Frequently asked questions for The Mindset Difference Open Programmes
What kind of people participate in your programmes?
Apart from the fact they hold senior positions, they also share the characteristics of being curious and pragmatic. By this we mean they want something that works time and again and has a practical application in delivering what they want to get done. Their curiosity stems from the fact that what they’ve tried before, by way of introducing change, hasn’t worked as fully as they hoped. After some head scratching over challenges that persist they’re curious about finding a way that makes a lasting breakthrough.
What sort of challenges do they want to resolve?
This varies a lot but a useful way of grouping them is to think of performance, relational and organisational culture-based challenges.
Performance challenges focus on why, despite our participants’ talents, they sometimes get flustered and underperform at critical moments. For example when negotiating big deals, presenting to powerful groups, confronting difficult situations or influencing others’ commitment to take a particular course of action
Relational challenges tend to be inter or intra team based. Inter team involves finding breakthroughs on why two departments or divisions don’t collaborate and friction creates waste and missed opportunities. This often occurs where partnership working or a matrix management structure exists and individuals struggle to be free of conventional command and control thinking and decision making. The most frequent intra team challenges either concerns the participant’s relationship with their boss or difficult team members.
Culture relates to the mindsets underpinning the way things are done in different parts of their organisation. Participants want to get to the bottom of why some teams do much better than others or why they’re often unpleasantly surprised at the way parts of their business go about creating value. They’re also curious about the role they play in shaping culture.
How is the programme structured?
It has four parts. Orientation – you and we exploring what would be of most help in your context. Understand and Realise – both done at a 3-day retreat and relates to the way your mind creates your experience. Breakthroughs – in the retreat and afterwards with ongoing support as you start making things happen. Our brochure gives you more detail on each of these parts.
Does the retreat have to be three days?
Yes and there are three reasons why.
The Programme helps you transform the way challenges show up to you and how you respond to them. Accomplishing this is best done over a concentrated period not incrementally in short bursts.
Second, your challenge can’t be resolved using the same thinking that created it. It requires a quiet, less busy mind and different conversations. In our experience this takes 3 days.
Finally, you save time in the longer run. In your discussions with others and your own reflections you waste less time second guessing where colleagues are coming from or holding on to old thinking habits that don’t serve you well. Participants’ feedback often mentions how much extra time they seem to have and why ‘the three days were well worth it.’
How do you measure success?
In three ways. Your assessment of the impact your breakthrough has had on the challenge you want to resolve. The changes you notice and report in yourself in and outside work. The extent to which you feel equipped to address different challenges in new ways. (We have a questionnaire that quantifies these last two.)
What’s behind your approach?
We use a principles-based understanding of how human experience works. The understanding is rooted in philosophy and psychology and correlates strongly with many of the findings currently emerging from neuroscience. We base our approach on this because of its simplicity: it helps people understand what can seem like complex ideas easily.
If you need reassurance please be aware that our goal is to help you realise how whatever experience you’re having works. Knowing this makes it easier for you to make changes of your own when needed. We never get into the territory of prescribing what experiences you should have.
Does the programme fee cover overnight accommodation at the retreat?
No, it covers everything but that. If you need overnight accommodation we’re happy to recommend places to stay close to the venue.