We help organisations find a way forward.
We are Goose&Raven
Sometimes there is no obvious answer. People see or want different things, choices aren’t straightforward, and it can be hard to know what to do next.
Goose and Raven helps organisations make sense of the mess, work out what matters, and find a practical way forward.
Good change doesn’t come from an expert arriving with a perfect plan. It starts with understanding what’s really going on and involving the people who know the organisation, the work, and the challenge.
That's why we start by listening.
Our role is to bring a fresh perspective, ask good questions and help turn what we hear into clearer choices and practical action.
That might mean turning a strategy into something that can actually happen, helping people through a restructure or transition, getting an important conversation unstuck, making a difficult decision, or simply working out what to do next.
How we can help
Making sense of what’s complicated, so you can decide what comes next.
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Need to figure out where to next?
When the path forward isn't clear, we help organisations make sense of complexity, identify what matters most, and make confident decisions.
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Want to get people thinking differently?
We design and facilitate sessions that use curiosity, creativity and sometimes play to help groups explore ideas, make connections and get somewhere useful together.
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Is the way you work getting in the way?
We help organisations align people, structures and ways of working so they can work better together and deliver what matters.
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Know something needs to change?
We help organisations navigate uncertainty, bring people with them, and turn good intentions into meaningful action.
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Working on something that affects lots of people?
We help organisations identify who needs to be involved, create meaningful ways for people to contribute, and bring different perspectives into the work.
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Just don't know what the HONK to do? Some challenges don't have obvious answers. We help organisations untangle complex issues, explore options, and find practical ways forward.
About us
Why Goose & Raven?
The Raven has a literal bird's-eye view of what's going on below. It sees patterns, possibilities, and what others might miss. It reminds us that perspective matters and that sometimes the most important thing isn't finding the answer, but asking a different question.
The Goose has its feet firmly on the ground. It experiences the world up close, navigating all the messiness and unpredictability that comes with it. It reminds us that organisations aren't machines, they're made up of people in all their glorious humanity.
Good decisions come from combining ideas with reality, wisdom with action, and strategy with the people who bring it to life. Goose & Raven helps organisations work across both: seeing the bigger picture while staying firmly grounded in what it will take to make change happen.
What we believe
Complex challenges deserve curiosity, not certainty.
The people closest to a challenge should be part of the solution.
Change doesn't just get managed. It gets lived.
Good ideas can come from anywhere (but they have to work in the real world).
Relationships take time. They're worth it.
Humour can help humans do difficult things.
How we work
We work in the space between knowing something needs to change and knowing exactly what to do about it.
We work alongside you, drawing on the knowledge and experience already in the room while bringing an outside perspective. We'll ask questions, challenge assumptions and say what we see.
We take the work seriously, but that doesn't mean the process has to be serious. Curiosity, creativity, humour and sometimes play can help people think differently, particularly when the usual ways of working aren't getting anywhere.
We don't start with a predetermined methodology. We use what fits the situation, experiment when that's useful, and stay practical enough that good thinking turns into something people can actually do
Our Head Goose and/or Raven
Who is Goose and Raven?
Debs McSmith
I’ve spent more than 20 years helping organisations, communities, leaders and teams navigate complexity, make difficult decisions and adapt to change.
I’m almost pathologically curious, especially about how organisations work, why people get stuck and what helps them find a way. I’m interested in the assumptions and dynamics shaping what happens, whose knowledge gets valued, and what we might see differently if we approached a problem from another angle.
Goose & Raven reflects how I work: big-picture thinking with a firm grip on reality. I ask good questions, connect ideas, spot patterns and enjoy finding different ways into problems when the obvious approach isn’t getting us anywhere.
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My experience spans central and local government, arts and cultural development, and community and non-profit organisations. I’ve worked across strategy, investment, stakeholder engagement, partnership and programme delivery, including with Māori organisations and in contexts where Te Tiriti relationships matter.
Along the way, I’ve led teams, built partnerships, designed frameworks, helped groups think together and turned big ideas into things that can work in practice.
I’m also a big believer in “having a guy”. Nobody knows everything, so I bring in other people when their expertise or perspective will make the work better. Usually, much of the knowledge needed already exists somewhere in the room. My job is to help uncover it, make sense of it and turn it into something useful.
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PROSCI Change Practitioner certified
Partnership Brokers Association trained
Graduate Certificate in Applied Management
NZ Certificate in Project Management
NZ Certificate in Māori Business & Tikanga
Post Graduate Certificate in Management
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Tell me what you're working on
Whether you're facing a challenge, exploring an opportunity, or simply trying to work out what comes next, we'd love to hear from you.
Supported rates
We reserve a small number of days each year at supported rates for Māori-led and kaupapa wāhine organisations, and for community and not-for-profit organisations where cost might otherwise be a barrier.