WHAT WE DO

“We will not be able to solve the problems we created.. without changing our patterns of thought”.

Albert Einstein

Are the challenges you face complex and demanding? Do you find yourself in endless debates about the causes of these challenges and how to resolve them? Are once successful approaches to problem solving now leading to frustration, wasted effort and wasted resources?

 

You need a new approach. That’s where we can help.

Although these challenges are sometimes daunting and our work frustrating, by working together and sharing our time, energy and expertise being a change maker becomes an exciting and awe inspiring role.

We don’t have solutions to your problems, but we can help you make real headway. We do this by creating learning arenas, hosting events or designing development journeys that bring together people with diverse interests and expertise to forge creative approaches that take concrete steps towards a more sustainable, fulfilling and prosperous future.

FOR INDIVIDUALS

Shift Circles

A Shift Circle is a group of like-minded people – all change-makers in their own right, from a variety of different contexts – who support one another to succeed in their own individual projects – often working together on a local project of common interest.

The aim is for groups to become self-supporting after six meetings. Accelerate the Shift also provide Shift Circle facilitator training. Find out more in this blog-piece.

Renewal Retreats

We create tailored retreats that will inspire and energise in equal measure. Participants will explore their life and career journeys, bring focus to their life calling and a greater awareness of their contribution to the causes that matter. These active two and three day retreats combine personal development and wellbeing practices that help re-focus our effort and endeavour to bring balance and sustained value to ourselves, families, colleagues and communities.

Coaching & Mentoring

We can provide you with personal coaching and career mentoring – and if we can’t help we will know someone who can!

FOR GROUPS

Appreciative enquiry projects

Appreciative enquiry is a tried and tested approach that amplifies the best aspects of teams and organisations whilst clarifying a common vision or ‘dream’ future. It’s a really inspiring way to shift group culture in a positive direction.

Development springboards

By using well known methods such as ‘back-casting’ and ‘scenario planning’ we work with groups to build energy and commitment to new ways of working and behaving. This approach helps break inertia and create momentum that moves your group towards a common purpose and positive outcomes.

Change Rivers

The Change Rivers method helps teams and whole organisations to focus on core purposes, activities that deliver desired outcomes and plan a step by step approach to achieving ‘peak performance’.

FOR ORGANISATIONS

Open Space conferences

Most people say the best bit of a conference is meeting people at the breaks – right? Have you ever been to a conference that is one long ‘break out’ session? Where the delegates design the agenda and are the main contributors? No more endless keynote presentations… let us show you how to facilitate a conference that will leave every delegate feeling involved and inspired.

Shift leadership development

Shift leadership is a collaborative endeavour. It’s something we do together, by bridging across settings, disciplines and professions. It’s about getting the ‘collective’ to take responsibility for fulfilling a common purpose. We use collaborative learning approaches to build the capacity for transformation across your team, organisation or entire sector. We help people take a more holistic view of major challenges and help turn them into opportunities and exciting projects that others buy into.

Research and evaluation

We have a wealth of experience designing and delivering small and large scale research and evaluation projects in both the public and commercial sector.

All these experiences are designed to excite, inspire and incite you to new ways of seeing, feeling, thinking and acting in the world.

Please Get in touch and we will arrange to discuss how we can help.

Our approach to ‘shift’

“It’s so damn complex. If you ever think you have the solution to this, you’re wrong and you’re dangerous.”

H. R. McMaster

The challenges facing society, business and the planet are sometimes complex, with ambiguous causes and contested solutions. Standard approaches to resolving challenges of this nature commonly lead to frustration and wasted effort and resources.

There are many theories, models and approaches to change; innumerable tools for innovation – but evidence shows that 80% of change initiatives fail. However, they needn’t fail if we get a few basics in place from the outset. Our approach to ‘shift’ is rooted in a few straight forward assumptions:

  • All of us strive for wellbeing and prosperity.
  • Human beings are endlessly creative and, given the right conditions, can solve any problem.
  • None of us alone have ‘the’ answer to the complex challenges we face. Whether locally or globally, we work smarter together.
  • A small number of individuals working with resolve and creativity can change the world – it’s been done many times before.
  • To work productively on complex challenges requires a handful of key attributes – easy to name but more difficult to develop and employ.

Want to know more….?

Follow this link to find the talk given by Dr Fred Paterson at the Royal Society for the Arts in London in July 2016 on ‘Climate Change – Who Really Cares?’.

Want to talk with someone?

Then click through to get in touch, leave your contact details and we will get back to you within 48hrs.

Get involved?

Are you interested in joining, or setting up a Shift Circle? Then click through to get involved.