What we do
Research demonstrates that those organisations that train and develop their employees produce better performing businesses. We have over thirty years’ experience of improving organisational, team and individual performance.
Leadership & management development programmes
We gather feedback against the agreed success criteria, on current performance and future potential, from a full range of the individual's stakeholders: colleagues, clients, team, line manager, peers and suppliers.
We design programmes to
Examples of face-to-face or virtual development include the areas highlighted below.
Skills development & training
Research demonstrates that those organisations that train & develop their employees produce better performing businesses.
We have over thirty years’ experience of improving organisational, team and individual performance.
We also offer profiling services, working with you to define your people needs and assessment criteria.
Psychometric profiling can be used to complement other profiling techniques or as a standalone. Our fully qualified psychologists select the relevant approach from a variety of instruments, including Insights Discovery, Lumina Spark, MAPP, MBTI, Firo Element B, PROPHET, 16PF and tailored 360-degree feedback.
Examples of face-to-face or virtual development include the areas highlighted below.
Psychometric profiling, assessment & discovery centres
1. Psychometric profiling for selection
Once our client has identified a shortlist of candidates for a role, we review each candidate using the results of a relevant psychometric profile, scored against the role requirements. We will debrief the questionnaire results with each candidate. We also work with the client’s interview panel in advance of final interviews, to highlight areas for the panel to probe. Given the importance of getting the right people into these crucial roles, the interview panels find this process adds real value, helping both the organisations and the individual candidates with their decisions.
2. Discovery centre
Nicholson McBride Fisher has coined the term 'discovery centre' because, in our view, the process of assessment and development that takes place is a voyage of discovery for participants and their organisations alike
A discovery centre is an integrated system of simulated exercises to generate behaviour similar to that required for success in the future role.
A method which reveals an individual's past experience only cannot, by definition, assess potential. We therefore make your discovery centres future orientated. We do this by creating a futuristic simulation which, as accurately as possible, puts people through a "future day in the life of".
In the spirit of setting people up for success, we frequently share with participants what excellence looks like. They then have the chance to demonstrate their potential for excellence and, since it's a two-way process, are able to hone their choices for the future: do they want to be involved with this type of role, or not?
The benefit for the organisation is that, rather than providing generalised training for all, the organisation is better able to distinguish learner populations and their specific needs. As a result, high potential or performance individuals receive the appropriate coaching, for example, whilst people with bigger development needs are given more structured and long-term training and support. In terms of benefits for the individual, they get specific criterion based feedback on their strengths and development needs, from which more informed choices about training and development can be made.
3. Assessment centre
As part of an internal assessment, where individuals are given the opportunity for promotion
The key benefits of this approach to the organisation include its fitness, objectivity and transparency, plus the efficiency if you are looking to access large numbers of candidates. As well as ensuring that you get the best quality people, the organisation also receives information about the candidates' strengths and development needs. This can then feed into the organisation's training and succession planning initiatives. The candidates get a fair and accurate appraisal of their abilities, as well as focused development suggestions, regardless of whether they are promoted or not.
4. Selection centre
As part of an external recruitment drive, to identify suitable candidates for existing or new roles
The benefit of conducting such an assessment centre is the quality of recruitment, because individuals are compared to the defined job requirements, rather than to each other. Also, once you have hired people, the results of this approach provide an appreciation of candidates' development needs. Finally, the discovery centre is the most legally defensible selection method. For the individual, the benefits include getting a fair and objective assessment of ability to compare to the real requirements of the job as well as the opportunity to preview the job and make a judgement about likes and dislikes, as well as ability.
Coaching
We specialise in one-to-one and group coaching (either face-to-face or virtual) which focuses on individual development as well as supporting higher-level business needs, given the wider ambitions of the organisation.
In terms of our approach, we use appropriate tools and techniques to help the individual to get beneath the surface and identify priorities for change (including some high-impact ‘quick wins’).
Over the course of each coaching assignment, we unearth barriers and, more importantly, work through how to overcome them. Individuals are left with a strategy for sustainable change which they know exactly how to execute.
