ABOUT US

We provide highly motivating and inspiring leadership training and personal development programmes, tailored to your business and individual needs. We have a passion to assist others in their personal development and to help individuals and organisations grow and sustain change, allowing them to connect with their staff and customers in a real and effective way.

We combine a diverse range of learning styles and mediums with experience of over 20 years working for one of the largest international retailers within the UK. Our aim is to provide affordable coaching, development, and leadership programmes to organisations, groups and individuals that empower people to take full ownership of their learning, enabling them to better look after themselves and/or their customers.

Whether you are looking for a one-off lunchtime session or a programme to deliver cultural change, we can help. We have a wide range of programmes and workshops to help you manage change, build an effective team, improve communication, build morale and improve customer service and more!

Thursday 27 October 2011

Competition Time!!

We are running a social media competition for a free place to our Delivering Impressive Presentations Workshop on the 10th of November 2011.  This Workshop is being run in conjunction with Saint Francis Hospice, Havering-atte-bower and a % of the workshop fee will directly benefit the hospice.  We are hoping that the competition will generate new Twitter followers and Facebook likes to raise awareness of the fantastic work the Hospice does with-in our community and the EVENT'S they have up and coming to raise money to continue to touch the lives of so many.

To enter the competition please:

Twitter: Tweet the link to this blog via the Twitter button at the end of this post. Include @SFHUK and @PCCTweets in ur tweet and follow both accounts.

Facebook: Share the link to this blog via Facebook button at the end of this post.  Like both Positive Change and Saint Francis Hospice Fanpage and tag us both in ur post.

If you are not  our lucky winner but feel this workshop would benefit you can now book a place and get a place free via the Saint Francis Website.  Please help us to raise as much money as possible for the Hospice.

Here is a little more about the workshop you could win a place to !! Good luck and winners will be announced on Monday 31st.  

Delivering Impressive Presentations

We are delighted to offer this wonderful study day held at Saint Francis Hospice Pepperell Education Centre, Havering-atte-bower.
The one day course is aimed at those involved in teaching groups, facilitation of groups and presenting at meetings.  Attending this study day will give you a transferable set of skills allowing you to present confidently to a group.

Content includes:
·       Understanding different learning styles
·       Improving your self-belief
·       Discovering your potential
·       Preparing, presenting, and perfecting your presentation and overcoming your nerves!

Cost: £75.00 per delegate and a % of the course cost will directy benefit the hospice.  Currently book a place get one FREE.
Date: 10th Of November 2011
For more information you contact us on SFH@positivechangeconsutancy.com or book directy with SFH.

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Quote of the Week In Honor of Beast Cancer Awareness Month

'Having had cancer, one important thing to know is you're still the same person at the end. You're stripped down to near zero. But most people come out the other end feeling more like themselves than ever before'

~ Kylie Minogue



"Diagnosed with early stage cancer at the age of 36, it was inconceivable to think that Australia’s most famous and endearing daughter has been struck down with the disease. After a lumpectomy and a partial mastectomy, Kylie underwent a gruelling six-month course of chemotherapy in Paris where she withdrew into her own private world to cope with her illness. A pale and gaunt figure, the treatment took its toll. She dug deep, fought her battle and won. Her dignity and strength made her a source of inspiration to all breast cancer sufferers the world over. Kylie’s recovery is remarkable and she has had a hugely beneficial effect raising awareness of breast cancer and focussing women’s attention on their own health and well being. An Australian study found that thanks to the media coverage of Kylie’s encounter with breast cancer, the number of women booking themselves in for breast screenings increased 20-fold. It is hoped that this will reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease. For the best chance of recovery, it is vital to catch breast cancer in its early stages. Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October brings home to all of us the ordeal breast cancer sufferers go through and Kylie’s diagnosis has helped to highlight the issues that ordinary people have to deal with and the horror that is the disease. Kylie has words of encouragement to everyone who is going through the trauma of treatment; “I love to say you can get through it. You can.”


Article taken from the Pink Ribbon Foundation Survivor Stories.

Thursday 29 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 7: Be There For Others

Sorry for the delay in posting our final tip from Michele Paradise on boosting your presentations but it has been sitting in the drafts section and didn't get published!  I'm sure it was a computer glitch and not just a blonde moment by me (Lucy)!!

Tip No. 7 is Be There for Others!!  Michele makes the final point that you are on stage for your audience and not for yourself.  Although this is true we think that you should acknowledge your achievements and give yourself a pat on the back for standing up with confidence and delivering an impressive presentation!!


TIP 7 - BE THERE FOR OTHERS

'Tying all of these skills together takes us to a single, final point. It’s this:

Remember: You are getting up there on that stage for your audience and not for yourself.  When you combine together the skills and techniques I have shown you here'  'then you will give them the great experience both they - and you - deserve!'

And at the end of the day, that’s what you’re doing it all for!'


If you have enjoyed these tips and would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.  If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.



If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:


Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2:  Set Your Goals Clearly
Tip 3: Be Flexible
Tip 4: Use Engaging Language
Tip 5: Get Anchoring
Tip 6: Awareness of Movement

Tuesday 20 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 6: Awareness of Movement

Tip No. 6 of Michele Paradise's 7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentations is Awareness Of Movement.

TIP 6 - AWARENESS OF MOVEMENT

'One of the most distracting things a speaker can do is to continually fidget and move on the stage.  



It often gives the audience a sense that the speaker is uncomfortable and in some way “out of control”.

Knowing how to stand, how to hold the microphone and have great posture to speak to your audience confidently will make a great initial impression before you even open your mouth.

These skills can be learned, and having a “critical friend” to give useful advice can really move things along.

Oh - yes, I just remembered something else!

A very simple tip to go hand-in-hand with your posture, is to decide which hand you are going to hold your microphone in.

Using your non-dominant hand may feel alien or uncomfortable... but at the same time, it frees your dominant hand to gesture and to handle notes and props - without all that kafuffle that comes with swapping from one hand to the other.'



In our Delivering Impressive Presentations workshop on the 10th of November we will be working with delegates to help them become more self-aware.

We will be sharing Michele's last tip Be There for Others with you tomorrow.  If you have enjoyed these tips and would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.  If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.


If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:


Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2:  Set Your Goals Clearly
Tip 3: Be Flexible
Tip 4: Use Engaging Language

Tip 5: Get Anchoring

Friday 16 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 5: Get Anchoring

Day number five of our 7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentations by Michele Paradise is Get Anchoring.  Anchoring is a classic NLP training technique and something that we teach you in our Delivering Impressive Presentations workshop.  We are lucky that one of our founding partners is a fully qualified NLP practitioner.

TIP 5 - GET ANCHORING

Michele explains that anchoring is essentially 'a way of associating a particular emotion in your audience with a particular gesture that you make, with a facial expression you pull, with a prop you use, or with a particular location on your stage.

You can see anchoring used by comedians who only have to walk on stage to get a laugh. The audience already associates that person with laughter, and this makes it easier for the comedian to pull laughs out of the crowd. Their face, their movements, maybe even their name is an “anchor”.

In the same way you can associate particular stories with particular parts of the stage, so that when you stand in those places or give specific gestures, the audience is already primed to respond to you with a certain emotion.

You might for example, take up one part of stage to tell a whole series of positive stories in which people get what they want from life. And then you might go back to that part of the stage to talk about the benefits of a product you are promoting. The emotion is already unconsciously primed.

There are many different ways to make spatial anchoring work to your advantage - so being aware of your gestures and your postures when moving through different parts of your presentation, as well as your location on stage, will make for your message getting across with far more power.'



In our workshop we use anchoring in a different way to help you to feel more confident during your presentation and whenever you find yourself having to speak in public.

Remember we will be sharing the rest of Michele's top tips with you over the next 2 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Look out for Tip Six - Awareness of Movement tomorrow!!  If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.


If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:


Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2:  Set Your Goals Clearly
Tip 3: Be Flexible
Tip 4: Use Engaging Language

Thursday 15 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 4: Use Engaging Language

Today's top tip from Michele Paradise is Use Engaging Language which is very important to get your audience captivated, but we feel it is also just as important not to use jargon to alienate your audience.

TIP 4: USE ENGAGING LANGUAGE

'It’s important that you speak to anyone whose attention you want to hold in ways that will grab them. Which means focusing on your language to make yourself heard.

One of the effects of using engaging language with an audience is to brighten up what you are saying with strong metaphors rather than technical terms.

You can often see people glaze over when there’s too much technical detail in a talk, because the speaker has misjudged how much in-depth knowledge the audience wants.'


We feel it is also important to consider that in a mixed group of people their knowledge of the subject matter may vary so using technical jargon can result in the loss of interest from some members of the audience and can result in having to give explanations to areas of your presentation in your allocated question and answers time.  You can also feel you are repeating yourself as the presenter, which can be very frustrating.

Michele goes on to say that 'there is something else you can do with your words to keep people listening: make sure you are using language that appeals to all the senses.

If you focus on only using “visual-style” words in your sentences, then people with a good visual imagination will clearly get the picture - but others who are more “touchy feely” won’t grasp what you’re putting across - and there may well be murmurs of discontent from those who think mainly in sounds.

There is a whole art to using language that engages all the senses. Once you get on the SCENT of how to do it, you’ll be able to PEPPER your sentences with words that give people a FIRM GRASP of your words, and make your message come through LOUD and CLEAR...'


Remember we will be sharing the rest of Michele's top tips with you over the next 3 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Look out for Tip Five - Get Anchoring tomorrow!!  Chris will be teaching Anchoring in our Delivering Impressive Presentations Workshop on the 10th of November 2011. If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.


If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:


Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2:  Set Your Goals Clearly
Tip 3: Be Flexible

Wednesday 14 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 3: Be Flexible

Be flexible is Michele's top tip no.3 and we couldn't agree more!!  Although it is important for presentations to be planned and structured it is also a really good idea to build in a bit of breathing space with timings, so if you need to be flexible you can.

TIP 3: BE FLEXIBLE


Michele says: 'You can plan to be flexible.

But why do you need to be flexible? Can’t you just deliver that well-honed, densely-typed script you prepared? Wouldn’t it be best to just get it over and done with, and get off the stage?'

We think NO. Most of us can't predict the future and will not be able to tell if our audience will be a bit sleepy after lunch, if there will be an impatient individual in our midst's or a million other if's!! It is always best if we are prepared to be flexible in both our timing and delivery style to more effectively hold the attention of our audience. As trained coach's our facilitators have a great perception of emotional state and often react to this and make adjustments in their delivery style and content to deal with shifts in emotional states. Michele points out in her article 'Designing flexibility into your behavior is absolutely key'.

Equally important to flexibility she say's is keeping your eyes and ears open and this is something we talk about in our presentations skills workshops. As Michele says 'You don’t know to be flexible if you don’t know what’s going on with your audience. Sensory acuity is one of the most important things you will need as a speaker and / or communicator in any context. You need to learn to look for the tell-tale signs. Is your audience glazed over? Are they looking nervy? distracted? Texting on their mobiles?

Building flexible strategies for each of these, and other scenarios, will give you mastery of the room!'

If you attend our 
 Delivering Impressive Presentations study day at Saint Francis Hospice we will give you essential skills in preparing, presenting and perfecting you presentations and teach you way's to keep your audience captivated.



Remember we will be sharing the rest of Michele's top tips with you over the next 4 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Look out for Tip Four - Use Engaging Language tomorrow!! If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.


If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:


Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2:  Set Your Goals Clearly

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Quote of the Week - Fear

This week we are focusing on tips to boost presentations and/or public speaking, so we thought we would look for a quote from someone we consider to be an iconic public speaker Oprah Winfrey.  We have talked about how we can convince ourselves we are going to fail and how fear effects our breathing in Top Tip No.1 so this quote is very relevent!

'Whatever you fear most has no power - it is your fear that has the power.'
~ Oprah Winfrey

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 2: Set Your Goals Clearly

We hope you all enjoyed reading Michele Paradise's Top Tip No. 1 Getting In Control of your Emotional State yesterday for boosting your presentations here is her 2nd tip from her article in NLP Life:

TIP 2 - SET YOUR GOALS CLEARLY


Michele says:

'Before you make your presentation, or go to your meeting ask yourself: what are you hoping to achieve?  Be clear to yourself about your objectives - and REMEMBER - one of the most important objectives is to keep the interest of the people you are with.

One way to do this is to consider the material you are about to deliver, and imagine yourself “in the shoes” of your audience. Disassociate from any little dramas your may be having about making your presentation, and in a detached way, see yourself up on stage.

Is the way you are delivering the talk interesting? Are you varying pacing? Are you throwing in a smattering of jokes?

Learn from this, and work out what you can add or take away from the talk.

There are lots of different techniques that you can add to the mix to keep your audience interested.


For example, there are ways of structuring presentations and meetings that will absolutely keep your audience completely absorbed and wondering what’s coming next.

Here are three things you might build into the structure of your talk:
1. You can add “hooks” to the beginning of a talk that surprise and confuse your audience, maintaining their sense of curiosity throughout.
2. You can illustrate with stories that really engage the audience’s sense of wonder and delight.
3. And you can use audience participation and give them exercises to do.

These are just some of the extras that you can add to your presentation to make it fly. There are plenty more - but I’m sure these will give you food for thought!'



In our workshops we use a variety of different training methods to keep our delegates (audience) interested such as experiential learning.  In our Delivering Impressive Presentations study day at Saint Francis Hospice we will help you understand different learning styles so you can tailor your presentation or speech to your audience to keep them interested.


Remember we will be sharing the rest of Michele's top tips with you over the next 5 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Look out for Tip Three - Be Flexible tomorrow!! If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.  

Monday 12 September 2011

7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentation - Tip 1: Getting in Control of Your Emotional State

We have started advertising our Delivering Impressive Presentations workshop on the 10th of November and as if by magic NLP life sent us a really great article on 7 Top Tips to Boost Your Presentations by Michele Paradise which mirrors some of the skills and techniques included in our workshop. We thought we would share Michele's top tips with you over the next 6 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.

TIP 1 - GETTING IN CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE!

Michele say's that many people 'make themselves feel uncomfortable about the presentation they’re about to give: They convince themselves they’re going to have a terrifying time!'. Her and our advice is to 'Get your inner mind on side, not working against you'.

There are numerous techniques for taking charge of your emotional state. One of the simplest ways to do this is through controlled breathing. Michele describes this as 'Breathing For Calm'. As this is not the natural way most people breathe it is best to practice this technique in an unstressed state.

Michele says's 'Here’s what you do:

Pay attention to the area just behind your belly button, and notice that when you breathe you can take a really deep breath by pushing the muscle that is right down there outwards. Focus on that part of your body when you breathe, and in a relaxed way, prevent your rib-cage from swinging upwards and outwards.

It might take you a few moments to master the knack of finding that diaphragm muscle, but when you do,focus on it. Imagine that you are inflating a ball right at the bottom of your lungs, or in your stomach every time you breathe in. Set your imagination running, and your body will follow.


Now go a step further, really take a deep breath from the diaphragm. Inhale it steadily and slowly, and once it’s all in, hold it and count slowly to five.

Then exhale slowly, pushing all the air out, and go again, repeating the cycle three times.'

Through controlling our breathing and using this technique it has a calming effect on both our body and our mind.  'Because you have taken your attention away from the things that were going on in your head, your mind has stopped “whirling” with terrible thoughts. At the same time, your body is more relaxed and you are thus not sending negative “stressy” kinaesthetic signals for your mind to feed on!'
Another way to get control of your emotional state is through simply through having a PMA (positive mental attitude), Michele say's 'Now’s your chance to take control. See yourself being an absolute star on stage or when you meet someone, see yourself being calm and collected, and feel how good that feels.'

Remember 'Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.'  ~Winston Churchill

Look out for Tip Two - Set Your Goals Clearly tomorrow!! If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Saint Francis Hospice and PCC present . . .


Delivering Impressive Presentations

at


On the 10th of November 2011


We are delighted to offer this wonderful study day held at Saint Francis Hospice Pepperell Education Centre, Havering-atte-bower.
The one day course is aimed at those involved in teaching groups, facilitation of groups and presenting at meetings.  Attending this study day will give you a transferable set of skills allowing you to present confidently to a group.

Content includes:
·       Understanding different learning styles
·       Improving your self-belief
·       Discovering your potential
·       Preparing, presenting, and perfecting your presentation and overcoming your nerves!

Cost: £75.00 per delegate and a % of the course cost will directy benefit the hospice.
Date: 10th Of November 2011
For more information you contact us on SFH@positivechangeconsutancy.com or book directy with SFH.

Quote of the week is back . . .

I've been a bit slack with our quote of the week but I promise to try to remember to do it once a week!!!  I'm in a silly mood today so I've gone with Dr. Seuss and also because my Christmas bug has started!! only 108 sleeps till santa comes boys n girls!!!

'Think left and think right and think low and think high.  Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!'
~ Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Sunday 4 September 2011

Time FM Interview

Chris recently went on Time FM 107.5 and did an interview about Parenting Skills and Workshops.  We have put together a little slide show to accompany the audio of the interview on You Tube for you to listen to.  We would love your feedback and if you would like to find out more about Parental Leadership or Parenting Workshops and how we help young people please contact us on 020 8590 7844 or email us info@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Wednesday 10 August 2011

Tesco testimonials . . .

Our coaches have worked for Tesco and helped train and coach hundreds of Executives, Directors, Store Managers and leadership teams through out the company to help them reach their full potential.  Read what some of them have to say about us . . . .


“The ability to gain full attention, encourage full participation and, later, to enable the team to speak their innermost thoughts and beliefs, is certainly a gift that Chris (Laney) has in abundance.  

My entire management team has really benefited from the time spent with Chris (Laney).”  
Store Manager

“Chris’s (Laney) amazing warm personality made me feel instantly as though I had known her for years, trust her completely and would confide in her about anything and I could list many of my colleagues who felt the same.

Although it was a group session I felt that she drew the most out of everyone by giving us the individual encouragement we needed to participate fully”  
Wage Clerk

“Personal coaching has enabled me to identify what is really important to me and understand how I can use this to make me happier and more fulfilled. I have been able to apply this to all areas of my life and seen immediate results. As a result of the coaching I now have a better understanding of myself and I am learning skills so that I can continue to develop and work towards achieving my personal goals”   
Telecoms Manager

“I found my coaching experience really helpful. It allowed me to talk confidentially about issues which were affecting me personally and my work life. It gave me a chance to hear ‘a voice of reason’ and to be given helpful tips on how to improve my situation by giving me other avenues to explore. It improved my confidence, made me a bit braver by making me aware of the comfort zone and stretch zone’ 
 Operations Manager

“It has been good to have a sounding board for me that I can trust to be completely confidential and with someone impartial. Ros (Draper) makes you feel comfortable with awkward questions, and tends to know the right questions to ask to gently draw things out of you! It has helped me see past things which have felt at times like huge barriers. I would recommend personal coaching to everyone.”  
Team Leader


"Ros (Draper) is a highly professional practitioner who has worked successfully with hundreds of managers. She is creative, inspiring and passionate about enabling others to learn and enrich their self awareness. She believes that all people are full of potential and this underpins her 
transformational work with teams and in individual coaching." 
Leadership Development Manager


“This is one of the best pieces of training I have had and I think that is because of Chris (Laney), her patience, very caring nature, sense of humour and ability to make people comfortable” 
Team Leader 


Contact us today to see how Coaching or Leadership programmes could help you and your business!!  

info@positivechangeconsultancy.com ~ 020 8590 7844 
Essex Coach: 079477 24977 (Chris) ~ Hertfordshire Coach: 07788 412637 (Ros)

Thursday 4 August 2011

How's our performance?? . . .

'Positive Change provided the most professional and pertinent training that a business could want. They delivered group and one to one sessions adapting to the business' needs and we look forward to welcoming them back'

Queens Theater, Hornchurch

Monday 11 July 2011

Quote of the Week - Team Work

Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.  ~Henry Ford

Thursday 30 June 2011

Quote of the Week - How True?

'Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you.  Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure'

~ Murphy's Law

Thursday 9 June 2011

Quote of the week - Parents

'It's not only children who grow.  Parents do too.  As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.  I can't tell my children to reach for the sun.  All I can do is reach for it, myself'  

~ Joyce Maynard

Parental Leadership is an interesting concept!

Parental leadership isn't something that is commonly used in the UK but it is an interesting concept we were eager to explore.  The essence of leadership is the ability to build trust and influencing others to adopt and follow your directions and ideas, therefore giving parents leadership skills makes perfect sense to us.  As parents ourselves we aspire to have a relationship with our children that is built on trust and respect allowing us to help shape their lives and guide them into making the right decisions.  Parental leadership explores the possibilities of parents being given classic business leadership skills enabling them to lead their children's behavior rather than trying to control it.  

With all of this in mind we have just run a successful interactive parenting programme that adapted some classic leadership skills, such as active listening and giving and receiving feedback, combined with some life skills, to help improve self-belief and deal with inner voice, for a group of parents at Castle Green Children's Center to allow them to parent more effectively. The programme was designed to improve the family dynamics and strengthen relationships through effective communication and increased self-awareness.  Through giving parents leadership skills they can begin to role model behavior to their children to help create future leaders in our community and it is never to early to start the process.  Franklin D Roosevelt once said that 'We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build out youth for the future' and we aspire to achieve this through the work we do with parents, children and vulnerable young adults in the community.  

Here is what the parents thought of the programme:

'When I first came, I felt as if I was in a cocoon.  Now I feel like a butterfly, I've got wings'

'I didn't know why I needed to come, but I've learnt about myself'

'I've started to talk to my daughter and not shout at her, and I've realised how much love she has for me.  She's like a different child'

'When I first cam, I thought I was a bad parent.  Now I listen more and I talk to my children'

'I've learnt loads and I really admire the other parents in the group'

If you would like to find out more about parenting programmes or training for 14-18 year olds please contact us via email at futureleaders@positivechangeconsultancy.com.


Wednesday 25 May 2011

Find out the benefits of Coaching and how it can improve your performance?

We offer a complete coaching service for both individuals and businesses which is detailed below.  You can book a FREE chemistry session with us to help you decide if Coaching is something you would like to explore by contacting us on info@positivechangeconsultancy.com or on 02085907844.

Coaching is a form of learning, where the coach supports you to create learning and self-development in a way that benefits you.  Coaching can help you to build on your strengths and learn new ways of thinking and approaching situations. Our coach's will help you to focus on how you can achieve what you want as well as helping you to reach your full potential.

Coaching provides a kind of support distinct from any other. Your coach will focus solely on your situations with a kind of attention and commitment that you rarely experience anywhere. Typically the coaching session will explore an issue or behaviour that you would like to understand, resolve or change.   

Common benefits people experience from coaching include:
  • Improved ability to relate to and influence others
  • Improved knowledge of self/self-awareness
  • Increased motivation and energy
  • Increased resilience, e.g. ability to handle change 
Business Coaching

Coaching in a business environment can increase skills, unlock potential and improve performance; it is a valuable tool to help you accelerate your development or that of your team. Our coaches have extensive experience of working in business, supporting leaders both to grow personally and to deliver outstanding results.  

Coaching can benefit your business either as a stand-alone product for individuals, or as part of a wider leadership development programme.  We can support existing learning & development programmes within your business or in conjunction with one of our tailor made leadership programmes. 

Benifits of  Business Coaching are: 
  • To improve individual and business performance
  • To develop potential 
  • To improve communication and relationships within your business
  • To increase skills
  • To ensure change is sustained 

Life Coaching (Individual)

Life coaching is a tried and tested way of helping anyone become more successful in any situation. It really can transform your self-image and self-worth, plus it allows you to crystallise your dreams, decide what you really want, and create an action plan to make it happen.

Life coaching can enable you to truly focus on yourself.  By increasing your self-awareness and challenging your beliefs you can increase your confidence and unlock your full potential.    

Life Coaching can help you if you are:
  • Looking for work and wondering where to start 
  • Needing to set and achieve new career goals following a life change such as redundancy or divorce 
  • Ready to reach for something bigger and achieve a lifelong dream 
  • Wondering what on earth that dream might actually be for you! 
  • Looking for ways of feeling less guilty, less stressed and more at peace with yourself and your life
Contact us today to book your FREE chemistry session or to find out more about our coaching programmes.
CALL : 020 8590 7844

Monday 23 May 2011

What is Experiential Learning?? and how does it make our training unique?

We us Experiential Learning within our training in order for people to learn through reflection on doing and is a form of free choice learning.


Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. Aristotle once said, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them"


An example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. Thus, one makes discoveries and experiments with knowledge firsthand, instead of hearing or reading about others' experiences.


Experiential learning relates solely to the meaning making process of the individual's direct experience. However, though the gaining of knowledge is an inherent process that occurs naturally, for a genuine learning experience to occur, there must exist certain elements. According to David Kolb, an American educational theorist, knowledge is continuously gained through both personal and environmental experiences. He states that in order to gain genuine knowledge from an experience, certain abilities are required:
  1. the learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience;
  2. the learner must be able to reflect on the experience;
  3. the learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience; and
  4. the learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience. 

Quote of the Week - Leadership

'Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it'

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Wednesday 18 May 2011

What is Gestalt? and how do we use it?

We use elements of Gestalt therapy, alongside NLP, in all of our training.  Experiential learning is a key part of our training, which engages participants in drawing on real life experiences in order to learn.  The interactive nature of our workshops helps to inspire people to get excited and empower them take ownership of their learning in order to make change.

Gestalt is a German word and mean's 'pattern' or 'constellation.   Gestalt therapy is an existential/experiential form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility, and that focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation.

The objective of Gestalt therapy is to enable people to become more fully and creatively alive and to become free from the blocks and unfinished business that may diminish satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth, and to experiment with new ways of being.  For this reason Gestalt therapy falls within the category of humanistic psychotherapies. Because Gestalt therapy includes perception and the meaning-making processes by which experience forms, it can also be considered a cognitive approach.  

Arnold Beisser described Gestalt's paradoxical theory of change. The paradox is that the more one attempts to be who one is not, the more one remains the same. Conversely, when people identify with their current experience, the conditions of wholeness and growth support change. Put another way, change comes about as a result of "full acceptance of what is, rather than a striving to be different".


Wednesday 11 May 2011

Quote of the Week - Excellence

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

~ Aristotle
 

Tuesday 10 May 2011

What is NLP? and how can it help your business?

Chris Laney, on of our founding partners, is an NLP practioner and our training is developed using her knowledge of NLP and Gestalt theraphy.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is an incredibly powerful discipline that enables people to unblock the structures of human communication and human excellence.  By doing so people can think, communicate and manage themselves, and others, more effectively.

NLP explores the relationships between how we think (neuro), how we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programmes). 

By studying and learning from these relationships people can effectively transform the way they traditionally think and act, adopting new, far more successful models of human excellence. (This activity is called modelling and is a key feature that distinguishes NLP from psychology). 

In effect, NLP is a powerful change management tool that transforms the way people think and act to have the greatest impact both professionally and personally.  That’s why NLP is one of the most powerful skills used in business management, psychology, sales, sports coaching and all forms of personal development.

NLP can help you to:

  • Be more successful by learning to influence your emotional and psychological states.
  • Replace negative behaviors and habits with positive ones.
  • Transform the way you go about everyday tasks.
  • Be more aware of your impact on others and how to manage your behaviour for optimal results.
  • Better understand your own motivations, needs and behaviors and use these positively to have the greatest impact.
  • Better understand your staff’s and customer’s needs, motivations and behaviors.
  • Improve and enhance your interpersonal communication at the office and at home.

Saturday 7 May 2011

Are your thinking and behavior leading you to success?

People with high emotional intelligence tend to be more successful in life than those with lower EIQ - even if their classical IQ is average.  Many experts now feel that EIQ is a better predictor of success than the traditional IQ tests.  See how you stack up with this test.  Contact us for a free diagnostic on how our training could help you and/or your work force to raise their emotional intelligence and get better results.

Quote of the Week - By Buddha

'All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?'
Buddha

We picked this quote today because whilst working on our website and trying to explain what we do in one line we came up with 'We change behavior'.  It's simple but true, by identifying what our mind talk we can choose to change our behavior and attitude.




Sunday 1 May 2011

Royal Wedding Fever . . .

How did you all celebrate the Royal Wedding??

Chris had a Royal Wedding party and with the help of close friends and family laid on a feast fit for a KING!!

A fabulous day was had by all starting with sausage sarnies and pots of good old rosie lee followed by this amazing spread accompanied by jugs of Pimms!!



A big thank you to Teresa for he amazing cupcakes, fruit tarts and cake pops mmmmmmm!!    

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Quote of the Week - By Marilyn Monroe

I have been tasked to pick the quote of the week and decided to get inspiration from one of my heroines Marilyn Monroe. I wanted to use all of them but this is what I went with:

'A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night'

We think a puppy is better!!! Here is my Paddy - We posted a lil photo of him on our twitter when I first got him and now he has got to just the right keeping you warm size!!!!! (HUGE)

Six Weeks . . . . . . . . . To Eight Months

Friday 22 April 2011

Delivering Impressive Presentations

We are proud to present our next workshop being held on the 25th of May 2011 in association with Saint Francis Hospice.  Half of all course fee's will directly benefit the Hospice to help people live with dignity.  This course can be booked directly through the Hospice.  Limited space available so book now!!!

Thursday 14 April 2011

Quote of the Week - Dieting

'Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake'  

~ Author Unknown


Dedicated to Gary :)

Thursday 7 April 2011

Quote of the Week - Sunshine

'Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine'

~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Thursday 31 March 2011

4Networking @ Romford

Lucy is delighted to have just taken on the role of Marketing for our Romford 4N meeting.  We are a friendly group and would like to recruit new members to join us every 2 weeks on a Thursday @ The Liberty Bell, Premier Inn, Romford.  Our next meeting is on Thursday the 7th of April.  If you would like information of how to come as a guest and find out how 4N could benifit your business contact:
 4N@positivechangeconsultancy.com.

The 4N culture is relaxed and friendly, with a complete lack of pretension and ‘cufflinks’…plus you stay in control: network where you want, when you want.

Business Networking


What actually happens?

All meetings are held Tuesday to Friday, 8am-10am

Open networking:
People you’ve never met, in an environment new to you.  We know that can feel tricky, so we work hard to ensure you feel welcome. Grab a coffee/tea/juice and members of our team will introduce you to people in the room.

The 40 Second Round:
Your chance to promote your business to the group and signpost who you’d like to talk to.

5-minute break:
Recharge your cup and book your three 10-minute 1-2-1 appointments.

4Sight Slot:
This is an insight, not a sales pitch, into a member’s specialist field or area of interest. Usually you’ll go away with some great free information which can help you and your business.

1-2-1 Appointments:
The heart of the event: three 10-minute 1-2-1 appointments with members you have chosen, helping you to fast-track business relationships. 

Meeting close:
Please feel free to stay and continue networking

4Networking gives you the essentials you need: People, Appointments, Business and Support.