The Core Consulting Programme is run twice a year and consists of an introductory session plus 3 residential days.

Programme Leaders: Gillie Brunskill, Sadie Warner
Venue: Wiltshire, UK 

The Programme
Consulting skills used to be something only external advisers needed, but now many people within organisations also need to harness the power of teams and peers without using old hierarchical structures.

Whether you work inside an organisation or as an external consultant, you will go away from the Core Consulting Programme with a better understanding of what consulting means for you, and better equipped to relate to the people you consult to. You will be able to work alongside others, building their commitment to and involvement in change.

The programme provides opportunities to learn about:
  • different consulting styles and roles
  • the consulting process, and skills and behaviours which support it
  • why people welcome and resist change
  • how to increase readiness to change.

Participants are encouraged to:
  • practise the core skills by consulting to each other
  • review their own consulting experiences
  • try out challenging situations in a safe environment
  • plan how to implement their learning.

The Core Consulting Programme is practical and highly participative with a unique environment of confidentiality, support and challenge. Participants are encouraged to work at their own pace and to experiment. We adopt a consulting approach to running the programme and are flexible and responsive to individual development needs.

The programme is a success because the trainers work so closely with participants. We limit the number on each programme to eight, and provide one trainer for every four participants.

Introductory session
Getting to know the consulting toolkit
  • introductions and agreeing a learning contract
  • what is consulting?
  • the consulting toolkit
  • building consulting relationships
  • consulting process and styles
  • how people react to change

This introduction can be on a one-to-one basis or run in a small group

Days Two, Three and Four (residential)
Putting the toolkit into practice
  • share experiences and learning since initial session
  • explore data gathering and diagnosis
  • analysis of own consulting relationships with a diagnostic tool
 
The rest of the programme is flexible and designed to meet specific goals set by participants. There are many opportunities for participants to do intensive work on their own situations and try a variety of new approaches. Typical topic areas include:

  • working contracts
  • types of clients
  • building commitment to change
  • dealing with challenging situations

Endorsements, prices and booking information can be found on the next page

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