Welcome
What We Do
Adding value to our clients
Harnessing the power of dialogue and communication builds competitive advantage. Our clients know this and that is why they seek our services.
We make time to understand the client's world and they find the solutions we design are directly relevant to their needs. That is why they trust us and recommend us to others.
Our work delivers results. Our clients experience the benefits again and again, and that is why they continue to use our services.
Hints & Tips
Difficult Messages
When you have a difficult message to share, avoid beginning the conversation with excessive 'small talk' dialogue such as discussing the weather or the traffic. This may make you feel...
Difficult Messages
When you have a difficult message to share, avoid beginning the conversation with excessive "small talk" dialogue such as discussing the weather or the traffic. This may make you feel better, but will make it more difficult to get down to the subject in hand. Have your opening statement clearly prepared. This statement should be direct and clearly state what the conversation is about, and it should be brief. End your opening statement with an open question (e.g. "What is your view about this?", "How do you see this?" or "What happened from your point of view?"). This allows the other person to be engaged in the conversation from the outset.
Fight or Flight
In any conversation there is a risk that what is commonly known as the 'fight or flight response' will be triggered. This is a physiological response that occurs when a...
Fight or Flight
In any conversation there is a risk that what is commonly known as the 'fight or flight response' will be triggered. This is a physiological response that occurs when a part of the brain known as the amygdala is triggered by a real, perceived or imagined threat. A blow to the ego such as a suggestion that our work is not up to scratch, or an idea we have posited is ineffective, can be sufficient to trigger the amygdala. This causes us to become defensive, and we will either withdraw from the conversation or argue back. If you find yourself wanting to react emotionally during a conversation, look upwards - this will help you to manage the emotional response; looking up engages the rational part of your brain and will focus you on achieving a positive outcome from the conversation.
Change Your Thinking
It is generally recognised that the impact of what we say is driven by tone of voice and body language more than words.Less well known is that usually our tone...
Change Your Thinking
It is generally recognised that the impact of what we say is driven by tone of voice and body language more than words.Less well known is that usually our tone of voice, body language and words are chosen subconsciously, and driven by what we think and feel at any given moment in time. Trying to control tone of voice, body language and words through external behaviours (e.g. trying to appear calm when we are actually feeling nervous) is relatively ineffective. The only way to effectively manage the complete message that we are portraying is to change our thoughts. This in turn will change what we feel - and hence our behaviours.
Influencing Others
Whether coaching, giving feedback, making a presentation or sharing our views in a meeting, the fundamental purpose of most business conversations is to influence others. Most people try to do...
Influencing Others
Whether coaching, giving feedback, making a presentation or sharing our views in a meeting, the fundamental purpose of most business conversations is to influence others. Most people try to do so by talking at the other person in an attempt to persuade them of the value of the idea. The skilled influencer asks questions; helping the other person to think through, for themselves, the idea being presented. By doing so, they are more likely to overcome their own objections and agree to support the idea.
Accept Their Viewpoint
When we are listening to what others have to say, we can confirm that we accept their viewpoint - without necessarily suggesting that we agree with it. Whatever they say,...
Accept Their Viewpoint
When we are listening to what others have to say, we can confirm that we accept their viewpoint - without necessarily suggesting that we agree with it. Whatever they say, never respond with "Yes, but..." That discounts what they have just said and will either lead them to fight back or cause them to close down. Instead give a neutral response such as, "Thank you. I can understand that."
Listening to Understand
Listening to understand the other person should be our default mode in any conversation. More commonly, however, we listen to judge. Usually when we listen, we mistakenly think it is...
Listening to Understand
Listening to understand the other person should be our default mode in any conversation. More commonly, however, we listen to judge. Usually when we listen, we mistakenly think it is enough to listen actively. That means nodding, making listening noises (yes, hmmm) and so forth. However, it is possible to actively listen and yet still be judging. A judgemental approach usually means that, as soon as the other person stops speaking or simply pauses for breath, we leap in with our viewpoint. All too often this begins "Yes, but..." or "Don’t you think that..." Listening to understand means giving the other person space to speak and share their views without any judgement on our part. This is a powerful technique for two reasons. Firstly, you get more information about the individual’s views. Secondly, the other individual is much more likely to listen to you if you have first listened to them.
Our Team
TOM COULTER
Tom Coulter
Programme Manager
In his previous role of Product Manager for a leading manufacturing company, Tom oversaw the delivery of high spec products to an international customer base. Ensuring that orders arrived on time, undamaged and met the exact customer requirements meant he became finely attuned to getting the details right. Our clients benefit from this attention to detail when Tom undertakes the role of Programme Manager. They can be sure that he is taking care of every element of project and programme management so that they experience a seamless service at every step of their work with us. He combines this with solid understanding of the potential complexity involved when providing services and products to a global market, essential when supporting our international clients.
ANNE KELLY
Anne Kelly
Consultant
"Managing the loyalties of conflicting groups is central to achieving successful change. In order to keep communication lines open and clear, honest dialogue is essential."
Anne has held several director-level posts within the NHS, leading politically sensitive and publicly-scrutinised change. This experience, plus her incisive and direct style, mean that she is particularly skilful at helping leaders and teams engage in the dialogue that drives up individual and team performance and leads to critical goals being achieved within tight deadlines.
JANE SENIOR
Jane Senior
Consultant
"An individual's ability to communicate authentically is central to sustaining effective working relationships."
For Jane, helping to create the conditions where groups and teams feel safe enough to be honest with each other about what is really going on, and are able to communicate this effectively, is vital. She enables teams to build an environment where challenging, real and engaging conversations are part of the day-to-day fabric of their working life so that everyone’s energy is focused on achieving the results that matter.
HEATHER CAMPBELL
Heather Campbell
Consultant
"Improving our communication skills is simple – the secret is to focus on changing our thoughts rather than our behaviours. Get the thinking right and the right behaviours will automically follow."
Heather’s background in psychology combined with executive level experience showed her that individuals, teams and organisations can be significantly more successful simply by changing the way they communicate. Her passion for helping organisations and individuals access this unrealised potential led to her establishing Campbell McWilliams. Her particular skill lies in helping individuals and teams communicate honestly and constructively so that they resolve difficult issues and use conflict as a powerful force for progress.
JONATHAN WILSON
Jonathan Wilson
Consultant
"Mary Follett said that real organisational power - the ability to change things together - comes from integrating differences without losing them. Only power-with or power-through sustains, never power-over. So only genuine dialogue in which everyone is truly present generates real, sustainable power."
Jonathan brings a creative and unusual perspective to situations, a strength which he uses to great advantage when facilitating strategic planning at Board level. He asks questions that engage our clients in dialogue that challenges engrained thinking and generates exciting ideas about new ways to take their business forward. He supports their open exploration of possibilities and enables them to build a clear, cohesive and agreed strategic direction.
TOR JUSTAD
Tor Justad
Programme Manager
"Great communication goes hand-in-hand with excellent customer service."
With a background in customer service and leisure management, Tor has spent more than a decade in front-line, customer-facing roles. A great communicator with a keen eye for detail, he will always go out of his way to provide our clients with the best possible service; helping them feel at ease, confident in the knowledge that all of the logistical and administrative aspects of our programmes are being handled fully and effectively. Tor is a firm believer in "going the extra mile" and endeavours to do just that with each of our clients; always keeping in mind their specific, individual and sometimes complex needs.
MAGGIE COLMAN
Maggie Colman
Consultant
"People will remember how our conversation made them feel long after they have forgotten detail of what we said."
Maggie’s passion lies in customer service and sales and she believes that, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing excellently. Her enthusiasm and drive energises those who work in customer service and sales so that they want to excel, and her ability to pass on her expertise in these areas ensures they have the skills to do so. As a result, sales teams bring in significantly higher levels of new business and customer service teams drive up satisfaction across the existing customer base, increasing both customer retention and customer loyalty.