Insights
Get in touchOur Insights
Regularly updated – the Co-Creation Team will be sharing insights on a variety of topical, relevant subjects relating to:
- Leadership
- Coaching
- Team Effectiveness
- Change
- Mindsets
- Positive Psychology
- New ways of working in this VUCA world;And a range of helpful resources designed to inform and support HR Professionals. See below for our library of informative articles and watch this space for recurring updates.
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List of Insights
What Happens Between Leaders
Why leadership teams are one of the most underdeveloped performance leversWhat is the missed opportunity in leadership teams?Leadership and management teams often function as a group of individuals. Each person has their own responsibilities to deliver, their KPIs,...
The Gift of Your Time
Time is the one thing we can never get back, yet we give it away constantly. And that, in itself, is something worth noticing. In a world wired for speed, where productivity is often prized above presence, the most human thing we can do is pause, look someone in the...
From Fear To Focus: Building Change Resilience at Work
Opening Reflection: Change as a ConstantAs a person who has experienced a lot of change in their life, I like to think I’m pretty adaptable and open-minded when it comes to change. Experiencing multiple countries, multiple schools, multiple houses, I definitely got...
The Unexpected Gifts of Coaching
By Liz Howard, Co-Creation Consultant and Coaching Psychologist Guest blog, introduced by Dave HarrisonAt Co-Creation, we often describe coaching as a space where clarity, confidence and momentum are unlocked. But ask any coach—or client—and they’ll tell you the same...
The New Career Compass: Because the Ladder Isn’t There Anymore
The world of work is shifting fast. Traditional career planning—based on fixed roles, clear next steps and long-term certainty—is no longer fit for purpose. Instead of relying on rigid career paths or role-based planning, future-fit careers are shaped by internal...
What If Career Development Isn’t Broken—Just Outdated?
For decades, career development made sense. There was a ladder to climb, a five-year plan to follow, and a promotion waiting at the top. But that world is no longer relevant, and yet many organisations are still using tools and thinking designed for a completely...
What Builds a Wellbeing Culture – and What Gets in the Way
When I first started exploring wellbeing at work, I thought the solutions would be simple. Tweak a few policies, maybe add a toolkit, offer a bit of flexibility, and that would be enough. However, the more I listened, observed, and supported people across different...
Why Culture Change Starts With a Breather: A Human-Centred Take on Wellbeing That Works
It’s not the all-hands meetings or the mission statements that create your culture. It’s what people feel at 4pm on a Thursday when they’re exhausted, drowning in emails, and still smiling because someone genuinely asked how they were, and meant it. Let me ask you...
The Power of Small Experiments in Career Planning
When we think about career planning, we often jump to the big things. New job.New title.New direction entirely. And yes, sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed.But more often, it starts smaller. The truth is, most career change doesn’t happen in one clean,...
What’s the One Piece of Advice You’d Give Your Younger Leadership Self?
The Leadership Lessons We Wish We’d Known: Advice to Our Younger Selves Stepping into a leadership role for the first time is both exhilarating and overwhelming. It comes with the weight of expectations—our own, our team’s, and our organisation’s. Looking back, there...
Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline: Why It Matters and How to Do It
Is Your Organisation Ready for a Leadership Crisis? There is a real privilege to engage with forward-thinking clients who are committed to investing in their leadership for the future. Stepping into a room recently, brimming with managers on their transition journey,...
Why Reflection Feels Uncomfortable (and How to Get Better at It)
Taking a moment to reflect on the art of Reflecting - it's harder than you think. Why is celebrating our own success so uncomfortable? So, this isn't a blog about 2024 coming to a close and how we set ourselves up to bring in the new year with gusto and positivity –...
Leading Across Generations: 3 Practical Strategies to Build Bridges
Introduction:Today’s workplace is buzzing with diversity—especially when it comes to age. With five generations (*) now in many organisations, the opportunities for collaboration (and potential for misunderstandings) have never been greater. As HRDs and OD...
Unlocking Team Potential: Leadership Through Connection, Trust, and Resilience
Leadership isn't just about hitting targets or driving results in today's fast-paced environment. It's about cultivating a team where people feel empowered, motivated, and inspired to bring their best selves to work. Great leaders understand that the path to success...
3 Powerful Ways to Build a Future-Ready Leadership Mindset
As a leader, you're expected to not only guide your team but to inspire and create lasting impact. To be the leader others look to for direction and vision, you need more than just skills and experience—you need a leadership mindset that's adaptable, authentic, and...
Exploring What It Means to have a Thriving Wellbeing Culture (and What it is not)
Given that most of us spend around half of our lives in work, it goes without saying that we would prefer that to be a positive experience, which adds to the quality of our lives and our health and wellbeing (and doesn’t detract from it)! I think most of us...
Leading with Purpose: Getting Beneath the Surface of Intent-Based Leadership
Leadership today isn't about top-down directives—it's about fostering a collaborative environment where every team member feels empowered to make decisions and contribute meaningfully. In today's volatile and complex workplaces Intent-Based Leadership has had a...
Embracing Flexibility: Coaching Tools in HR Leadership
In the dynamic field of human resources, the ability to coach effectively is becoming increasingly essential. As HR leaders and professionals, shifting from relying on rigid coaching frameworks to adopting more fluid and adaptable methods can significantly enhance...
Why Won’t they Lead?
"Why Won't They Lead? It's a great question - a leader wants a team that not only executes tasks but also anticipates needs, manages workloads autonomously, and navigates the future with foresight. This particular question, raised with me by a client about their team,...
From Rehearsal to Reality: Transforming Workplaces with Drama-based Learning
In the diverse toolkit of HR and L&D, Drama-based Learning (DBL) stands out as a versatile and impactful learning technique. At Co-Creation, we're excited to spotlight Drama-based Learning, showcasing its unique place to foster growth and development. Guided by...
Why leaders should pay attention to emotions in times of change
Change is constantly happening to us, sometimes small and incremental, sometimes huge. Sometimes we chose it, sometimes it just happened to us. However, we view change initially not just from a logical lens but from our emotions and the mixture of positives and...
Triathlon Triumph: How Success is Best When it’s Shared
In the world of sports, we often find profound lessons that can be applied to our working lives. Co-Creation Consultant and Coach Kath Thomas shares her journey from doubt to triumph in triathlons. It is a testament to the power of inclusivity, fun, teamwork,...
Team Success Simplified: The Old, the New, and the 3 Essential Factors You Need to Know
Welcome to this insightful exploration of teamwork and collaboration, with Clare Collins, your guide on this journey. As a Co-Creation Consultant with a passion for unraveling the mysteries of effective teamwork, Clare explores the power of coming together to achieve...
Conscious Leadership for Teams
In 2021 we began working with Samantha Amit to explore how leaders and teams could continue thriving in this post-pandemic world. We identified a significantly changing landscape in response to the pandemic, its accompanying macro-economic changes and rapid rise of...
Leadership Disrupted – It IS broken and we DO need to fix it!
In a rapidly changing world, a significant number of individuals are hinting at a desire for less work-centric lives, pushing leadership models to the brink of reinvention. This evolution is not just about changing work dynamics but is also deeply intertwined with...
Neuro-Inclusion – supporting everyone to thrive
Embracing Neurodiversity When I was asked to write this blog, I accepted with eagerness – Jane, you have an interest in Neurodiversity – would you be willing? - and I said “Yes”, without thinking about it too deeply. Yes, I do have friends and family who are...
Why mindset matters in Leadership
A positive mindset helps leaders influence how well others think and what they do. Do you find yourself wondering if it is really possible for people to change? Do you find yourself doubting your own ability to respond to change? Does this sometimes hold you back?...
Your First 4 Steps to Essential Leadership Skills in 2022 and Beyond
The world in which we live today is vastly different from the one that existed even just a couple of years ago. Leadership has never been one-size-fits-all. Neither is it simply just about having a particular leadership style, an inspiring vision and superb...
How to increase resourcefulness during times of change
We’re experiencing significant social change. Here’s how you can increase output and productivity amongst your team during this period.
How do you find life meaning and purpose?
Paying attention to what we feel strongly about, and being curious and experimenting with our experiences of life and work can help us identify what gives us meaning and help us point this towards a purpose of our life and work What is the point? Do you ever find...
What Science Teaches Us About Ourselves and Work
Sometimes it feels like 21st century life is at odds with being human, doesn’t it? Take work, for instance. The fundamentals of our working lives have changed and continue changing, ever more profoundly and rapidly. However, recent economic and technological...
6 Ideas for Developing Healthy Workplace Conflict
Ever been in a meeting when one person says one thing, another person says something opposite and there is that awkward moment of silence? How about when you read an email where one person shares a point of view and someone else has replied with an opposing view – do...
Co-Creation Insight : Avoid Stress by Developing Healthy Professional Networks Blog
It’s Stress Awareness Month this April and this year’s theme is Community. When you think about Community and Stress do you feel that stronger sense of Community post-lockdown? This is something that many of us have experienced and valued over the past 2...
Co-Creation Blog : Developing Teams – The Most Overlooked Source of Competitive Advantage?
When it comes to helping their organisations develop people-based competitive advantage, what do most HR executives prioritise? A quick glance at a random selection of HR Directors’ agendas suggests it might be leadership, culture, engagement, talent or, increasingly,...
Co-Creation Blog : Five Steps to becoming a more Emotionally Intelligent Leader
Why emotional intelligence matters in leadership, and how to develop it. When was the last time you asked a team member to do something for you and you got ‘that look’? Have you ever been in a meeting where a colleague has rolled their eyes in response to something...
Co-Creation Blog : How to create a positive mindset and embrace change
Chinese philosopher Confucius once said "If you are positive, you'll see opportunities, instead of obstacles." Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there's no doubting the magnatude of the impact the pandemic has had on our lives. According to the Office for National...
Co-Creation Blog : The Mindset Paradox
If you’re responsible for delivering development solutions in your organisation – a leader, coach, mentor, or trainer perhaps – you will already know something valuable to your organisation: Mindset determines learning outcomes. Now I don’t mean to denigrate the...
Co-Creation Blog : 4 Keys to Embracing the pace of change in your organisation
In the last year, to eighteen months, global organisations have been in the midst of unprecedented change. Many companies have replaced their routine of a 9:00am - 5:00pm in-house set up with a remote regime; conference room meetings have been replaced with virtual...
Co-Creation Blog : The Human Element of Managing Change
For many years we’ve been talking about the increase in the pace of change and recently had worldwide change forced upon us due to the Covid19 pandemic. With significant and (sometimes) tragic consequences. Whilst we can’t always plan for a global change event, we...
Co-Creation Blog : Boosting your Mental Health and Wellbeing
Am I doing it well enough? Should I be doing more? What will other people think? ‘It feels selfish to put myself first, when others need me more? I just need to work harder and longer to get it all done. I just need to get to the weekend/holiday/day off. Why am I so...
Co-Creation Blog : Why do we leave best practice at the door when we facilitate virtually?
What are the first things you do when you walk into a physical classroom as a facilitator or speaker? If you are like most seasoned facilitators, you move the furniture about. Why? Because you know that you need to create the right environment to get the participation...
Co-Creation Blog : 7 Simple Ways to Continue Learning as an Adult
Learning is about reaching your full potential as an individual. It is nourishment for the mind, body and soul and it’s all around us. Continuous learning is part of life’s journey and is key to personal development and growth. By welcoming it with an open mind, you...
Learning at Work Blog : Aligning the 70:20:10 Model to Leadership in a Pandemic
In 2000 Lombardo, M.M, et al published “The Career Architect Development Planner”. They started to look at people development and how this was best structured and delivered to people to help them learn and progress their careers. It was a seminal moment in that it...
The Leadership Revolution!
When Ralph Stacey published “The Post Truth Era” in 2004 he reflected on how Truth had changed over the past 50 years. How our view of Politics, Education, Media, and Celebrities had radically changed after WW2. He proposed that as a human race we had witnessed many...
How we can help ourselves thrive in ever-changing environments – A strengths-based view of change management
What do you picture when someone talks about ‘change management’? Like me do you picture a process and a person in charge? What do you hear when someone talks about their organisation going through a big change? Do you imagine restructures, with some people being...
How to Turn Learning New Ideas into Action!
How to Turn Learning New Ideas into Action! You’ve recognised the need to adapt to changes in your industry and you’ve decided to implement your own change programme in response. Like many organisations, perhaps you’ve created or bought in some training to allow you...
The Power of the Positive Mindset
One of my friends asked me a question today. “Hey Kath, what’s the best bit of kit you own?” That set me pondering a little. I am after all a triathlete and I own loads of kit, cupboards full of it, queen of “stuff” so is it my trainers, nope; my wetsuit, maybe; my...
A Strengths Model for Change Management: How to help people flourish and organisations thrive
In this article, Rebecca Stevens will introduce you to a model for change management based on ideas, theories, concepts and tools from the field of positive psychology. Rebecca will talk through the reasons behind the development of this model; the principles which...
‘Tuning In’ to manage your emotions to be your best self!
I was hoping to write this blog in a quiet place where I would have the space and time to think with no disturbances. A peaceful place surrounded by beautiful flowers and a flowing river would be perfect for me. I need time to myself and a place where I can...
COVID to CLARITY
In my work with leaders over the past 2-3 decades, I have had a series of opportunities using tried and tested business tools to enable leaders to deliver their Strategy successfully. This work has been highly engaging and rewarding for myself and leaders. 2020 has...
Time is the one thing we can never get back, yet we give it away constantly. And that, in itself, is something worth noticing. In a world wired for speed, where productivity is often prized above...
Opening Reflection: Change as a ConstantAs a person who has experienced a lot of change in their life, I like to think I’m pretty adaptable and open-minded when it comes to change. Experiencing...
By Liz Howard, Co-Creation Consultant and Coaching Psychologist Guest blog, introduced by Dave HarrisonAt Co-Creation, we often describe coaching as a space where clarity, confidence and momentum...
The world of work is shifting fast. Traditional career planning—based on fixed roles, clear next steps and long-term certainty—is no longer fit for purpose. Instead of relying on rigid career paths...
For decades, career development made sense. There was a ladder to climb, a five-year plan to follow, and a promotion waiting at the top. But that world is no longer relevant, and yet many...
We typically devote around 90,000 hours of our lives to work – that’s roughly one-third of our waking years. Those hours not only shape our career paths but also have a profound impact on our...
When I first started exploring wellbeing at work, I thought the solutions would be simple. Tweak a few policies, maybe add a toolkit, offer a bit of flexibility, and that would be enough. However,...
It’s not the all-hands meetings or the mission statements that create your culture. It’s what people feel at 4pm on a Thursday when they’re exhausted, drowning in emails, and still smiling because...
When we think about career planning, we often jump to the big things. New job.New title.New direction entirely. And yes, sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed.But more often, it starts smaller....











