Personal Effectiveness

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Micro-learning: Mastering Meetings and Groups
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Micro-learning: Leading with Stories
Critical Thinking
Micro-learning: Critical Thinking
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Micro-learning: Natural Networking
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Micro-learning: Influencing Well
If Then New
Design (and share) your If > Then statements, for a purposefully prompt towards action
Catherine Allison
How to influence decisions and boost gravitas with your voice
Video
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Upping your gravitas by silencing your inner critic and amplifying your inner coach
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How to check your writing for clarity
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Bennew
Using the 'Rule of Three' to communicate memorable ideas
Video
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How to pause when presenting
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Working with eye contact
Video
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The power of plain language in presentations
Video
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The power of 'You' in writing
Video
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What designers need to know about microcopy
Video
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Skills and mindsets for making mentoring meaningful
Video
RG
Setting mentoring relationships up for success
Video
Liz
The impact of coaching, and it's distinction from mentoring
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Practical pointers for authentic leadership
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Hilary
Coaching, and creating coaching cultures
Video
Ingrid1
Vocal confidence warm up exercises
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Vocal techniques for clearer articulation
Video
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Growth Mindset Mantras
Tool
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How to command an on-screen presence
Video
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How to start writing
Video
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The secret to a successful Tone of Voice
Video
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How to write with authority for brands
Video
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Keep it simple. Quick and effortless copywriting
Video
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Writing in the active voice
Video
NO
Course Pack: The art of saying No (and how to say Yes)
Presenting
Course Pack: Purposeful presenting
Behave
Course Pack: Behavioural Insights
Charm
Course Pack: Charm School
GRO Wicon
eCourse: Go with the GROW model
Listening Pair Icons
eCourse: Are you listening?
Mentoringpairicons
eCourse: Meaningful Mentoring
Leadership Icon 2
eCourse: Leadership Styles, a primer
Charm Icon
eCourse: Charm School
Pairfeedbackicon
eCourse: Owning Feedback
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eCourse: Practicing a Coaching Approach
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eCourse: Get SET with your Goals
eCourse
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eCourse: Time Management and Prioritisation
eCourse
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eCourse: Mastering Delegation
eCourse
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eCourse: Strengths to Influence
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Better Briefing: A bitesize guide from Baxter & Bailey
Tool
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Clear and simple copy
Video
MBT
Get your team talking to each other with a practical take on the Myers-Briggs personality test
Tool
Talking
Knowing me, knowing you
Tool
Tony
Course Pack: Decision Lab
Microicon
Course Pack: Micro-Habits
Mup
Course Pack: Managing Up
Feedback
Course Pack: Owning Feedback
ARC
Course Pack: Effective 1-1s
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What's your team's CAMPS score? Get a snapshot of engagement levels.
Tool
Listenup
Course Pack: Are you Listening?
Tension
And-But-Therefore — Try out a tested storytelling technique
Tool
Groups
Course Pack: Mastering Meetings & Groups
Page tosothat
To.... So That. A snappy structure to define the purpose of any meeting
Tool
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The voice in your head, and how to harness it — with psychologist Ethan Kross.
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TA
Think Again, by Adam Grant
Book
The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker
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RSB
Root, Stem, Branch — An organic approach for telling your own story
Tool
Diff
Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss — Key ideas and takeaways from the best-selling-book on negotiation skills.
Book
Daniel
Mastering (Virtual) Presence, coach and facilitator Mike Sagun in conversation for the Conversation Factory
Audio
Circlesheila
Decoding Difficult Conversations — Sheila Heen unpacks the layers within those conversations you're probably avoiding.
Audio
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Course Pack: The Business Model Canvas
D Dslide
Course Pack: Delegation. Done
Albert
Course Pack: Defining Problems
Conflict
Course Pack: Constructive Conflict and Difficult Conversations
Inf
Course Pack: Influence IRL
Gravitas
Course Pack: Presence and Gravitas
Chatter Bottom
Chatter: Practical tools to apply, and harness the voice in your head
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eCourse: A Brand called You
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Course Pack: A Brand called You
Course Pack
MOM
Mitchell on Meetings — What we learned and where it led
Conf
Course Pack: Building Confidence
Scaling
Experiment with a 'Scaling Question' to better connect, learn and influence
WW
Course Pack: Writing Well
Cuddy Dog
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shares powerful, actionable insights on the impact of our body language
TFF
Watch Sheila Heen explain why we need to be regularly asking for feedback, and what stops us from doing so.
Diff
Listen to former hostage Chris Voss share practical insights on better negotiation.
Time Tool
Experiment with Timeboxing for more focus and productivity
Time Tool
Build your time awareness, and reveal ways to boost productivity, with an Activity Log
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Time in tomatoes: build productivity and focus with the Pomodoro technique
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Six practical tools for building confidence and self-belief, shared by brain expert Ian Robertson
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Great questions to ask in coaching conversations, 1-1's and other curious contexts
Neg Slidetemplate
Course Pack: Navigating Negotiation
MT
Course Pack: Making Time
Orange
Practice the principles of persuasion from 'Godfather of Influence,' Robert Cialdini.
Circlestwo
How to be a meaningful mentor, insights from a purposeful podcast
Breathman
Mindful breathing — the foundation of focus and flow
Setback
Smarten your approach to setbacks, by trying out a Setback Story
To Think
Don't forget to diarise thinking time — experiment with a 'To Think' list
Silent Meeting
Make your next meeting a Silent Meeting
Can If Go
Immediately build your confidence, with a 'Can-If' statement
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Build belief by recognising small wins — Try a 'Done List'
Friction
Add some friction to your most common distractions
Fly
Channel that fly on the wall. Try some purposeful self talk to mitigate moments of doubt
Newcoachthumb
Micro-learning: Keeping a coaching mindset
Rest
Micro-learning: Setting Better Boundaries
Breathman
Micro-learning: Building Confidence
Premortemicon
Micro-learning: Feedback fundamentals
Presenting Head
Micro-learning: Purposeful Presenting
Time Team
Micro-learning: Finding Focus and Flow
Newpencils
Micro-learning: Writing Well
Coaching Criticism
Find the Coaching in Criticism. Things to try when feedback doesn't quite land
N Ngrab
Course Pack: Natural Networking
LWS
Course Pack: Storytelling
Spring
Experiment with a Springboard Story to communicate your change idea, and take people with you towards it.
Mentorsqarer
Evolve your 'inner mentor' — a short reflective exercise to focus your development, and the ways you can better support others
Do Story
Practical storytelling principles from Bobette Buster's book — Do: Story
Homework
Homework for Life: A ten-second daily ritual for noticing, capturing and practicing stories
Hear
Try this deep listening exercise for deeper connection and better conversations
5
Discover the impact a five minute favour can have on your relationships, and network building
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Experiment with the BRAIN model for confident decision making and problem solving
VCR
Course Pack: Voice Gym. Building your vocal confidence
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A three minute mindset exercise, to support a coaching approach
Good Qs
Smart ways to frame questions in your next mentoring session
Car Words
Try out the CAR technique, and upgrade your understanding when interviewing someone.
J Zicon
Five powerful questions for adding impact and insight to your next interview.
Mup Icon
Five tactics for influencing those more senior
Carol Thumb
Micro-learning: Getting into a Growth Mindset
Premortemicon
Solve problems before they happen with pre-mortems
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A checklist for checklists — five things to tick off when developing a checklist
BID pic
Share genuinely useful feedback with the BID model
Pencilsoff
Seven things to avoid when writing at work
Meetings
Finding fortitude, and follow on experiments
Confidence Ecourse
eCourse: Confidence Mastery
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Time Blocking, and bringing some colour into your calendar
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Kas's reflections on listening and questioning well
Video
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Matteo's coaching reflections
Video
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eCourse: Difficult Conversations
eCourse
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Worksheet: Owning Feedback
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Worksheet: Time Blocking
Worksheet
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Raul Aparici on mitigating impostor syndrome
Video
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Book Club: New Methods for Women — With Sharmadean Reid MBE
Audio

Course Pack: Mastering Meetings & Groups

These curated resources, many referenced in our courses and sessions on facilitating groups and meetings, will help to deepen your understanding of the topic, and make practical applications daily. We've shared the workshop slides too, so you can replay what was covered among your teams. Sharing learning with others is the best way to embed your own.
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Resources and recommended reading

Try: 'To...So That'

Inspired by the framework in Simon Sinek's follow up book, Find Your Why — here's a technique for defining the purpose of your gathering. Because as Priya Parker tell us, "Purpose if your bouncer." Here it is.

Read: The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker

Conflict mediator and author Priya Parker is a strong believer that taking an aimless, laid back attitude towards meetings, both workplace and social, is highly overrated. In 'Art of the Gathering,' she shares her fifteen years of experience in facilitating successful gatherings, and offers brilliantly actionable advice to make your next 1-1, brainstorming session or performance review as purposeful and transformative as possible. You can also hear her discuss ideas and advice is this episode of podcast series Hurry Slowly, and watch her below in her wonderful TED Talk.

Read: The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures, by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless

Instilling a sense of purpose among your team is the best way to drive innovation, productivity and creativity, but can be incredibly difficult to effectively do. So how do we get everyone on the same page? Well Lipmanowicz and McCandless' incredibly in depth book explains exactly how. You can buy the book here, but all of the 'liberating structures,' are available, for free, online.

Read: Mitchell on Meetings - What We Learned and Where It Led

Comedian and author David Mitchell hosted a podcast mini-series on the subject of meetings over the pandemic, covering everything from the trouble with 'double zooming,' to tackling the introvert-extrovert divide. In this resource, we share some key takeaways and applicable advice on making meetings as purposeful and fruitful as possible, as well as a link to the podcast itself.

Read: Gamestorming

We love this book at YCN, and much in it has inspired our own approach to workshops and learning tools. The book introduces over 80 games for bringing people together, communicating better and getting new ideas into the middle. And as with Liberating Structures, there's lots on their website to get going with too.

Try: Warm Up Exercises for your Groups and Meetings

A brilliant resource for the first two of the five 'e's,' - entice and enter, covered in the Facilitating Groups course. This constantly expanding list of exercises for meetings and brainstorming sessions will help warm up your team and get you thinking in creative, collaborative ways.

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Try: Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats

Psychologist, author, inventor and philosopher Edward de Bono created this piece of, in his words, 'mental software,' to put an end to purposeless, idle meetings and get everyone thinking in tandem. It's a brilliant tool for any and all meetings, be it a brainstorming session, a big decision, or simply to laterally explore a topic.

Listen: Expert Facilitation Tips with Adam Ulery

Enterprise business consultant Adam Ulery offers practical tips on everything from reaching group consensus to managing conflict or difficult people on this episode of the Agile Thought podcast. Our favourite tip? The 'fist of five,' tactic. Put a vote to the group and ask them to rank, with their fingers, how much they agree or disagree with a decision, a good alternative to 'yay or nay.'


Try: Round-Robin Brainstorming

A great tool to make sure each and every voice is heard in a meeting, and a collaborative tactic to build upon everyones ideas at the same time. Let us know how you got on.

Watch: The Power of You to Truly Make Meetings Work (TEDx)

Organisational Psychologist, Professor of Organisational Science at UNC Charlotte, and author of The Surprising Science of Meetings Steven Rogelberg offers his science-backed thinking into how to make meetings work in this punchy 13-minute TEDx talk.

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Listen: Why Meetings Go Wrong (And How to Fix Them) - HBR IdeaCast

And for a more in-depth explanation of 'meeting science', Steven Rogelberg recently guest spoke on HBR's fantastic IdeaCast podcast, giving his two-cents on the power of 'meeting free days,' and how companies can use meetings to supercharge productivity.