“Hello.
I'm Charlotte Downie”
We show managers how to think differently
It’s a real shift in mindset for someone managing a team for the first time. We help managers recognise that before they can successfully manage others, they must first understand their own strengths and weaknesses.
We work on their skills (the way they communicate, for example) and their mindset (learning how to look at things differently). We also work on how to avoid autopilot and become intentional, which helps them handle situations more skilfully to get the best outcome.
Our popular 'ready-to-go' management programme
This is the perfect introductory course for new managers and gives them a good foundation, which they can then go away and build on. Split into six modules, it’s usually delivered as six half-day sessions spread over several weeks.
Topics include areas like managing yourself, managing teams and dealing with difficult conversations. Many of our clients return to run this course time and again as new managers come through the ranks.
Looking for something a little more ‘bespoke’?
You may have a very clear idea of the kind of management course you want to create, but perhaps need a little help getting it off the ground. We’re very experienced at taking your brief and creating a programme unique to a particular situation.
We can either create content for you, use yours, or combine a mixture of both. Sessions can be planned to fit in with whatever schedule works for you.
What do we cover?
Examples of the type of things we can cover include the following (but talk to us if you want something you don’t see on this list!)
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Personality Preference
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Agile Management
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Effective Delegation
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Difficult Conversations
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Communicating with Impact
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Performance Management
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Manager as Coach
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High Performing Teams
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Strategic Thinking
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Developing the next generation
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Inclusive Leadership
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Resilient Leadership
“Becoming is better than being.”
Carol Dweck, American Psychologist
Onsites & Offsites
Let us take the load off you, by planning and facilitating your offsites so you get the most out of them.
Offsites (or onsites if you’re doing it in the office) are a chance for leadership teams to regroup and reassess, but they’re not cheap to organise and take a lot of work to do properly. Investing in professional help can save you time and money in the long run.
The main reason offsites don’t always work
Without some structure and a trained facilitator, an offsite can easily become derailed and lose focus. People can get distracted by unimportant things, disagreements can lead to stalemate, the same people dominate the discussions (alienating others) and the outcome is often unclear or not properly agreed upon. In short, an offsite left to its own devices may not achieve what you want it to.
What makes a successful offsite?
A successful offsite needs someone objective to take the helm and steer the boat. As trained facilitators we will ensure that the purpose of the day is kept front of mind, and that the sessions are planned, focused and achieve the best outcome.
An impartial facilitator can make a big difference
Because we’re independent from your company, we find it easy to be objective at an offsite and can often bring a new perspective to the table. Our impartiality means we’re able to navigate the office politics that inevitably exist and allows us to challenge people if necessary.
We help at offsites by:
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Assisting with the preparation (which saves you time)
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Establishing the desired outcomes and making these the focus of the day
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Keeping everyone on track with the agenda, so time doesn’t run out
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Ensuring everyone is heard (not just those who talk loudest)
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Intervening when people disagree, to help move things forward
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Asking difficult questions no one else is comfortable voicing
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Pushing for clear actions that each person can take back to the office
The benefits of using us
We bring more to an offsite than just facilitation. We can share the latest thinking around leadership and personal development, which means your team also benefits from learning something new. We can also discuss what we notice about group interactions and how team dynamics might be improved. Because we know how high performing teams behave, we’ve got a ‘best practice’ model to compare them with.
Giving you the best results
We’ll make sure your team returns to work invigorated, on track and with a list of clear actions to move things forward.