Are you a board or senior management team looking for a neutral and experienced business person

• To run a strategic planning workshop?

• To facilitate difficult and important discussions?

Not only can I facilitate such events, and have done so many times, I have also been there as a member of the management team and as the business leader.

So I know how important it is that the facilitator does more than facilitate. It's also critical that they relate to the participants as an experienced equal.

➡ I know what it's like to be dragged away from the busy day job.

➡ I know how important it is that participants see value to justify the distraction.

➡ I know that facilitated exercises help warm up the discussions but are only the start.

➡ I know that they need to experience interesting, practical and useful business discussions.

There are a lot of advisors. Most haven't run a substantial business. They can be helpful but would you prefer to work with someone who has experience as a Managing Director and Chief Executive of substantial Private, AIM listed, Small Ltd and Medium Plc businesses?

• Are you a business leader looking for someone objective to act as a private sounding board and source of independent views?

• Would you find it helpful to speak to someone who draws your thinking out of you, listens carefully, and is curious to understand?

• Someone who then helps you to think through the options and make the best decision for you and your business. Someone who empathises based on experience with your thoughts, frustrations and challenges without judging and yet also challenges you, provokes you to think and encourages you to find new insights?

• And most importantly someone who will also, where it is what you want, go beyond listening to provide thoughts, tips and tools to clarify your thinking and contacts and information to help you achieve the results you desire. 

Many MD’s ‘grow’ into the role by accident; you have a great idea, start a business and before you know it (gulp!) you’re employing a group of people to help make things happen.

Consequently many leaders have never been trained to lead a business. It's not surprising: most real leaders can't afford the time and money for a leadership development course at a business school - after all who will run the business while you’re away?

I'ts crazy really though. We don't let anyone drive a car without training and yet MDs end up responsible for tens or hundreds of people's livelihoods. We aim to address this pragmatically through bite sized learning with peers one day at a time. 

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an effective way to assess innate personality type preferences. Knowing your preferences can better equip you in making decisions, communicating with others and so much more.

➡ Some people gain energy by interacting with others, while some recharge through quiet reflection alone

➡ Some take a detail-oriented approach to information, while others are drawn to the big picture.

➡ Some folks take an analytical approach to decision making, while others focus on how their decisions will impact others

➡ Some personalities prefer to make and stick to plans, while others take a less structured approach, keeping their options open. 

I am a qualified MBTI practitioner fully trained and licensed to utilise the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for personal and team development.

Nowadays I rarely use the indicator in one to one meetings. I do though find it very useful to open a team workshop with a Myers-Briggs session. Generally participants find it enjoyable, insightful and fun. The sudden insight it provides often transforms the frustration of working with colleagues of a different type into an excitement about the potential of utilising differences to achieve better results.