📆 21 June and 22 November 2024

The Power of Pause: Thinking together to navigate complexity

Navigating VUCA in workplaces: Experiential learning for greater insight and practical knowledge

Learn by Doing: Transforming insight into impactful action for navigating complexity in organisations

Choose the acronym that best captures your workplace experience: VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), RUPT (rapid unpredictable, paradoxical and tangled, BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible). Modern work can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. In an era of constant change and connectivity, the importance of reflective practices has never been more apparent for navigating complexity. The turbulence of technical and economic, social, and political dynamics pushes modern workplace endeavors into unpredictable territory. In this environment, pausing to recalibrate emerges as both a sanctuary for sanity and a profoundly effective strategy. ‘The Power of Pause: Thinking together to navigate complexity’ is an immersive workshop where we practice creating the space to consider ‘what is really going on – ‘thoughtful inaction’’. This insight generating experience helps you clarify what is needed next.

At the completion of this full-day workshop you will:

• Understand the value of strategically pausing, creating space for thoughtful consideration of complex workplace challenges and opportunities.
• Recognise the range of settings in which pausing to reflect can be effective in recalibrating, and informing effective decision-making in complex situations
• Be skilled in diverse reflective practices, including somatic awareness, role drawing, active listening, and free association,
• Have a strategy for applying the power of pausing in workplace routines.

 ‘We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.’
John Dewey, American pragmatist philosopher

What’s included in this full-day workshop?

➣ The workshop includes a series of experiential learning exercises for participants to experience the ‘power of pause’, at the levels of the individual, in pairs, and groups and to consider wider contextual issues. This is a chance to practice using different approaches including somatic awareness, role drawing, active listening and free association to help make sense both of the ‘here and now’ experiences of the workshop, and apply them to ‘real life’ workplace dilemmas.

➣ A short seminar on the ‘Transforming Experience Framework’ (developed by the Grubb Institute, Long, 2016) is a useful reference point for considering different domains of influence on organisational roles and associated dynamics. We spend time reviewing how the practices can be built into back-at-work routines, so participants leave with strategies for navigating complexity using powerful pauses.

Who should attend this immersive workshop?

Leaders who aspire to navigate complexity with more ease

‘The Power of Pause’ is for leaders and managers who aspire to thoughtfully navigate the complexity of the modern workplace, those who seek a deeper understanding of unfolding situations, enabling informed responses rather than impulsive reactions. Join us for an immersive day of learning to support your leadership development, exploring strategic approaches to combatting overwhelm and skillfully navigating complexity.

References

Long, S. (2016) The Transforming Experience Framework, Karnac, London

📆 16 February and 19 July 2024

Creating a Culture of Psychological Safety:
Strategies for building trust and resilience

Learn by Doing: Transforming Insight into Impactful Action for psychological safety

The pandemic underscored a fundamental truth: trust and resilience form the bedrock upon which teams either falter or flourish in high-pressure work environments. Leaders adept at fostering open communication, encouraging vulnerability, embracing risk-taking, and valuing diverse perspectives cultivate teams that not only endure but actively support each other. In the face of the intricate challenges defining modern work life, such teams not only survive but thrive, weathering overwhelming pressures that can otherwise stifle productivity and innovation. This workshop is designed to help you enhance your ability to nurture psychological safety within your team, creating an environment of trust where innovation thrives, challenges are met with resilience, and collective success is the norm.

At the completion of this full-day workshop you will have:

• the ability to identify key elements contributing to psychological safety and assess its current state in their teams.
• valuable insights into the practical and emotional aspects of team interaction that either contribute to or hinder a culture of psychological safety.
• an understanding of theoretical frameworks for fostering trust and resilience in work environments.
• actionable psychological safety strategies for translating workshop learnings into elevated levels of trust and resilience in their teams.

What’s included in this full-day workshop?

➣ A facilitated discussion exploring the elements of psychological safety and why it is important leads to a diagnostic exercise for participants to identify the current state of psychological safety in their teams.

➣ Participating in experiential learning through a temporary team exercise offers valuable insights into both the practical and emotional dimensions of collaboration, shedding light on behaviours that may hinder or foster a culture of psychological safety.

➣ A seminar on the theory and practical application of Winnicott’s (1971) concept of the ‘holding environment’ and Hirschhorn and Gilmore’s (1992) ‘managing the boundaries that matter’ for cultivating work environments in which trust and resilience can thrive.

➣ Dedicated time to review how the workshop learning can be applied to address identified team issues allowing participants to leave with practical strategies for taking their team’s psychological safety to new levels.

Who should attend this immersive workshop?

‘Cultivating Psychological Safety: Strategies for building trust and resilience,’ is tailored for leaders seeking to enhance team dynamics and well-being. Whether you oversee people or operations, if you value practical frameworks and hands-on learning to deepen your understanding of psychological safety, this workshop is designed for you. Walk away with actionable strategies to nurture trust, navigate team interactions, and create environments where your team thrives.

Join this immersive one-day leadership development workshop to unlock your leadership potential, address team challenges, and navigate the intricacies of building a resilient and trusting work culture. Embrace this opportunity to excel as a leader, making a lasting impact on your team and contributing to a psychologically safe and innovative workplace.

References

Winnicott, D.W., (1971) Playing and Reality, Tavistock Publications, London
Hirschhorn, L. & Gilmore, T. (1992) ‘The new boundaries of the boundaryless company’, Harvard Business Review, Vol 70 (3) p.104