There’s nothing quite like getting away from the office for a couple of days to get things into perspective, get to know your team a little better, review the past and map out the future…

But how do you use this precious time to full advantage? How can you ensure that it will make a real and lasting difference to the team’s performance, energy and focus?

We work with you to create Awaydays that tackle the key issues your team faces, whilst providing an experience that will change the way that the team thinks, feels and relates to itself and others.

Typically, the focus of the Awayday will include a mix of:

• Reviewing the present

• Planning the future

• Developing the team

• Solving problems creatively

• Rewarding and celebrating success

Variety is a key element to any successful Awayday - and activities can range from discussing the serious issues the team is facing to herding ducks with a sheepdog! In all cases however, we encourage particpants to share their experiences and increase the team’s understanding of itself.

Every Awayday is different, so call us on 08454 348212 to discuss the possibilities.

Retreats

Our retreats are for groups or individuals that want a more reflective experience with the emphasis on being rather than doing. We provide a selection of activities in surroundings that offer a contrast to the activity of working life. We also provide one-to-one and group coaching as appropriate.

Retreats may well have a guiding theme but the aim is to create an open atmosphere in which participants can speak to the issues that concern them without being too constrained by a set agenda. We have extensive experience working with groups using reflective formats that challenge participants to achieve a different quality of dialogue.

The clarity of mind that ensues can lead to some surprising outcomes. Call us to discuss your needs.

April 2008

We’ll be holding a Facilitation Training workshop on Friday 18th July at One Alfred Place. See our Facilitation Training page for more details and online booking.

March 2008

Here are couple of events we ran in March - the first was a Team Building activity, the second an Open Space - both for around 200 people.

Feb 2008

As of the 7th, we’re proud occupants of One Alfred Place, a stone’s throw from the British Museum. Come and join us for a coffee and enjoy the calming space and uplifting decor. We highly recommend it to anyone who needs a London base. See www.onealfredplace.com and contact Rob Shreeve (CEO) or Emma Mortimore (Membership Secretary) on 020 7000 1999 or info@onealfredplace.com

Jan 2008

We’re pleased to announce that Alastair Dobbie has joined the team, offering Mediation, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution skills. Alastair’s eclectic background, including his legal training gives him ideal credentials to deliver these key services - see more at Team Members.

Those of you familiar with our old site will notice many changes with this newly launched version. Not only should it make information easier to retrieve, it also makes it easier for us to manage. There’s some clever technology behind it and anyone who’s interested is welcome to ask for more information. Similarly, any comments for improvement will be gratefully received.

• Open Space at the IET

Engineering Management Journal article on the first use of Open Space by the Insitution of Engineering & Technology.

• Elephants and Monkeys

Chris Pearse gives straightforward analysis and guidance on getting working relationships to work better.

• Simple Ideas, Lightly Held

Johnnie Moore explores the difference between the simple and the complex - and how to avoid overcomplicating your organisation.

• Authenticity in Marketing

Johnnie Moore looks at how the changing marketplace means organisations are having to talk more straightforwardly, both internally and externally.

• Facilitating Professional Engagement

Chris Pearse responds to John Scott, Technical Director of Ofgem.

 Open Space at the IET:
 Elephants and Monkeys:
 Simple Ideas, Lightly Held:
 Authenticity in Marketing:
 Facilitating Professional Engagement:

Downloadable Articles

• Open Space at the IET

Engineering Management Journal article on the first use of Open Space by the Insitution of Engineering & Technology.

• Elephants and Monkeys

Chris Pearse gives straightforward analysis and guidance on getting working relationships to work better.

• Simple Ideas, Lightly Held

Johnnie Moore explores the difference between the simple and the complex - and how to avoid overcomplicating your organisation.

• Authenticity in Marketing

Johnnie Moore looks at how the changing marketplace means organisations are having to talk more straightforwardly, both internally and externally.

• Facilitating Professional Engagement

Chris Pearse responds to John Scott, Technical Director of Ofgem.

Podcasts

• Coaching & Facilitation

• Facilitation

• Graphic Facilitation

• Open Space

Blogs

• Johnnie Moore

We’ve found that idea generation (also known as Brainstorming) comes easily to teams, if it‘s allowed to. We encourage a natural atmosphere and avoid over-stimulation.

Many creative thinking sessions suffer by trying too hard to force ideas to happen. They’re not sufficiently patient or tolerant of diversity and can easily confuse high-energy with creativity.

In facilitating creativity, we see that most creative ideas come from people working in groups. Isaac Newton famously acknowledged building “on the shoulders of giants”. That doesn’t mean that everyone’s contribution to the process needs to be the same.

Also, research on Idea Generation suggests that often participants have their best ideas after the session, and not in it. We need to be mindful about valuing the sessions for their contribution to the process, without pushing too hard for instant results.

Creativity doesn’t run to a timetable, so it’s important to be flexible in allowing creative thinking sessions to find their own course.

We host sessions that encourage everyone to take part in ways that suit their particular style – aiming to see the positive in everyone’s contribution and working flexibly to ensure high levels of engagement.

 

 About Open Space: Play Now

Open Space is a way of organising conferences, events and meetings that increases delegate involvement. The result is that everyone can be heard and everyone has a choice of who they want to engage with. This kind of space taps into the group intelligence in a way that orthodox conferences, seminars and events just can’t. So the power to address complex issues in a creative, engaging way makes Open Space a really exciting alternative. We use Open Space in a variety of formats, ranging from short Open Space sessions during traditional events, to full Open Space events which create the agenda there and then. The benefits of Open Space include:

• More engagement of delegates

• Bringing the group intelligence to bear on issues

• Letting people have their say

• Letting the group decide what’s important

• Great networking with people that have common interests

To find out more about how Open Space works and the benefits it could bring to your organisation call 08454 348212 or email us at the contact addresses on the left.

 “Johnnie’s recent facilitation of an Open Space meeting changed my thinking forever in the way conferences should be managed and organized. Open Space really gives the power to the participant to make the best of their time and talents in a setting that is truly unique.” May 27, 2006 Tim Eby, Chairman, Board of Directors, National Public Radio

 

 Chris Pearse describes Graphic Facilitation: Play Now

Imagine translating a 50-page Strategy report into a Big Picture that not only tells an interesting story, but depicts all the essential issues in a way that the whole organisation can relate to and discuss. That’s Graphic Facilitation.

Graphic Facilitation can be used for Strategy, Change Programmes, Vision and any complex organisational issue that needs clarifying and disseminating.We interview leaders in order to draw a pencil sketch. Once this has been approved, the picture is coloured and copied. We then train your staff to facilitate conversations about the picture in small groups of 5-10. Notes are taken of the conversations and points of view can be fed back so that the whole organisation can be heard.

This kind of facilitation can reach the whole organisation and engage every individual, making them feel a part of something they may not have been aware of before. But it doesn’t just benefit the wider audience… Leaders too benefit from having to pull their thinking together in order to make a coherent picture, clarifying their ideas and aligning their perspectives.

The process is scalable to any size of organisation.

 

 Chris Pearse describes our approach to facilitation: Play Now

Whether you’re holding a 1 hour meeting for 6, an awayday for 60, or a conference for 600, our facilitators can help you create the energy, engagement and commitment for successful and lasting outcomes.

• More effective Meetings and Workshops

• Greater engagement in Events and Conferences

• Powerful Awayday and Off-site experiences  

Meetings and Workshops

We’ve experienced for ourselves how draining and uninspiring many meetings can be; how workshops accomplish little because people don’t feel safe to say how they really feel about the issues. We help you create an environment where people can voice their needs, concerns, aspirations, uncertainties and half-formed ideas with real honesty and clarity; and so provide the foundation for the breakthroughs and insights needed for successful outcomes.

Int’l Marine Purchasing Association: “The event went extremely well and I have also had many nice comments from everyone which is fantastic! We are very happy with the way you handled the conference workshops.”

Events and Conferences

Many conferences rely on expert speakers and keynotes to disseminate knowledge whilst unwittingly ignoring the collective experience and creativity of the delegates. The end result of a speaker-packed agenda with some Q&A and a panel discussion often results in fatigue rather than inspiration. By engaging the delegates in the quest for new knowledge, not only do we tap a much greater resource, we also create far more energy and involvement. We regularly use an approach called Open Space and variations on it, to achieve greater participation and highly effective networking.

Mars UK: “The conference was a great sucess and I was delighted with Clarity’s contribution.”

Awaydays and Off-sites

We bring a wide variety of activities to awaydays and off-sites, whether the focus is on team-building, strategic thinking, a reward for success - or a combination of all three. Whether it’s building a go-kart, or exploring a vision of the future, the approach we take inspires new thinking, new understanding and better relationships. In addition to facilitating the awayday, we can advise on venues both in the UK and abroad. See our Awaydays page for more details. 

O2: “Thanks again to you & your facilitators’ great work at the O2 Prepay summit yesterday.”

We’ve worked with a variety of clients including multinationals, local government, the NHS, not-for-profits and SMEs.

Free initial consultation

We’d be happy to talk in more detail about how we could work with you.  Please contact us on 08454 348212

 

 Chris Pearse on our approach to coaching: Play Now

Do more - Be more

We coach senior managers and directors to help you achieve more and be more than you might on your own.

Why use a coach? 

People come to us with a variety of challenges: sometimes it’s about gaining confidence for the next career step; sometimes it’s overcoming obstacles that are blocking the path; it might be a lack of clarity about the future, or a nagging unease about a particular issue. Often it’s to do with working relationships which have become stuck in some way - whether it’s with a boss, a colleague, a report, or a lack of rapport with a team. Inevitably these issues fall outside the realm of rational problem-solving and have a complex, human dimension to them. For this reason our approach is very light on technique and methodology, and more focused on conversation and reflection.

Freedom and Choice

Our over-arching aim is to give you more choice, freedom and responsibility in how you are and what you do at work. That comes about most readily when we work with you hand-in-hand to explore the present and create the future.

Tangible Benefits

We’ve worked with senior individuals from multinationals, small and medium sized enterprises, not-for-profits and public sector organisations. We don’t pretend to have answers for everyone’s challenges, less still a formula for success; but we do see time and again how valuable a coaching relationship can be and how it translates into tangible benefits that improve performance, reduce stress whilst increasing the quality of your working life. In some cases these benefits extend into home and family life too. For some the benefit lies in finally having an equal that they can confide in - seniority can be lonely.

Bespoke Programmes

Typically we work with you over a 6 month period with a total of 9 sessions. Because every client and their circumstances are different, this can and does very considerably as we design our coaching programmes around your needs. Needless to say we encourage a preliminary meeting, free of charge, to explore the challenges in more detail and ensure that both coach and client are happy to proceed.

Credentials

All our coaches have many years experience of coaching at senior level. They have held senior management positions and have a passionate interest in understanding human nature and its impact on the well-being of both the individuals and the organisation. Individual biographies can be supplied on request.

Find out more by calling us on our main number (08454 348212), or speak directly to Chris Pearse on 07968 950522.

TBA.

Chris Pearse

A Chartered Engineer with a background in Sales, Marketing and General Management, Chris’s work as a Coach and Facilitator focuses on getting the right organisational relationships, communications and understanding in place to get the job done. Clients include the NHS, Orange, Rolls-Royce, Conran Estates plc, the IET, the Work Foundation and many smaller businesses. Chris’s early enthusiasm for taking things apart and (usually) putting them back together, led him to complete an Electronics degree at Birmingham University.

A spell in Cambridge’s Silicon Fen in the early 80’s coincided with the launch of the very first Personal Computers, an exhilarating period, which afforded Chris the luxury of being paid to play with and create some of the world’s first PC peripherals. Moving into the world of Broadcast Equipment, Chris carried on designing digital systems, eventually being lured by the apparent glamour of marketing and management to Milan in 1988 in order to open a subsidiary for his UK employer. More career development followed, culminating in a global General Management remit for Arri – the legendary manufacturer of cine cameras and lighting.

The demands of international travel and long-distance commuting eventually became incompatible with family life and in 2000 Chris went self-employed as a management consultant. This has enabled him to study and develop techniques for improving communication and relationships within organisations, promoting personal development and understanding. Chris is a Fellow of the RSA and sits on the Management Network executive of the IET.

Johnnie Moore - Associate

Johnnie studied Philosophy and Politics at Oxford and his first job was as researcher and speechwriter to Lord (Alan) Sainsbury. He then went into advertising, initially as a copywriter and subsequently as a planner/strategist.

In 1988 he formed his own consultancy and worked primarily in business-to-business and financial, working with some of the major retail and investment banks.Johnnie has devoted considerable energy to personal development, training in Neuro Linguistic Programming and a postgraduate course in Humanistic Psychotherapy. He’s therefore familiar with approaches such as Transactional Analysis, Gestalt and Somatic work. He has also trained in improvisational theatre and is a founder member of the Applied Improv Network. (He also found time to acquire a Private Pilot’s Licence - the highlight of his flying career was piloting floatplanes in British Columbia.)

He’s the co-author of the books Beyond Branding and More Space and features in the opening chapter of Spark, a book examing how to support innovation in business. Johnnie divides his time between executive coaching, team training and the faciliation of workshops and conferences. Client experience includes Royal Bank of Scotland, American Express, O2, The Clore Leadership Programme, Johnson & Johnson, Channel 4, National Public Radio and the BBC. Johnnie’s blog.

Alastair Dobbie - Associate

A barrister-at-law with a background in banking, media, law and conflict resolution, Alastair builds organisational efficiency and long term value with his seminars in communication and negotiation.

Helping clients understand the impact of their communication, especially across cultural divides, internally and with client or supplier relationships, creates real results. Across the USA, Singapore, Australia and Europe, he has facilitated management training at McGraw-Hill, Mastercard, Boston Financial Data Services and Genzyme, and consulted in negotiation for one of the world’s top services firms. After a spell in Foreign Exchange trading and a Law degree from Oxford, Alastair headed to Hollywood to work on topical film and television projects as a writer and ‘ideas’ man.

His interest in the intelligence of the body led him to train in physical therapy and eventually qualify as a teacher of the meditational martial art, Shi Zen Ryu. After being called to the Bar of England and Wales, Alastair worked for Erica Fox at the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative and started to facilitate seminars in Difficult Conversations, Influence and Coaching for one of Boston’s leading consultancy and training firms. With fluent French and German, passable Spanish and Italian and a grounding in Russian, he is keen to work abroad or cross culturally to serve a client’s needs.

We’ve worked with these clients in the past 2 years:

• Mars Information Systems

• Surrey County Council

• The BBC

• Johnson & Johnson

• National Policing Improvement Agency

• The Work Foundation

• National Public Radio

• American Express

• Channel 4

• The NHS

• Rolls-Royce

• O2

• Orange

• The Institution of Engineering & Technology

 

 A short introduction to The Clarity Partnership: Play Now

Welcome to our website. We help organisations get more from human relationships.

On the left, you can see the range of our services and around our site are some short podcasts about what we do.

We work with a wide range of organisations in the UK and internationally. You can see some of our clients here.  We try to work with a minimum of jargon and an optimistic view about the people’s potential to change and adapt.

”Clarity have had a significant part to play in our journey to becoming a high performing team.” Ian Lawson, CEO Campaign for Leadership, The Work Foundation

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