more meaningful transformation. But complexity takes time to navigate. And it’s well worth taking the time. Just ask the butterfly.
What is Mush Consulting?
Mush Consulting is me, Simon Fieldhouse (or Simon Fieldhouse MBA GAICD if you’re acronym-inclined). I am a facilitator, a coach, guide and a fan of complexity and all that comes with it. I help individuals and organisations navigate complex transformations with compassion, courage and curiosity – three words I’d like to hear more of in the boardrooms and corridors of corporate Australia.
I have spent over 20 years working for some of Australia’s largest corporations. During that time, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the unnecessary barriers that prevent good organisations from becoming great. I’ve witnessed firsthand the limits of some of the prevailing systems, and I have now dedicated my life (at least the bits between 9am-5pm) to helping leaders and teams reimagine and redefine those limits.
By adopting a holistic lens that draws on ecological systems thinking, Buddhist philosophy, adult development theory and my own lived experience, I help teams work through their context – both known and unknown – to become more alive, deeply connected with themselves and others.
The seeds of Mush were planted long before I registered the business name. As a child, I would run neighbourhood ‘schools’ with local kids and host radio shows over the intercom system in my house (much to mum’s enjoyment in the kitchen). Even then I was obsessed with this idea of bringing people together. I didn’t know it at the time, but these childhood experiences were hinting at a deeper calling: to create spaces in which people can connect and communicate authentically in service of mutual learning.
My work with Mush doesn’t involve pre-packaged solutions. It starts with listening to my clients and understanding their challenges. I don’t present myself as the expert, but I have a wealth of knowledge, tools and approaches that help me guide individual and collective transformation. Most importantly, I have the experience and humility to help teams integrate that knowledge and learn how to navigate their challenges and complexities themselves.
The Mush philosophy is built on the idea that our clients are the true agents of evolution, and I’ll help you sit in the Mush until you’re ready to unlock that movement.
How does it work?
While every engagement varies based on need, one thing is consistent: I’ll always suggest the approaches, content and formats I believe will enable the highest possibility for you or your team.
Whether working with a national supermarket chain, a telco, an energy company or a purpose-driven nonprofit, my approach adapts to the context and interrupts old patterns to allow new thinking to emerge. A session might involve strategy, scanning your context, communing through Lego play, meditation, nature walks, a conversation around a campfire, music, or none of those things. Whatever route we take, the destination is always the same: emotionally regulated people and teams, broader perceptions, clearer communication and increased individual agency.
I’ve experienced plenty of challenging and sacred conversations through my work. In my time with teams in which difficulties have emerged – infighting, egos, conflict of all kinds – I have helped work through those difficulties in a way that allows things to grow. Our time together is not about achieving a perfect or pre-determined outcome. We are working with possibility and movement – and in doing so embracing the transformational potential of uncertainty. It is our moment to let the new in; to find a glitch in the matrix.
Who is Mush Consulting for?
We are for seekers: C-suites, executives, founders, teams and individuals who recognise they’re at the edge of their ability to see and react to their context. They’re feeling the limits, and they’re experiencing enough curiosity or discomfort that they need a circuit breaker. Mush clients are willing to interrupt traditional patterns and ways of working, explore new perspectives and invest in collective and personal growth.