Thrive in Change
We help you as individuals, teams or leaders to build resilience, manage stress and develop your ability to thrive in change through developing your change readiness and agility. We guide you as people leaders to facilitate sustainable change and develop a growth mindset culture.
All of our change programmes have as their foundation, a deep understanding of the nature of change and human behaviour. It is only when we work with those facing change and feeling uncertain, in an empathic and compassionate manner, that we can achieve the desired results, so bringing everyone with us on the change journey.
We offer 5 core programmes related to thriving in change starting with our flagship 'Dealing with Change and Building Resilience' programme that can be delivered online or face to face, plus 4 additional programmes that cover confidence, self-care, emotion regulation (staying col under pressure) and leading teams through change.
More information below.
You can now access the Programme instantly!
Whether you are an individual looking to become more comfortable with change, a leader looking to guide your teams through change or a team wanting to thrive in change, we have a programme that is suitable for you. Whoever you are, if you want to build your resilience muscle and embrace change, this is the programme for you.
"The insight on how the brain works has helped me plan my day and week better to avoid 'going limbic'! I now plan tasks which require new thinking or concentration for limited periods throughout each day and break them up with routine tasks" Programme participant Cuscal
BrainSmart Change Development Programmes
Transforming our approach to Change and building our Capacity to Thrive
Why this is Important
Our working world has changed and will continue to change beyond recognition. Since the pandemic struck, we have had to adapt quickly and in very stressful circumstances and it's taking its toll on our mental health, productivity and ability to thrive in change.
Our lives have become more complex with continual changing circumstances. At work, we are experiencing fast-paced, last minute change, we are experiencing information overload and we are dealing with greater levels of certainty than ever before. These life pressures are resulting in increased exposure to physical and emotional stress and are making it more difficult for us to stay focused, be present and find a healthy work-life balance.
We know that negative stress impacts our ability to think effectively, make decisions, come up with new ideas, maintain good relationships, and cope well under pressure.
It's time to move from surviving in change to thriving in change
Programme Overview
BrainSmart Case Study
We have been working with an organisation in the Financial Services sector since 2016 delivering the Dealing with Change and Building Resilience programme in a blended learning format and with significant positive results.
Dealing with Change and Building Resilience explores how we can learn to make change our friend, to get comfortable with change and even to embrace it through a deeper understanding of the human biology of change, what we can predict about change and how we respond or react to change. With this knowledge we can then build easy to implement strategies that reduce our stress responses and help develop greater change readiness and agility, leaving us energised, able to focus and, most of all, to be present with our colleagues and loved ones.
This 6 module comprehensive online workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge, strategies and tools to thrive in change and boost your resilience levels both within and outside the work environment.
Each module comes with a series of short videos, exercises, quizzes and downloadable editable workbooks. Each Module builds on the next and there are opportunities to reflect on your learning at the end of each module. There are also optional projects to complete between modules.
Module 1 – The History of Change and our Brains and Change
Module 2 – Understanding Stress
Module 3 – Strategies for reducing Stress
Module 4 – Understanding Change
Module 5 – Strategies for dealing with Change
Module 6 – Building Resilience
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the nature of change from the perspective of evolution and neuroscience
- Uncover what we can predict about change and how to turn emotional reactions into measured responses
- Explore the nature of stress, our individual stress triggers and what to do to reduce and minimise stress
- Discover the 3 elements of self-care that boost our ability to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity
- Master simple yet highly effective strategies and tools that build and strengthen our resilience muscle
- Identify the strategies used by the world’s most resilient people and learn how to develop the capacity to bounce back from adversity
- Create easy to implement action plans that equip you with the tools and tactics to stay cool under pressure, deal with uncertainty and thrive in fast-paced change
- Come away with a greater sense of clarity, control and calm
Feedback from Past Programme Participants
“Amazing information to understand how we are built to resist change and how we are also equipped to manage stress and deal with change in a positive way” TAFE NSW
"The corporate workplace is a place of high change. This sort of training is so valuable for all organisational levels as the BrainSmart approach delivers quality, professional, scientific approaches, based on human neuroscience, that will help any individual think about their approach to challenging situations and be able to handle situations with building resilience to move forward. Really enjoyed the online training and do refer back to the video at times of difficult situations. Highly recommended". The Speaker's Practice
“Please thank whoever arranged this course for us. Today I felt happy coming to work as I no longer feel helpless as I have new strategies to explore in terms of why I feel what I feel in situations and how I can communicate to get my needs met. It has been another defining moment in my life.” Unitywater
"The insight on how the brain works has helped me plan my day and week better to avoid 'going limbic'! I now plan tasks which require new thinking or concentration for limited periods throughout each day and break them up with routine tasks" Cuscal
Please click on the video link below and download the programme flyer to find out more.
Building Change Agility and Capability, Minimising Change Resistance
Why this is important
Our world has changed forever and there is no going back, there will be no ‘new normal’ and the way we lead teams through change also has to change. The nature and complexity of change requires leaders to understand the nature of change, from acceptance through to resistance, from fearing to embracing.
Still today, the reasons that change initiatives fail are all down to human factors (McKinsey & Co).
This highly practical and interactive programme focuses on a leader’s ability firstly to understand then guide teams through continuous and complex change environments – one brain at a time.
By exploring how and why each individual has a unique response to change, leaders can tailor their approach for greater engagement and productivity.
Course Overview
Leading Teams through Change explores the nature of change from our earliest days, how our brains respond to change and how we can use knowledge of our biology and neurology to create change environments where people feel safe to apply new ways of working.
We address change resistance and how best to work with it, explore the predictable dynamics of change and the do’s and don’ts of communicating change effectively.
Leaning Outcomes
- Identify the impact of the changing landscape ‘post pandemic’ and what this means for people centred change
- Explore how our brain equips us for survival, where change resistance comes from and how to deal with it
- Uncover the myriad factors leading people to have an individual change response
- Learn how to create a psychologically safe change environment where people can share their concerns without repercussion
- Study the language of change and how to communicate key change messages in a way that gets buy in
DOWNLOAD LEADING TEAMS THROUGH CHANGE FLYER
"Understanding how the brain functions (BrainSmart) was fascinating and has helped me to be more aware of and understand my team's reaction to change. I hope to be able to manage change and their reaction better going forward"
Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Personal Leadership
Why this is Important
We operate in a VUCA world, a business environment that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.
It seems that we are faced on a daily basis with having to do more with less, cope with an unprecedented volume and speed of change and make decisions and solve problems to ever-increasing complex issues – then go home and forget all about it.
The pressure is on for us to be effective and efficient despite all of these challenges and, according to research from multiple sources (inc. Work Safe Australia and Medibank), workplace stress is affecting 73% of workers in Australia, which means that we need to address how we manage pressure and stress.
Course Overview
Staying Cool Under Pressure is an exploration into the world of understanding stress and regulating emotions. It’s the nearest we’ll ever get to having a user manual for the brain and the strategies that we share are guaranteed to work….if implemented.
The focus is on developing strategies to help people keep their head when all around seems in chaos, to remain calm under pressure and transition from work to home arriving fully present for loved ones.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the key parts of the brain responsible for staying calm and ‘losing it’
- Explore 4 core pressure sources in the workplace
- Build self-awareness around individual pressure points
- Identify your sweet spot for positive stress and performance
- Learn 8 strategies for staying cool under pressure, all of which are immediately implementable
- Understand the critical difference between reacting and responding
- Learn and apply practical, sustainable strategies for staying cool under pressure
We also deliver a leader’s version of this program focusing on specific leadership challenges and strategies
“You delivered an engaging and highly interactive session on Staying Cool under Pressure as part of my firm’s learning and development seminars for in-house lawyers. The session thoughtfully explored the world of understanding stress and managing emotions. We were challenged to think differently in order to become better leaders and managers that are inspiring, imaginative and engaging” – SL - Squire Patton Boggs
Addressing our ‘real’ Fears and Building Confidence to Present with Impact
Why this is important
It is widely accepted that fear of public speaking is a major obstacle in business and life for many and can hold us back significantly from progress.
The real fear is not the speaking per se, we do that on a daily basis, rather it’s the doubting internal dialogue starting with “What If?”
Course Overview
Speak UP! Is a comprehensive, highly experiential workshop that takes participants on a journey of building confidence, delivering with confidence and clarity, maintaining control to authentically influence others.
Delivered in 2 parts, the first element of this program explores, uncovers and deals with those fears and concerns we have about speaking in public and influencing those in authority.
The second part of the program covers preparation, presenting and influencing skills that result in audiences being and staying engaged and motivated to action. We explore end to end from an attention-grabbing opening to an impactful conclusion and close.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the role of the mind in creating ineffective protection strategies
- Explore our unique stress response and how to manage it
- Use knowledge of the mind to prepare effectively and deliver with gravitas
- Learn and apply a highly effective model for structuring your presentations
- Uncover the power of story and metaphor over data and statistics
- Address the needs and preferences of the audience in every presentation
- Deal confidently and calmly with unexpected challenges and questions
- Model the excellence you see in the greatest influencers of our time
“Clare has a great way of simplifying how your brain deals with speaking and rationalising thoughts and behaviours. She gave me some great tips in how to tweak my performance and get the audience engaged and was able to help me think about succinct sound bites that the audience will take away and remember!” HC - HC Marketing
Recognising the Importance of self-care in Wellbeing and Performance
Why this is Important
We could be forgiven for thinking that we’re in some kind of film, an alternate reality – but the truth is, we are firmly ensconced in these topsy turvy times and it’s taking its toll.
As people who spend their working (and probably home) lives serving others, it’s all too easy to lose focus on yourself – and that’s not a sustainable strategy.
Terms such as compassion fatigue are finding their way into everyday vernacular. There is a cost to caring without serving yourself first, a cost that isn't always easy to recover.
Course Overview
Serve Yourself First! is an exploration into the world of self-care from differing perspectives and why, though maybe an overused cliché, we need to metaphorically put on our own oxygen masks first, before helping others.
There are conditions that our brains and bodies require to function effectively and when any of those conditions are neglected, the whole system is impacted and with negative consequences.
It’s time to invest some quality time learning about the benefits of self-care, what self-care does to our amazing brains and simple, easy-to-implement strategies to replenish your cup and recharge your batteries for good!
Learning Outcomes
• Why self-care is a critical element of resilience
• Why prioritising self-care is the only way to serve others
• The 3-legged stool of self-care and the difference it can make to your physical, mental and emotional health
• The importance of creating boundaries, keeping commitments and setting priorities
• How to create and maintain self-care habits, rituals and routines
• Self-care strategies that don’t cost the earth yet can work wonders
Clare's 'Serve Yourself First' workshop was absolutely packed with clearly delivered information and strategies, and the team commented on how valuable it was to have practical tips and tools that could be easily applied. Alison Cannell, UnitingCare