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On-demand resources, in-demand skills

An ever growing community of coaches, faciliators and designers and subject experts — designing and delivering learning experiences and resources that make a real impact on your business challenges.

Nickandray

Creative director, and Saboteur co-founder, Nick Eagleton believes the secret to generating great ideas is generating more of them. And that starts with making connections.

How to generate more ideas (and get to the good ones) with Nick Eagleton

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We are often told to start with ‘Why’ when approaching new projects. But all that soul-searching upfront can be a difficult place to begin. Creative Director Nick Eagleton argues that starting with ‘What’ and ‘Who’ makes answering the ‘Why’ a whole lot easier.

A three-step approach to finding your ‘Why’

Catherine Allison

The way we speak is often just as important as what we’re saying. Communication expert Catherine Allison talks us through using our voice to convey authority, gravitas and impact.

How to influence decisions and boost gravitas with your voice

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You’ve got a big presentation tomorrow and you’re panicking. Before you know it you’ve spiralling into that deep, dark place where you feel useless and you’ve forgotten what you’re going to say. Communication expert Catherine Allison has some practical tips for overcoming low self-esteem and boosting your confidence, so that people will listen to what you have to say.

Upping your gravitas by silencing your inner critic and amplifying your inner coach

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Ben Ludlow works within Whitehall, helping Department for Transport Ministers to get their points across succinctly. Here he explains why being clear in your writing is so important, and the quick clarity test to do before filing copy.

How to check your writing for clarity

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Ben Ludlow has worked within government and business, helping people to get their points across effectively. Here he explains how to apply the 'rule of three' in email, presentations and copy.

Using the 'Rule of Three' to communicate memorable ideas

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Edie Lush is a communications trainer specialising in presentational and public speaking skills. Here she outlines the importance of pausing when presenting in order to build relationships.

How to pause when presenting

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Edie Lush is a communications trainer specialising in presentational and public speaking skills. Here she explains how to do eye contact in a way that makes everybody feel included.

Working with eye contact

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Edie Lush is a communications trainer specialising in presentational and public speaking skills. Here she shows how to ditch the jargon and get to the point.

The power of plain language in presentations

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Copywriter and Creative Director Steve Harrison talks about how putting the reader in the driving seat can transform our writing.

The power of 'You' in writing

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Author and entrepreneur Chris Baréz-Brown talks about how the simple act of writing a letter to someone who’s had a big impact on your life can help you feel more thankful every day.

How writing a letter can breed gratitude

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Author and entrepreneur Chris Baréz-Brown shares some easy techniques for priming your day with positive energy, with very little effort.

Filling your day with excitement and gratitude

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Matt Gypps is a longstanding member of digital product studio ustwo and the creator of the Pixel Perfect Precision Handbook. In this film he explains the essential role that microcopy plays in creating smooth digital experiences.

What designers need to know about microcopy

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Isabel Farchy is the founder of Creative Mentor Network, a social enterprise set up to foster a new generation of emerging creative talent. Isabel puts mentoring at the heart of relationships between young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and creative industry professionals. Here she shares perspectives on how both mentors and mentees can mutually make the most of the opportunity offered by mentoring.

Skills and mindsets for making mentoring meaningful

Creative talent specialist Rachel Gott helped to establish Who's Your Momma — a mentoring programme run for women working in the creative industries. In this film Rachel explains some important considerations, to ensure both mentor and mentee make the most of a match.

Setting mentoring relationships up for success

Coaching is simply a conversation between two people. When done right, it should feel like the best conversation about you that you’ve ever had. Here’s how it works – and why accredited coach Liz Whitney thinks it’s the future of work.

The impact of coaching, and it's distinction from mentoring

Sarah Wood co-founded ad-tech business Unruly, building it into a multi-million pound enterprise — acquired by News Corp in 2015. Sarah has since published the book Stepping Up, setting out her beliefs on how to lead and manage modern teams in conscious, purposeful and human ways.

Practical pointers for authentic leadership

Hilary

Hilary Gallo is a coach, and author of The Power of Soft and Fear Hack. Here, Hilary describes the impact he sees coaching having, both at an individual level, and also within the cultures of the organisations he works with.

Coaching, and creating coaching cultures

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Vocal Coach to the stars Ingrid Gray walks us through some warm up techniques to up our vocal impact in all kinds of situations. 

Vocal confidence warm up exercises

Ingrid2

Vocal Coach Ingrid Gray takes use through some simple techniques for better and clearer articulation.

Vocal techniques for clearer articulation

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If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll have more ideas than you know what to do with. Head of Content at MADE.com Ray Murphy talks to Creative Director Nick Eagleton about two very different methods to get down to the ones that work.

How to set your ideas on fire

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MADE.com’s Head of Content Ray Murphy talks to Creative Director Nick Eagleton about how to use the senses to turn our team’s ideas into a tangible reality.

Taking your concept into the real world

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HR leader and neurodiversity subject expert, Anne shares insights into this particular neurodivergent condition as well as the strengths and challenges that accompany it.

Neurodiversity know-how. Dyslexia with Dr. Anne Cockayne

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Neurodiversity know-how. ADHD with Dr. Anne Cockayne

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Neurodiversity know-how. Autism with Dr. Anne Cockayne

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HR leader and neurodiversity subject expert Anne shares a short overview of the concept of neurodiversity, the distinction between being neurodivergent and neurotypical and the meaning of the 'neurodiversity paradigm'

Neurodiversity explained, with Dr. Anne Cockayne

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HR leader and neurodiversity subject expert Dr. Anne Cockayne shares some insights into the concept of 'adjustment', distinguishing those that are 'proactive' from those that are 'reactive' — and advocating for plenty of intention around the former.

Neuroinclusion at work: Thinking about adjustments

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HR leader and neurodiversity subject expert Dr. Anne Cockayne shares some insights into the 'Spiky Profile' — a fascinating way to differentiate neurotypical and neurodivergent profiles, and remind ourselves of the opportunity for strengths based approaches to managing and collaborating with others.

Neurodiversity know-how: The Spiky Profile explained

Neurodivergent Perspectives Lexi Keegan in conversation with Dr Anne Cockayne low

In this conversational film, Senior Social Researcher Lexi Keegan and HR leader and neurodiversity subject expert Dr. Anne Cockayne discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with being neurodivergent at work (both as a manager and team member), the power of strengths-based approaches in teams and how different approaches to disclosure around neurodivergence can best drive considerate and intentional inclusion. Anne and Lexi are also mother and daughter.

Neurodivergent Perspectives. Lexi Keegan in conversation with Dr. Anne Cockayne

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The Diversity Partnership founders, and YCN Associate Abi Adamson shares some purposeful perspective on what she refers to here as 'The P word'. Awareness of our own privilege, and opportunities to reflect on its nature can create powerful chances to use it in the service of others.

Perspectives on privilege, with Abi Adamson

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The Diversity Partnership founder shares an invitation to reflect on your own privilege and characteristics — and the moments in life in which we've had to consider them.

Privilege reflections. With Abi Adamson

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The Diversity Partnership founder advocates for widening our world view —  and that ensuring rich, relevant and diverse perspectives are present in our social media feeds.

Diversify your feed. With Abi Adamson

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"No-ones looking for a grand gesture". In this short film The Diversity Partnership founder makes the case for us all being able to identify our privilege and to practically use it in the service of others.

What's your Privilege Pledge? With Abi Adamson

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Here Abi, founder of The Diversity Partnership, demystifies the idea of allyship; adovcating for its importance at work — and drawing a distinction between being an ally and being a saviour.

Effective Allyship. With Abi Adamson

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Abi creates some distinctions between the different types of allyship available to us — and advocates for those that really see us intentionally advancing opportunities for others in the day-to-day.

Mentors, Sponsors and Champions. With Abi Adamson

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Get your team into a creative frame of mind by turning limiting thinking patterns into liberating mindsets with this quick game that will also bring a smile. With Ray Murphy and Nick Eagleton.

From discos to black holes: a game that unlocks creativity

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Briefs often come in the form of lengthy presentations and complex problems. Nick Eagleton and Ray Murphy talk about how to get to the heart of the task at hand.

The first thing you should do when receiving a new brief

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Catherine Allison and Ray Murphy discuss the subtle ways to establish gravitas within the confines of a video conference.

How to command an on-screen presence

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Copywriter Vikki Ross shares some tips on getting started when you’re staring at a blank page.

How to start writing

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Copywriter Vikki Ross on the importance of defining, and being consistent with, with the language your brand uses.

The secret to a successful Tone of Voice

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Vikki Ross reveals how to get out there and get under the skin of a brand before writing on their behalf.

How to write with authority for brands

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Digital product studio ustwo founder Matt Miller — aka Mills —  describes his experience of ADHD, what it's meant for his working relationships and the transformative power of neurodiversity.

ADHD, work and leading teams — a first person perspective

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Copywriter and Creative Director Steve Harrison describes how simple words will make people read your writing.

Keep it simple. Quick and effortless copywriting

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Copywriter and Creative Director Steve Harrison goes over the subtle grammatical shift you can make to transform your copy.

Writing in the active voice

Chris Barez Brown on standing up low

In this short video, author and entrepreneur Chris Baréz-Brown explains how movement can help unlock creativity.

Why you should work standing up

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Roger Horberry is an author and copywriter. Here he demystifies the writing process, and offers a helpful tip for crafting good copy.

Clear and simple copy

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Most of us are pretty bad at breathing, even though it's one of the most important things you can do to improve brain performance. Author and entrepreneur Chris Baréz-Brown shares a quick exercise to get you back in the zone.

Breathing for productivity

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Here, Leadership Coach Louise shares some personal insight on the perpetual relevance of Goleman's simple framework for emotionally intelligent leaders. And she offers some actionable thinking too, for those keen to flex the styles in their own relationships.

Daniel Goleman's Six Leadership Styles, explained by Louise Hedges

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Coach Louise Hedges and manager Rebecca Eastwood use a set of YCN visual strengths cards to kick off a purposeful conversation. A handy resource if you plan to do the same.

A coaching conversation around strengths

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In this short film, clinical psychologist and author of the bestselling Stressilient Sam shares some actionable insights on managing unhelpful thoughts.

How do you notice your thoughts? With Dr. Sam Akbar

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Aiming to raise our emotional awareness, clinical psychologist and author of the bestselling Stressilient Dr. Sam Akbar shares a powerful question — and a useful metaphor — for letting go

Letting go of emotions. With Dr. Sam Akbar

Sam invites you to experiment with a couple of techniques for bringing a different perspective to your emotions — and in the process more purposefully managing them.

Making room for emotions (and the weather). With Dr. Sam Akbar

Sam makes the case for everyday mindfulness as a powerful tool in the pursuit of greater fortitude. She challenges our thinking on the topic, and guides us through a simple, experimental exercise.

Everyday mindfulness. With Dr. Sam Akbar

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With the promise of easy and purposeful mindfulness in mind — Sam introduces here a personal favourite exercise, something that helps her to train her attention twice a day, And as always, she invites you to give it a go too.

Mindful toothbrushing. With Dr. Sam Akbar

Sam's intention here is to guide you through something that should further help to train that 'attention muscle' — while also underlining the importance of making space for emotions.

Anchor dropping. With Dr. Sam Akbar

Sam shares an exercise to help you keep focussed in the moments that matter most — drawing on the sensorial input from all around you. And it's something she uses personally to combat procrastination.

5,4,3,2,1 — a mindfulness technique. With Dr. Sam Akbar

Urge surfing is an approach developed by psychologists Alan Marlatt and Judith Gordon, and drawn from their work on addiction. It compounds many of the practices and principles that Sam advocates for more broadly, based on her clinical experiences.

Urge surfing. With Dr. Sam Akbar

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For those embarking on experimentation with the coaching style — perhaps as part of a YCN programme — here are some words of encouragement from coach-facilitator Kate Lloyd.

Kate Lloyd's nudge, on the coaching leadership style

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Coach Kate Lloyd and people-manager Catherine Ollington share perspectives on the opportunity for managers to take a coaching approach — and the benefits that abound when they do.

Kate and Catherine on the coaching opportunity

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Coach Kate Lloyd and people-manager Catherine Ollington share perspectives on what makes for powerful questions, and how a bias to curiosity can be one of the most purposeful perspectives when managing teams.

Kate and Catherine on questioning well

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Coach Kate Lloyd and people-manager Catherine Ollington share perspectives on the art of listening — and the immediate impact listening well has on the relationships that matter most.

Kate and Catherine on intentional listening

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Coach Kate Lloyd and people-manager Catherine Ollington share their take on the importance of deliberate pausing, and resisting the temptation to fill silence, when holding space for quality conversations.

Kate and Catherine on pausing, for conversational space

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Productivity lover Matt Cook introduces the concept of Time Blocking, and how being more intentional (and visual) about the ways we plan our days helps us to get more of the right stuff done.

Time Blocking, and bringing some colour into your calendar

In this short film, Kas from Cubitts shares some reflections on the listening and questioning skills he's just learned in a Peer Coaching workshop, with facilitator Matt Cook. Deepen your own skills in this space, by taking a look at the eCourse that follows the film below.

Kas's reflections on listening and questioning well

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In this short film, Matteo from Cubitts shares some reflections on the coaching skills he's just learned in a Peer Coaching workshop, with facilitator Matt Cook. You can deepen your own skills in this space, by taking a look at the eCourse that follows the film below.