In all organisations, at some time or other communications will be an area that requires some care and attention. From mission statements to promotional literature, do you ever hear colleagues say “that’s all very well but it’s not really like that around here”? Is there ever a sense of frustration at the mixed internal messages you hear from time to time? Do you sometimes just wish that people would really hear or understand what you mean? And do the teams around you sometimes struggle to convey authentically what’s really going on? Often ‘communications’ can be used as an umbrella term for a whole host of symptoms and blocks in an organisation. So identifying the underlying nature of the issue is an important first step. If language can work as a bridge as well as a barrier, then communications is also about finding ways of connecting with others, celebrating the best of what is and enjoying the learning and achievements that you share.

Feedback skills One of the most valuable – and often under-used – assets in any organisation is feedback. Learning, growth and change are all reliant on feedback in its many guises – informal conversations, arguments, formal assessment projects, knowledge management consultations, cultural surveys, performance appraisals . . . feedback is always there for the taking. Trouble is, it’s very easy to approach in a way that does more harm than good. How do you give feedback as a gift? How do you receive it with open arms? When you’ve got it, how do you know what to do with it? What do you do when you are forced to give it or receive it and you don’t want to? And what are the organisational implications of feedback? Approaches   • One-to-one skills coaching   • One-to-one personal development mentoring   • Group skills training   • Design and facilitation of live feedback sessions   • 360° appraisal (paperless dialogue)   • 360° appraisal (Herrmann Whole Brain Instrument© thinking tool)   • Diagnostic consultations (cross-organisational) and process design   • Action learning group facilitation To explore any of these further, please contact me. Thinking styles We each have a preference for how we like to communicate and be communicated with. For some, it’s the facts and figures that will get them on the edge of their seats. For others, it’s the emotional depth that will matter most. And for others, communication that appeals to the senses will make the greatest impact. Do you know what your own particular style is? What about your colleagues? And how can you identify the cultural style of communications in your organisation or business? One of the most powerful ways of developing effective communications is to understand the nature of thinking preferences, using the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (more affectionately known as the Whole Brain Model). Approaches   • Individual and team profiling   • Introductory workshop to the Whole Brain Model   • Group facilitation in working with the Model   • Coaching in Whole Brain communications To explore any of these further, please contact me. Communications health check We communicate with one another on many levels and often with varying degrees of clarity and impact. Many factors will shape and influence the results we create – for example the nature of the relationships and dynamics involved, our motivation and intent, and the degree to which we feel comfortable working at the level of feelings. How would you characterise the quality and impact of communications in your organisation? To what degree are communications healthy and constructive? What is the nature and tone of the language that is most commonly heard? Approaches   • Diagnostic consultations (cross-organisational) and process design   • Training, coaching and mentoring in empathic listening and communications   • External and Internal Literature review To explore any of these further, please contact me.