Programs
Lauren’s aim is always to create whole experiences. She designs programs to engage participants in doing, not just thinking about theory. Using her understanding of psychology and group dynamics, she creates the conditions to encourage self-reflection and connection with the other people on the program. She knows that the participants’ time with her is short, so if they can walk out of the program with a new work connection, this value benefits both their learning and return to the workplace.
Lauren believes that both talking and doing are needed to embed learning. She regularly works with improvisation actions who are specialists in corporate training programs. In this work, participants get the opportunity to practice the communication skills discussed on the program. People skills can seem easy in theory but are much more tricky and nuanced in practice. This doing component enables participants to receive specific feedback about what they can do differently, which in incredibly valuable for learning.
Lauren is also a Certified Facilitator in the LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) methodology. She regularly brings LEGO build into her programs as a way to change up the pace and energy of a program. Through this simple methodology people have both fun and powerful conversations.
Contact Lauren to discuss your team’s needs and for more information on the range of programs she offers.
Well-being and mental health
As a former therapist, Lauren has treated hundreds of individuals for mental health issues. She brings this understanding to working with leaders in organisations. Lauren’s well-being programs are highly practical, focussed on evidence based techniques for managing and improving well-being. She has written and presented programs on a range of well-being topics including resilience, stress management, anxiety, and mindfulness.
Better Communication, Better Relationships, Better Leadership
In these workshops, Lauren assists leaders to have a better impact in their communications: from one-on-one interactions, to meetings, to presenting in front of a group. She helps participants to understand why other people behave the way they do and how to interact differently to get a better result.
Lauren has created workshops in this area of varying lengths, topic focus, and with clients in a range of sectors. The thing they all have in common is a focus on understanding relationship dynamics. Topics have included leadership presence, difficult conversations, helping others hear feedback, and emotional intelligence.
Team workshops
Lauren has worked with a variety of teams in different sectors on improving the way they work together. She builds these workshops around a work preference/team role tool, as she find this scaffolding allows for honest conversations while reducing conflict. Lauren is accredited in a range of tools and selects the appropriate tool based on the team’s needs.
Facilitated workshops using the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology
As a therapist, Lauren found that clients often had powerful insights through kinaesthetic methods such as Sand Tray Therapy. Wanting to create these insights for her corporate clients, Lauren experimented with a number of kinaesthetic materials but found they were too cumbersome and impractical for workshops.
That is, until she found the LEGO Serious Play methodology. The method is very simple: participants build LEGO models on a particular question then discuss their models with the rest of the group. As an experienced facilitator, Lauren knows that group dynamics and personality factors often mean that group discussion is unequal. Some people dominate the discussion while others say nothing. LEGO Serious Play methodology creates a level playing field where everyone gets thinking time before responding to a question and all voices are heard.
These sessions are also fun, which always helps!
Session topics can be whatever you want your team to discuss and process. Contact Lauren to discuss further and see a demonstration of the method.