Courses

“Jane created an environment for me to really stop and think about what was holding me back in my career. She allowed me the space to not to just simply externalise issues but to understand how my behaviours (or my lack of “leaning-in”) were actively impacting the future. I had deep seated assumptions which were impacting my everyday – and these incorrect assumptions were bringing the past into my future. Shaking off these assumptions allowed me to grow in confidence and actually reengage with the business. The impact on me, my team, and the perception of senior leaders has been transformatory.”

I just wanted you to know how powerful the thinking environment can be and how it most definitely can be used within a financial planning context. The skills I learnt with you on those three days at the Greenwoods Hotel will stay with me for the rest of my working life – thank you.

“Jane’s Developing a Thinking Environment 3 day programme provided a small safe environment and in particular I valued the quality of the interactions with Jane and with my fellow delegates, the 2 day + 1 day structure, the chance to practice and Jane’s role modelling of the approach in everything she does. As a result of this programme, for now, I am noticing better connection through more focused listening. Also, and very personally, the course has reignited my interest in coaching and my desire to refresh and extend my organisational development practice. It has changed my plans for 2016. We will see what exciting outcomes stem from that change!”

“Jane’s Thinking Partner Programme delivered intelligent, rigorous teaching and skills practice with patience and grace.  Having attended, I have complete faith in the process and a renewed faith in mankind’s ability to work through anything when given the respect, time and space to do so. Thank you Jane for this wonderful learning opportunity”.

“I wanted to thank you immensely from the bottom of my heart for guiding us through three of the most amazing days that I have experienced in recent times. I really liked your elegant and sophisticated style which made my learning such great fun. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you and the team during the three days and can’t wait for the re-union”.

“I highly recommend Jane Adshead-Grant’s approach to delivering her individually crafted Thinking Partner Programme.  She embodies courage, grace and wisdom and this creates an empowering experiential environment where I was encouraged, as both a Thinker and Thinking Partner, to be bold, courageous and to become a thinking environment.  Her calm and confident presence was congruent with the components of a Thinking Environment.  Her demonstrations were masterful and role modeled excellence, which truly enabled us all to reach high from the beginning.   To invest in oneself to become a Thinking Partner is a worthy aspiration, to think better for oneself and to help others think independently opens a whole series of possibilities, and to train with Jane was inspirational.” 

“As a coach I understand the importance of creating a coaching space and using my intuition to ‘hear’ what is unsaid.  The Thinking Partnership training I undertook with Jane Adshead-Grant has brought a deeper dimension to my coaching practice: I have discovered the power of creating a space for a client to explore uninterrupted, verbalised thinking cycles is remarkable. At the same time, as a coach I have learned the power of silent attention: instead of asking the power question, I create the space for my client to ask it of themselves. This self-exploration, combined with examination of assumptions and incisive questioning, in my opinion, results in a more complete coaching conversation because the client reaches absolute clarity on their goals, and absolute conviction on the action they will take”.

“I learned the importance of preparation and developed the confidence to perform in a group knowing that my opinions are valuable.”

 “Transforming Meetings was a brilliant day and was so enjoyed by all even the initial doubters! I really feel you have made a significant difference to the way we will all behave in the future. I personally loved the day and I am left feeling more empowered.

“I have significantly improved the relationships with other participants.”
 

“I enjoyed the camaraderie of the group. I particularly valued Jane’s precision, structure and organization. Everything felt well planned and she demonstrated expert knowledge and confidence. I learned the power of the thinking environment, the importance of contracting and of the importance of words. I will embed Thinking Pairs into my coaching sessions and use at work with my colleagues.”

“Being able to share and experience with others in a true safe environment. It was useful to reflect and be able to challenge and gain insight. Taking time to think will be useful as well as the use of questions and the power of listening.’ Jake Watkins, Management Consultant, Penna Plc

‘You helped bring the books (Time to Think, More Time to Think – Nancy Kline) to life. My awareness is increased around what creates a ‘Thinking Environment’ – the components, the process and the questions. I learned the power of having space to think with a committed thinking partner.”

“I found the practical demonstrations (with Jane as the thinking partner and then as the coach) very helpful. I learned the value of the ‘paradox’ around being a thinking partner and to trust the system to facilitate a real paradigm shift.”

“I have a new way to manage my team, certainly with more respect for their opinion.”

“A stimulating thought about the impact of behaviour in meetings and how to change it for the better.”

“The impact is that people in the team will be more eager to have input into the agenda and will feel more accustomed to produce actions.”

“Remembering that everyone matters when chairing team meetings with my team and also applying to my interactions with friends and family – they are transferable skills”

“People feel valued, respected and heard by colleagues, especially their seniors.  This will improve morale and motivation amongst employees in the business.”

“Better listening made people speak and gather better/more information.”

“I learned more about my colleagues and now have a template for conducting meetings in a more productive way back in my team.”

“I learned more about my colleagues and now have a template for conducting meetings in a more productive way back in my team.”

‘I valued the study and discipline to allow for thinking.”

“Great tips on generally how to get the most out of meetings, how structure can impact the efficiency of meetings and the power of allowing people to think”.

“I valued making space as a leadership team to plan the way we work and having the time to reflect and adjust.”

“As a result of the Transforming Meetings programme, the results in our business are:

• Faster and better decision making. Ownership of decisions across the business.
• Huge increase in productivity.  Reduced frustrations.
• Shorter, higher quality, more effective, better clearer outcomes.
• Focus on what matters. Leave with actions.
• Better results, clearer priorities, common thinking in alignment, role model for others. 
• More actions, more decisions, more progress.
• Better use of time, better culture, more effective.
• Better communication and output.”

‘Being able to share and experience with others in a true safe environment. It was useful to reflect and be able to challenge and gain insight. Taking time to think will be useful as well as the use of questions and the power of listening.’ 

“The impact of this programme has lead to increased positivity, calm, concise and structured meetings.”

“Discovering a structure around conversations with an emphasis on listening to others giving them space and appreciating other’s views was most valuable.”

“The impact of holding meetings in this way has developed a shared understanding and brought coherence to the team.”

“I learned that it IS possible to contribute to ANY conversation when the opportunity is there.”

“I discovered the ability to input concisely and to focus on the topic in hand.”

“The impact of this programme has provided a better use of our time and productivity together with in an improvement in our business performance. In addition the open and respectful interaction amongst the team itself.”

“Following the Thinking Partner Retreat, I have experienced great focus, breakthrough moments, courage and positive intent. I also recognise the power of appreciation. I would say to others about this experience ‘Do it!’.”

“I attended the Thinking Partnership retreat with Jane last month and it was excellent. It had a impact on me personally and on my work as a coach and a team coach straight away. The training is very practical and as such you get to work on your own personal thoughts and challenges as well as learning techniques to be a thinking partner for others. I can honestly say that I made shifts in some personal assumptions that have been with me for decades and this made an impact on my life in the weeks that followed. I’ve also started being a thinking partner for my coaching clients and have seen them have many more of their own “a ha” moments. I cannot recommend Jane’s Thinking Partnership retreat enough, she creates such a safe and welcoming environment, thank you Jane.”

“I have recently the 3-day Thinking Partnership programme with Jane and it has been a deeply profound and grounding experience. Jane facilitated with depth, grace, intentionality, and impact that has resulted in me taking away a range of actionable insights that will help me step into my power, in service of others and in service of me being the best version of myself. You never feel for a second that Jane’s work is about her, it is always about her clients gaining the richest learning & growth experience possible. I cannot recommend Jane and her Thinking Partnership work enough. Listening, at a generative level, truly is a gift and Jane is a master practitioner to experience that with.”

“Learning to create a Thinking Environment is life changing for the Thinker and the Thinking Partner. And it feels like it’s needed now more than ever, as we face up to uncertainty, fear, turmoil, loss, fundamental change and a growing awareness of the true differences in our experiences, privilege, opportunity and power. The starting point for trust connection with each other – as colleagues, leaders, teachers, coaches, supporters, friends – has to come from our humility to really listen and to engage each other’s thinking as equal partners. We all need to learn how to do this. But although it’s what our brains intuitively need, doing it is so hard because our habits of interrupting, guiding, advice giving and thinking for others are so ingrained. Jane patiently, skilfully and compassionately helped us to unpick our habits, practice and build our understanding of this incredible, liberating process.”

“This is a perfect and evidenced-based practice that gave me the opportunity to equalise the rush I have felt at times  as a coach, when ideas and multiple connections pop up in my head, and am eager to serve with the most helpful questions. Yet, the best help is to let someone finish their thoughts and provide them with the opportunity to amplify these thoughts. This fulfilling evidenced-based thinking experience manages that possible rush and transforms it into a productive, calm, intuitive supportive process. It yields fascinating results for both the thinker and for the thinking partner. Thank you!”

“I attended the Thinking Partnership Retreat on the strength of reading Nancy Kline’s book – The Thinking Environment. The retreat with Jane was a profound experience, which has had a transformational impact on my life. I believe psychologists call it a second order change. For me, the thinking environment is validation that my most basic instincts about meetings, conversations and independent thought have been right all along – there has to be a better way and this is it! The Thinking Partnership is so beautifully simple, dignified and innate, yet as complex as the mind itself. I’m a secular meditator who has been practising meditation for twelve years. The Thinking Environment is the perfect companion to meditative practice. Where, in meditative practice, we watch the mind through awareness, observing thoughts without clinging to them; The Thinking Environment provides arena in which those thoughts can be exquisitely developed”