PAST PROJECTS
'Ignite Your Coaching', British Cycling
Nicola has been working with Coaching and Education to initiate a project to increase the numbers of women cycling coaches. We created insight using internal data, latest research and qualitative in-depth interviews.
British Cycling staff and key partners were facilitated in project design, planning and measures of success. Phase 1 recruited over 30 coaches to a programme of mentoring, leadership development and peer support, both face-to-face and on-line. The focus is now on embedding a sustainable leadership community for women coaches.
Gender Equality in the UK: meeting the challenge of the SDGs, British Council
In the first half of 2016 Nicola worked as part of a research team with the British Council to produce the report, 'Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls in the UK', the first UK stock-take specifically using the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A challenging project in scope and pace Nicola managed the bidding process, project planning and management and delivered research on Cultural Sectors focusing on the arts, sport and technology. The aim for the British Council is to use the report to facilitate work with UK-based women's organisations and with international stakeholders.
Working Out Loud, online course
We developed and delivered the first UK-focused on-line Working Out Loud course in partnership with John Stepper and Helen Sanderson in June 2016. In international crowd of 30 people attended the course with great feedback from participants:
"WOL has brought me a lot, though not always what i expected. But being more open and interacting more has broadened my development and made it more alive." (anon)
First Steps, Withington Road, community
Eve co-led on this community consultation and engagement project. We used Appreciative Inquiry methods to gain insight from local traders and residents associations on what was working well on Withington Road and to co-produce an action plan, to be delivered in collaboration with local residents, workers, shoppers, service users and the local council. The exercise provided a positive start to the First Steps project, refocusing attention on what was working well and facilitating positive ways of working together. The project also provided interesting insight on a viable and compassionate local economy which we shared with Steady State Manchester and fed into a World Cafe discussion on the future of work and income facilitated by Eve.
Happiness at Work, Helen Sanderson Associates (HSA)
We jointly developed and facilitated a workshop for the team of Associates at HSA to help them examine and take action on their happiness and wellbeing at work. The workshop was designed around insight gained through a Happiness at Work survey and drew heavily on our training and experience in Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) and tools. Participants said the session was enjoyable, “Helped us to be more open with each other” and increased their understanding of happiness and well-being within their workplace. They felt it provided “fabulous food for thought” and would lead to action to improve their happiness and well-being and an improvement in team collaboration.
The session was an important moment for the organisation which is now on a journey to Teal (to becoming self-managing, see Reinventing Organisations).
'Ways to Wellbeing' Workshop, Iken
We jointly developed and co-facilitated two bespoke ‘Ways to Well-being’ workshops with employees at Iken, with a follow on session for Managers. The sessions equipped all staff and leadership with insight and tools to help people get to know themselves and each other better ‘enabling employees to take control and responsibility for their own well-being and that of the workplace’.
Promoted ‘change readiness’ and resilience amongst staff at a critical time of growth through personal development, positive and productive meetings, good feedback and collaborative working, and a more effective and coordinated approach to corporate social responsibility. At the conclusion of the first session participants said they felt - 'positively surprised, energised, motivated, informed, challenged, optimistic, uncomfortable'.