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What does it take to build organizations that reflect our deepest values while driving meaningful change? In this episode of Next Economy Now, we speak with Simon Mont, founder of Harmonize Consulting, about what it really takes to build resilient, values-aligned organizations (and why engaging with conflict is often a necessary part of that process). Through his work with Harmonize, Simon helps teams bridge the gap between values, vision, and impact, supporting efforts from land transitions to reproductive justice and wealth redistribution.

Today, Simon shares practical insights into the invisible dynamics that often derail well-intentioned groups, from unresolved power patterns to the tension between structure and flow. With over a decade of experience, Simon explains how conflict, when met with skill and care, can become a powerful force for transformation. He offers a clear framework for building sustainable business practices, advancing regenerative economics, and fostering collective leadership. Along the way, you will hear real examples of how breakdowns can become breakthroughs in service of social impact.

Whether you are facing tension in your team, rethinking your approach to leadership, or working to align your organisation with its core values, this conversation offers grounded tools and reflections to guide the way.

Key Points From This Episode:

Why visionary groups often struggle to collaborate, even when values align. [0:03:01]
How Harmonize helps teams work, lead, and grow together toward shared purpose. [0:14:08]
Four core elements of collaboration: seeing, being, working, and growing together. [0:15:36]
Lessons from helping visionary teams recover from near-collapse and conflict. [0:21:09]
Balancing structure and flow: how it can disrupt or support group dynamics. [0:22:48]
How to deal with urgency and deadlines when doing in-depth group processes. [0:29:21]
Seeing conflict as fuel for growth and recognizing our own power to change. [0:33:05]
Honouring capacity differences and shifting who bears the burden of emotional labour. [0:38:39]
Upcoming courses by Harmonize: Creating Unshakable Organizations and Building Conflict Resilience Intensive. [0:46:55]
Conflict as a path to alignment, deeper connection, and systemic transformation. [0:50:07]

Quotes:

“The question of ‘How do we be together in groups and share a purpose?’ and ‘How do we organize ourselves?’ is a perennial question that all of humanity has faced for as long as we are aware that there has been a humanity.” — Simon Mont [0:08:27]

“Most of us learned how to be a member of an organization inside of the frameworks that we're trying to transcend.” — Simon Mont [0:10:49]

“The issue is we need a structure that helps our individual flow. Structure isn't bad. We just come from a historical experience where most of our structures have inhibited flow, and instead, what we need to do [is] create structures that allow flow.” — Simon Mont [0:25:48]

“The boundaries that a person creates for themselves in terms of what kind of stuff they're willing to deal with, and what they're willing to be in relationship with and in intimacy with, those are really valid.” — Simon Mont [0:40:33]

“At the fault line of an earthquake, it feels like it's destruction. Stay there long enough it becomes a mountain. And I think that's a little bit about how conflict works.” — Simon Mont [0:50:26]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Simon Mont on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mont-a8b442104/

Harmonize Consulting — https://harmonize.work/

Creating Unshakable Organizations — https://harmonize.work/creating-unshakeable-organizations/

Building Conflict Resilience Intensive — https://harmonize.work/conflict-resilience/

Phoenix Soleil — https://www.phoenixsoleil.com/

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