The six stages of every engagement
We designed this process after years of trial and error. Early on, we made the mistake of jumping straight into delivery without enough preparation, and the workshops suffered. Now we follow a structured path that gives us the context we need and gives you confidence about what you are paying for.
Scoping call
This is a free, 30-minute video or phone call. We ask about your team size, the leadership challenges you are seeing, and what success would look like six months from now. You ask us anything you want. There is no pitch deck. If it sounds like we can help, we move to step two. If not, we will say so honestly and, where possible, point you towards someone better suited.
Most scoping calls happen within five working days of your initial enquiry.
Diagnostic interviews
We speak to four or five people in your organisation: the workshop sponsor, a couple of the intended participants, and at least one person who reports to them. These conversations last about 25 minutes each. We want to hear how leadership shows up day to day, not just what the strategy document says.
Everything shared in these interviews is treated as confidential. We synthesise themes without attributing quotes to individuals.
Design and proposal
Based on what we learned, we write a workshop plan. This document is typically four to six pages and covers: objectives, session structure, facilitation methods, pre-work for participants, logistics, and cost. You will see the exact exercises we intend to run, not vague topic headings.
We send the proposal within ten working days of completing the diagnostic interviews. Revisions are normal; most clients request one or two changes before signing off.
Pre-work and preparation
Participants receive a short pre-work pack one week before the workshop. This might include a self-assessment questionnaire, a brief reading, or a prompt to observe a specific behaviour in their own leadership over the coming days. The pre-work takes no more than 30 minutes to complete.
Meanwhile, we finalise materials, confirm the venue or virtual platform, and brief any co-facilitators. If we are running the session at your offices, we will visit the room in advance to check the layout works for group exercises.
Workshop delivery
The day itself. We arrive early, set up the room, and greet participants as they come in. Sessions alternate between short facilitator-led inputs (rarely more than 15 minutes at a stretch), paired practice, small-group discussion, and individual reflection.
We do not use PowerPoint as a crutch. Slides appear only when a visual genuinely helps, such as a model diagram or a data chart. Most of the learning happens through doing, not watching.
Lunch and breaks are built in generously. Tired people do not learn well, and we have found that some of the most productive conversations happen over coffee.
Follow-up and review
Within a week, every participant receives a summary document with their personal action commitments and the key frameworks from the session. We also set up peer coaching pairs or triads, depending on group size, with a simple structure for monthly check-ins.
At the three-month mark, we send a short survey to participants and their line managers to gauge what has changed. We share the aggregated results with the workshop sponsor and discuss whether further work would be useful. About 40% of our clients book a follow-up session at this point.
What the day looks and feels like
People often arrive a bit nervous. Some have been sent by their manager and are not entirely sure why. Others are keen but worried about being put on the spot in front of colleagues. We know this, and the first 20 minutes of every workshop are designed to lower the stakes.
We start with a simple, low-risk exercise that gets people talking in pairs. Nobody is asked to stand up and introduce themselves to the whole room with a fun fact. That format makes most adults cringe, and cringing is not a productive learning state.
By mid-morning, the energy in the room has usually shifted. Participants start sharing real examples from their work. They practise giving feedback to each other using scenarios drawn from the diagnostic interviews (anonymised, of course). The facilitator circulates, listens, and offers specific observations: "You softened your message so much that the core point got lost. Try saying the difficult bit first, then explain why."
Afternoons tend to focus on application. We ask: "Given what you have practised today, what is the first thing you will do differently next week?" Each person writes down a concrete commitment and shares it with a partner who will check in with them later.
Questions we hear often
We accept between 6 and 16 participants per session. Fewer than six and the group dynamics feel thin; more than 16 and individual attention drops below what we consider acceptable. If you need to train a larger cohort, we run multiple sessions, sometimes back to back in the same week.
Yes, though we are honest that in-person delivery produces stronger results for most topics. Online workshops work well for half-day skill sprints, especially when participants are spread across multiple locations. We use breakout rooms, shared whiteboards and structured pair work to keep engagement high. The maximum group size for online sessions is 12.
A half-day skill sprint starts at £1,800 plus VAT. Two-day intensives range from £4,200 to £5,500 depending on group size and the amount of diagnostic work involved. Residential retreats are quoted individually because venue costs vary. We are upfront about pricing during the scoping call so there are no surprises in the proposal.
We do. About a third of our clients are in the public sector, including local authorities, NHS trusts and housing associations. We understand procurement timelines and are happy to work within framework agreements where applicable.
It has happened twice in seven years. Both times the issue was that the organisation was going through a restructure that had not been disclosed to us, and participants were too anxious about their jobs to engage with development. In those cases, we paused the session, had an honest conversation with the sponsor, and rescheduled at no additional cost once the situation had stabilised. We would rather delay than deliver something that does not land.
Ready to start?
The scoping call is free and takes 30 minutes. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you. No follow-up sales emails, no pressure.
Book your scoping call