About:

Dr David Naylor

I research, writes about and facilitate practical interventions to explore and mitigate the behaviours and work cultures that can silence individuals and teams. I have led projects at a senior level in the NHS and Civil Service. 

At The King’s Fund, I co-directed the Top Manager programme and led various senior leadership and board development projects. I previously worked for Tavistock Consulting and taught on the Tavistock’s doctorate programme in Consultancy.

Publications

Naylor, D. (2022) Speaking up in a culture of silence – how to change systems of bullying and incivility to safety and responsibility. Abingdon: Routledge.

Naylor, D., S. Woodward, S. Garrett and P. Boxer (2016). What do we need to do to keep people safer? Journal of Social Work Practice. Vol 30, (3).

Machell, S., Gough, P., Naylor, D., Nath, V., Steward, K. and William, S. (2010) Putting quality first in the boardroom: improving the business of caring. London: The King’s Fund.

Machell, S., Naylor. D & William, S. (2010) Dilemmas in bringing the ward to the board. Birmingham: NHS West Midlands.

Naylor, D. (2008) An investigation into how the public sector and community-based practitioners authorise constructively awkward interventions. Dprof thesis. Middlesex University [Online]. 

Available at: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6894/

Acknowledgements

I find it easier to talk about speaking up than write about. So, my biggest thanks go to Jo Compton – who read endless drafts, did the drawings; and was endlessly encouraging; to Vicky Wilson, who provided an expert editorial eye on an earlier text; and to Laura Georgewill who designed and built this website.

A big thanks to the people I interviewed for my DProf research. Particular thanks to Stafford Scott and Zrinka Bralo. Two of the bravest people I know. 

I am grateful to my old colleagues at The King’s Fund - Allsion Trimble, Mathew Rice, Mark Doughty, Mark Pattinson, Mandip Randhawa, Pippa Gough, Sue Machell and Bernie Brooks. 

Many of the ideas here belong to the brilliant Sign up to Safety Team: Suzette Woodward, Sarah Garrett, Cat Harrison, Dane Wiig, Owen Bennett, Anna Babic and Catherine Ede; and the many conversations with Margaret Ruddy, Philip Boxer and Sheila Damon about how to help people to speak up, to keep us all a bit safer. 

This work is dedicated to the late Barry Palmer. A fearless and kind person.