SERVICES

My work with clients is based on:

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

My technical background and writing skills enable me to convey complex scientific concepts in a compelling way. I can help communicate your ideas in a way that ensures your audience understand. Put this another way, I will act as a Babelfish between you and those you want to reach, especially those who don’t have your experiences. I’m all about results, so the focus is on communication with impact, whether that be attracting a new audience, sharing successes, engaging consumers or securing funding. This can include the creation or editing of brochures, funding bids, digital content or academic papers.

CREATIVITY CONSULTANCY

Creativity is often talked about as being essential to innovation, but apart from installing ping-pong tables, few organisations or individuals know who to develop it and how to apply it in practice. Being an engineer, my drive is to create innovative but practical solutions. Through workshops and bespoke training, I will work with you and your teams to help them understand what creativity means in a business context, develop their creative skills and an ability to think beyond the obvious, whilst providing them a practical toolkit to help them apply these to deliver improved business results.

COACHING AND DEVELOPMENT

As a Neurolinguistic Programming practitioner, I understand that the stories we tell ourselves are not always helpful. Common examples include: ‘we can’t change’, ‘we’re fine as we are’ or ‘I don’t know what’s expected of me.’ As an experienced line manager with a track record of delivering change either at corporate levels or within team and individual performance, I have a trainable toolkit for changing these narratives to improve results. These interventions are offered one on one or in group coaching sessions.

WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING

Creativity and stories are critical business tools. Whether it be leaders creating a compelling change narrative, technologists convincing stakeholders of their ideas, or teams generating innovative solutions – we all need these skills. Too often, we think these skills are inherent not learned. For example, we talk about ‘creative people’ not ‘creative process’. These workshops will equip you with a toolkit to write your own stories of success. Current offerings include:

STORYTELLING FOR LEADERS

Leaders need to be able to tell stories. Whether it be to create a shared strategic vision of a better world, build a compelling narrative for change, or sharing personal stories to demonstrate authenticity. However, although some of leaders are natural storytellers; few know how to do use this tool effectively and deliberately.

This course will be grounded in the latest neuroscience and psychology. It will teach you how to craft authentic stories that you can use to get business results. Topics covered will include:

Why do stories matter in business?
How do they help you connect?
Different types of business stories including those on purpose, values, goals, outreach, change, authentic leadership, personal development, feedback.
Overcoming entrenched views and demonstrating value.
Embedding culture through stories.

This course can be also be tailored to meet your specific outcomes.

TECHNICAL STORYTELLING FOR RESULTS

Scientists and engineers need to be compelling storytellers. It’s not enough for scientists and engineers to produce good results. Many brilliant ideas, results and inventions have gone unused because the originator struggled to convince others of their values or convey the core insights that have generated.

This course will teach you how to craft authentic stories that you can use to communicate technical outcomes and results, in a way that gets you noticed. Topics covered will include:

Why do stories matter for technologists and engineers?
The science of storytelling.
How to make your personal story authentic and relevant (and why you need to).
The difference between what you say and what is heard.
The power of listening and metaphor to shape your story.
How to structure technical stories to engage your audience.
How to overcome resistance.

This course can also be tailored to meet your specific outcomes.

REWRITING UNHELPFUL STORIES

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can limit and harm us. Sports psychologists have known for decades that the stories we tell ourselves have the power to limit our achievements or help us win gold. More and more researchers are also identifying the pervasive power of group stories in creating an inclusive, welcoming organisation

The course will cover the neuroscience and psychology of storytelling, for creating personal success and supportive cultures. We will then identify internal and group narratives that are holding us back. By applying Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques (a fast and effective method for reprogramming your brain) a key story will be rewritten to better align with the goals you wish to achieve.

Topics covered will include:

Why do stories matter for confidence and culture?
The science of story to shape our and others’ experiences.
Common flawed stories.
Identifying your own unhelpful stories.
Tips and techniques for loosening the grip of flawed narratives
Changing the narrative – shaping your own story for success.
How to overcome your internal resistance.

An output of this session will be a simple tool to identify and rewrite unhelpful stories. This course will be tailored around either building confidence or nurturing diversity. It can also be adapted to meet your specific needs.

NEED ADVICE?

Sometimes we know the ending we want, but we don’t know the best route to get there. I can help translate your problems into solutions, and together we’ll find a way to your ‘happy ever after’. I can adapt workshops and training to meet your needs so get in touch for a free initial discussion.