By Penelope Pangalos
Our 3-day Breakthrough Thinking Workshop is designed to revolutionize leadership, effectiveness, and business futures. It expands participants’ thinking, enabling them to see new possibilities, unite around inspiring goals, and feel energized about their and their organization’s future. These workshops form the foundation for our coaching throughout the year. Do they succeed? Absolutely.
Recently, we facilitated two workshops in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. A participant noted, “I have done many workshops over the past 18 years. This was the most impactful one. You didn’t give us a useless manual; you got us to think.” Clearly, something worked.
Day 1 and 2: Examining and Shifting Current Thinking
On the first two days, we delved into current thinking and its impact on actions and outcomes. Participants, like Bob P., remarked “I didn’t realize the impact I have on the people around me! How my attitude, my body language, my flippant comments affect everyone and even my results. The group identified what they thought about the business and the issues they faced. They found it was “friendly, supportive, inclusive, like a family”. However, this swiftly gave way to “we’re disconnected”, “our needs aren’t heard by Head Office or the Factory”, “response times are slow”, “there’s tension between teams”, “there’s no teamwork, no communication, no motivation”, “we’re working hard yet targets aren’t being met”. And these feelings are not unique to this company!
Creating an Open and Honest Environment
We fostered an environment where participants felt comfortable sharing concerns and dispelling unhelpful “truths” that had been circulating and growing in hushed voices within huddled groups. Through open dialogue, they identified gaps in communication and teamwork. As Simon K. put it, “We all want to come and do an honest day’s work and have a good time. No one wants tension.”
Establishing Effective Agreements
The group agreed on the need for clear agreements to enhance effectiveness. Maria J. highlighted the stress of unmet expectations and following up with colleagues and how the workshop fostered a new culture of agreement where it is not considered rude or pushy to follow up; where accountability was not only welcomed but a fundamental way of operating.
Day 3: Embracing New Possibilities
By Day 3, participants left with fresh perspectives, seeing new possibilities in their issues. We didn’t provide a manual or new knowledge; we encouraged them to think differently. Many realized their biggest barriers were themselves. As Anthony remarked, “If we want to do great things, we must think and act differently.”
Results and Reflections
The workshop’s success hinges on participants’ willingness to reflect and act. The atmosphere transformed by the end—people were energized and refocused, laughing, and planning drinks with new-found colleagues. They were a more cohesive team, everyone felt heard and had worked through their differences constructively. People saw new possibilities for their lives and work that they hadn’t seen before. They saw that things were in their control and that they could make a difference. Plus, they had committed to ambitious goals without fear of failure. And, perhaps, most importantly, they saw their potential to make a difference and understood accountability’s power in driving the business forward.
In conclusion, our workshops depend entirely on the participants’ willingness to introspect and engage. The positive changes and newfound possibilities they experienced affirmed the workshop’s impact.