Depth of Experience and Understanding

Anybody working at senior level in a Public Purpose Organisation knows that the range of political, human and organisational forces at play is, at best, complex. Public scrutiny and media attention, coupled with a hugely diverse stakeholder base, further add to the challenges of the senior role which, at times, can be almost overwhelming.

We differ from many other providers because we understand the complexity of the roles of the people we work alongside. Many of our Executive Developers have lived it themselves, being, or having been, in leadership roles, as directors, CEOs, social innovators or change agents.

All our Executive Developers have a demonstrable track record in developing others and themselves, and appreciate first-hand the complex range of challenges and forces operating in organisations, particularly in times of change and uncertainty. Their personal experience of dealing with the scenarios, dilemmas and obstacles that can arise in such settings enables them not only to empathise with clients, but also to bring relevant tools and resources that can be directly applied.

What is more, the Oasis School has an international reputation for the depth and breadth of its work and research in human relations practice, and is considered to be a leader in the field of Whole Person Learning.

Focus on the Person

Much of our 1-1 Development work is contracted and funded by employers, and as such the primary client is seen as the organisation. However, our way of working makes clear that whilst there may be objectives and learning goals outlined by the organisation for the individual, we focus on the development of the person we are engaged with. We start with their questions, their challenges, their responsibility for their own progress and their aims for the future, personally and organisationally.

The benefit of this approach is that the content and direction of each development session are, by definition, uniquely tailored to each person, as they evolve from their discovery of what they really need and want, and what is really called-for. It encourages a high degree of engagement with the process, and enables the person to discover, freely, their motivations, needs and priorities.

This focus on the individual has a further advantage: as we take full account of the 'real' life-work context in which an individual operates, the learning and growth that take place are grounded in everyday applicability, rather than in an idealised or theoretical vision of what a 'good leader' looks like. This makes for much more sustainable results than generic, off-the-shelf responses can offer.

We find that in the long term, such an approach, with the right level of confidentiality and working arrangements, builds trust in the development relationship and works well for both the organisation and the individual.

Unique Methodology - Whole Person Learning

Oasis Developers bring an approach that is based on what we call Whole Person Learning. This is a radical educational approach developed by Oasis out of its work in the field of humanistic psychology and the human potential movement. Oasis is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of transformative, experiential learning, which seeks to enable people to bring more of themselves to their lives, work and communities. Our methodology is rigorous, grounded in extensive, ongoing action research, and applicable to all life-work contexts.

As the name suggests, Whole Person Learning is based on the premise that, as whole people, we are so much more than we appear to be - for example our spiritual and imaginal worlds are every bit as important and influential as our intellect and our physicality. Thus, for genuine development to take place it is helpful for a person to learn how to know more of themselves in all their many inter-related facets, as with this awareness come greater choice, autonomy and personal wellbeing. By extension, this greater autonomy can then translate into a richer contribution to one's work, personal relationships, community and ultimately to the planet. We refer to this as 'using the self as instrument'.

For all Oasis 1-1 Developers, using themselves as instruments means being free to 'be themselves' and therefore bring more of their unique contribution to their work with clients.

For clients in key roles, this methodology offers an opportunity for greater self-management and efficacy, and access to more authentic personal power and authority.

Organisational Benefits

Some of the organisational advantages of investing specifically in 1-1 Development for key decision makers and leaders are that it:

• Enables working at depth, to accelerate learning and get to the heart of even the most complex issues.
• Provides a powerful combination of dedicated time, a confidential setting and the support of an experienced practitioner. This frees key individuals to 'think out loud' about factors that may be affecting their performance, including personal issues, and proactively address them.
• Focuses entirely on the context of the most visible and influential people within the organisation, directly addressing the challenges to be found at that level.
• Offers efficiency and value for money, being tailored to each individual's requirements and therefore not wasting time on generic 'solutions'.
• Emphasises practical application by supporting the individual over time, thus embedding the learning in 'live' issues that the individual or the organisation is facing.
• Encourages individuals to bring more of themselves to the work place, by refreshing mindsets, fostering creativity and innovation, and increasing quality of engagement with the issues that matter to the organisation.
• Helps the organisation realise its investment in other training or development processes, for example to enhance team performance at the senior levels, or to contribute to wider cultural development.
• Actively helps key people to re-focus and re-engage in times of particular stress or significant organisational change, thus keeping performance at optimum levels and contributing to senior-level retention.

Individual Benefits

For individuals tasked with a leadership role, finding time and the right environment to consider the bigger issues, make significant transitions or develop new ways of working is a constant challenge.

Committing to the 1-1 Development time ensures that you:

• Benefit from a safe environment for progressing confidential professional and personal issues.
• Make time for reflection and feedback.
• Develop yourself in your leadership or change approach.
• Achieve new clarity and see issues in a fresh way.
• Can rehearse possible options and consider consequences.
• Have mechanisms in place to work with your own processes, insights, challenges and intuition.

What our Clients say about their achievements with 1-1

• 1-1 has had a positive impact on performance, both mine and others, through how I communicate and operate.
• 1-1 has helped me consider questions from a more long-term, strategic perspective.
• Through 1-1 I have learnt to address my own challenges and questions.
• 1-1 has given me the courage to face underlying patterns of behaviour that get in my way.
• 1-1 has helped me improve my human relations skills and the development of others.
• 1-1 has enhanced a more rewarding relationships with colleagues.
• 1-1 has helped me learn how to identify and act on my own development needs.
• 1-1 has built my confidence and improve my ability to act.
• Through 1-1 I have become more effective and assertive in my ways of working, and more conflict-resilient.
• 1-1 has given me a greater self-awareness and has helped me gain new perspectives.
• I have acquired new skills and abilities with 1-1 development.
• 1-1 has helped me develop greater agility in relation to change.
• Through 1-1 I have increased my tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity.