About Us
Some trainers give you the theory.
Some encourage you to reflect and self discover.
We believe in theory into practice.
Through our combined knowledge and many years experience of working in HR law, training and coaching, we have developed a unique approach that gives you the up to date legal knowledge and the skills to have the conversation.
We believe training should be informative, enjoyable and practical. We will take you through the key features of each topic; we will explore the legal and commercial implications on you and your organisation. We will give you an opportunity to observe how they impact on your decision making and interactions with your team and colleagues.. You will see how adjustments can be made to minimise any negative impact and we will enable you to become aware of your own preferences, behaviours and unconscious biases.
Our aim is to ensure you leave with a clear understanding of the legal requirements of an organisation, with some solid techniques for dealing with difficult situations and a clear strategy you can apply immediately.
Topics we cover include –
- Bullying, harassment and banter
- Speaking Up at Work
- Unconscious bias
- Managing Mental health
- Challenging conversations
How we use Forum
Understanding behaviour. Building confidence..
Our live scenario format is inspired by Forum Theatre. Forum was formulated by Brazillian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal.
He did so because he wanted to make change. He wanted to facilitate understanding in and between people in order to build healthier relationships and a happier, fairer society.
We use this proactive technique within our work to facilitate an understanding of how we behave and interact with others. This creates the ability to have clearer, more conscious conversations thereby building stronger and more successful relationships in the long-term.
Our mission on our programmes is to work with delegates using Forum Theatre to observe what is and is not helpful. The programmes contain a series of scenes developed by us in advance and played out by our actors. Delegates observe a scene from beginning to end, then discuss what happened and what needs to change. The actors run the scene again. This time, delegates can stop the interaction at any point and suggest something they would like the actors to try instead.
In this way, the delegates collaborate, changing the interaction step-by-step, culminating in a positive outcome. They are able to practise in a relaxed environment, giving confidence to take what they learn back into the work place.
Meet the team
Selwyn Blyth
Business Consultant and Trainer
Selwyn studied languages at Cambridge University before switching to Law.
For years as an employment lawyer and Partner at Pinsent Masons, he often dealt with situations after they had gone wrong. By this time, the relationship between a manager and employee is likely to be strained. With this in mind, since 2004 he has developed a training and consultancy practice with the aim of helping managers avoid the mistakes which can result in disputes.
Selwyn now no longer practises as a solicitor so that he can focus exclusively on training and facilitation. There is still an employment law basis to most of what he does but he focuses on what the law requires in practice.
The practical suggestions he makes are drawn from years of talking with clients about their approach to relevant issues – and personal experience managing a team himself.
Selwyn finds it very motivating to help clients proactively with their employment issues and believes there is real value to be added in this way. When facilitating, he promotes discussion with a purpose; there is always a practical point to make. His aim is to raise awareness and build confidence to enable people to make better decisions.
Clients feedback that Selwyn…really knows his stuff and has an engaging, amusing style that he can tailor to any audience.
Vanessa Earl
Trainer
Vanessa studied BA Hons in Drama and English and then trained as an actor at the internationally renowned Jacques Lecoq Theatre school, a movement based drama school, in Paris. She has worked as an actor for over twenty years for companies such as the RSC, the National Theatre, the BBC and ITV. She has worked as an actor-facilitator for sixteen years, building on her experiential skills with training such as: a Foundation in Counselling and Psychotherapy; Anger and Stress Management; Forum Theatre and The Rainbow of Desire with Augusto Boal and Adrian Jackson.
Through this work she has become passionate about facilitating change in people. She works with individuals and groups within corporate business and public service: Finance, Law, Health, Academia, and Business. She has been part of many different teams delivering development centres across the UK and Europe.
‘Vanessa wants to make a difference through the work she does; she is hard-working, values driven, engaging, empathetic and always curious…she builds relationships with others that encourages them to take risks in service of their own learning and development.’ Jamie Ripman and Philipa Williams: Practive
She was fortunate enough to train in Forum Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed and Rainbow of Desires with its’ originator Augusto Boal having discovered his work whilst at University. She earned a 1st in her drama degree and was awarded the Bradbury Prize for Drama for her final year Forum Theatre project with young Deaf people in Cheshire.
‘She has a strong focus on the underlying reasons for undertaking any work she leads and makes the work feel valuable and important. Through her training at the Lecoq School she also offers a unique insight into the physical aspect of creating business impact and presence.’ Jamie Ripman and Philipa Williams: Practive.
Mike Rogers
Trainer
Mike began a career as an actor and director in the 1980s and has performed in
theatre film and TV all over the world, as well as radio and voice work. He has
taught and directed in several of the top UK drama schools and works as a
communication skills consultant across a wide range of sectors.
Mike has been using applied theatre in business for over 25 years, typically helping
people develop the skills and confidence required to conduct themselves as
effectively as possible in important conversations or meetings. His style is warm and considerate and informal. He has particular expertise in audience engagement and leadership development, with global experience in facilitation, presentation-skills, feedback, bespoke role-play, voice, body-language and personal impact, forum theatre, coaching, business simulations, negotiation, conflict resolution, storytelling and transactional analysis.
He has a first class BA in English and Theatre Studies, an MA in Shakespeare
Studies, is a qualified NLP practitioner, has a Diploma in Body Language from the
NLP Centre of Excellence and is a member of the International Association of Neuro Linguistic Programming and Coaching..