Research technical professionals at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) carry out vital work: identifying cancer genes, discovering new cancer drugs and revolutionising radiotherapy. Recognising the intrinsic link between collaboration, influencing, communication and the effectiveness of individual and team practices, the ICR asked Edge + Stretch to run several workshops for their staff.

Here, Aline – who was the Programme Manager during the project – explains the impact of Steve Hearsum’s sessions, why his approach was the right fit for the ICR, and offers a tale that demonstrates clearly why ‘off the shelf’, content-heavy programmes are not what leads to impactful learning.

 

Design + Impact
??Designing an impactful programme??

 

Having worked in the professional development space for two decades, John Hill, a Belfast-based Executive Coach and Supervisor, met Edge + Stretch’s Steve Hearsum through a mutual contact – and immediately ‘sat up and listened’ to what he had to say.

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This sparked John to invite to Steve to run a workshop in Belfast, and they intend on working together again, as they plan further events for coaches, change professionals and senior leaders.

 

Their first events focused on fragility and the illusion of control, topics which John said resonated profoundly with delegates.

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Design + Impact

??New words in the corporate world??

John explains: “When I first met Steve, he said some things which really caught my attention, and I immediately felt the message would work well in Northern Ireland. He used language that I’d never heard in a corporate context before, which made me really pay attention. Words like emotional intelligence and resilience are used much more commonly, but Steve was talking about shame and fragility – things you never really hear of in a professional context.

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What particularly interested me was that we all experience shame or embarrassment and fragility in some way – but what happens when we work with clients and those things are at play? We normally move into pretending or even acting, which is a place that lacks some authenticity. In doing so, we miss the opportunity to do real change work.”

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Landing + the message

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Workshop delegates were not only invited to explore the concept of fragility, but also to work on it within themselves. And on the second day, the focus moved to the illusion of control, exploring how much of organisational life is permeated by an often unconscious need to control things. That control is often illusory at best, and sometimes a delusion.

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“Two things landed really well: one was the message, the other was Steve himself. They are interesting and different topics – for the senior leaders in the room, there was a recognition that fragility and shame aren’t being talked about within their organisations, and the question arose of whether corporations were even ready to have those conversations. For change practitioners, they recognised having those feelings and began exploring how they responded to them.

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There are cultural differences between various parts of the UK, and when people come from England over to Ireland there is a narrative which has to be handled with care. I think Steve did this sensitively and skilfully. His self-depreciation, humour and own vulnerability landed well with the audience – and it went even better than I had expected!”

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Landing + the message

More to be done?????

John and Steve are already planning their next collaboration, feeling they have just ‘scratched the surface’ in terms of the scope for vertical development, and John wants to explore working with a cohort of practitioners on a longer-term basis.

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“We were explicit when advertising the event that it wasn’t for everyone: it was not a drive-by workshop; you need to come already conscious of the work that needs to be done (on yourself primarily), and having already begun focusing on your own development.

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It’s enjoyable but important work, and the kind which needs to be done if you recognise that how you show up as a leader or change practitioner is as much to do with yourself as it is what you know or what you do.

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There is often a real search for the one thing that will make a difference among people who seek learning and development solutions. What Steve speaks to is that this does not exists. Instead it’s about exploratory, difficult work that you undertake on an ongoing basis. There are no simple answers, much as we would all like one. Engaging in work with Steve is about letting go of that idea – it’s work for adults.”

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To find out more about Edge + Stretch work with organisations to support practice development, click here. Or to contact us straight away, drop us a line here.