Pressure changes how you think. 

Under pressure, your attention narrows.  You often focus on the wrong things, look for certainty,  and build stories about what is happening that aren't true. ​
 

Stress changes how you see the world,  and can get in the way of make good decisions, because often you're not responding to the reality in front of you.   ​
 

This is where listening get harder, and when leadership matters most. 


Most leaders assume that more thinking will solve the problem. Sometimes more thinking is the problem.

Leaders get caught out because they are particularly good at building convincing stories when pressure hits, which can obscure the reality in front of them. 

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This workshop helps people notice that process earlier, manage their own response and stay present enough to keep listening and stay connected to their teams.
 

​​​​Good leadership depends on connection.
 

The better we become at leading ourselves, the better we can lead others.
 

The workshop

Staying Steady Under Pressure is a three-hour, highly participatory workshop for leaders and teams.

You will learn what happens to you under pressure, the thinking and behaviour patterns based on ideas from neuroscience and psychology, and how you can respond. 

 

This is a practical workshop about how people respond under pressure, noticing reactivity, checking assumptions, listening better and handling difficult conversations.  It will show you how to stay connected to your teams, to stay listening, and to stay creative when pressure hits.  
 

It combines practical listening skills with ideas from psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness and nervous-system regulation.​You will learn how to notice what is happening in you, stay present, keep listening, and respond. ​
 

Format

Half-day workshop
Around three hours, delivered on-site or off-site.

Leadership teams or wider teams
Suitable for intact teams, manager groups and mixed leadership cohorts.

Highly participatory
Short pieces of input, discussion, paired exercises and practical application.

Other formats
Shorter sessions, longer leadership programmes and individual work can also be developed.

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What people get from it

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• greater awareness of how they respond under pressure

• a better ability to recognise assumptions and internal stories

• practical ways to steady themselves before reacting

• better listening, particularly when they disagree or feel challenged

• more choice in how they respond

• a stronger ability to stay connected through difficult conversations

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Built around listening

 

I have spent more than 15 years as a professional listener.

As a qualitative researcher, my work is about understanding how people think, what sits underneath the way they respond, and what they are really trying to communicate.

My job has been to listen for the need, concern or meaning underneath the words, and respond in a way that gets to the heart of the conversation.

This workshop takes those same skills and applies them to leadership and team conversations.

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Bring it to your team

 

I'm currently working with a small number of organisations to deliver and develop this work.

If you're interested, get in touch.
 

We'll start with a conversation about your team, what you're dealing with and whether this would genuinely be useful.