News & Events

QUB course "Critical Conversations"; 13th June 2012

2012-03-09T14:38:26Z

What stops us from having that difficult conversation? The one where you have to tell someone that their performance is not up to scratch, or the one where you know the other person has a different point of view from you? And how effective are those conversations when we do have them? Does the other person change their behaviour? Do they understand where you are coming from and how important the issue is? And how much does it cost the business in having ineffective conversations, or worse still, avoiding them all together? In this workshop learn how to prepare for the conversation you need to have, learn what stops you from having an effective conversation and learn how to overcome it. A simple technique, will save your business time and money. An interactive day with role play and practice. Bring your own case study (a conversation you need to have) for maximum benefit.

IOD workshop "How to be at your personal best"; 26th January 2012

2011-12-18T23:23:22Z

You may be one of the top 20% but if like me you suspect you might be just ok, then I hope you will accept this invitation to join an exclusive group of senior female executives at a workshop to explore the 2 principles of flourishing, so that high achieving women can be at their personal best and enable others to be at their personal best. Delegates will discover how negativity detracts seriously from performance and will identify strategies to raise your positivity so that you can be creative, energetic, flexible and resilient.

The workshop on 26 January at 08.00-12.00 will be presented by Anne Dargan of Rapid Change Consultancy and the founder of the RECIPRO programme for female leaders.

The cost is £75 + VAT and includes continental breakfast. Numbers will be limited so please register your interest by emailing linda.brown@iod.com

Christmas Spirit - worth a watch!

2011-12-13T18:18:56Z

Click here - promise you will love this ....

RECIPRO Workshop "Achievements and Success in 2012"; 6th January '12

2011-12-13T17:48:09Z

Do you have something SPECIAL, something important for you to change in 2012? Maybe you have made New Year's Resolutions before and had limited success? If you really want to make some changes then we'd like to help you speed up your success rate with a "Rapid Change" workshop. Join your female colleagues and we'll work together to...

=> Create a crystal clear vision for ‘ultimate success’ so you know exactly what you want, where you're headed, and what you need to do to make it happen
=> Uncover hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your ability to make changes that last or that are slowing down your progress
=> Leave this session renewed, re-energized, and inspired to finally achieve the change you seek - once and for all

To kick start your year, before the madness begins, simply email us.

Four Ways Women Stunt Their Careers Unintentionally

2011-12-13T17:29:08Z

Would you believe....

Being overly modest - you need to tell your boss about accomplishments
Not asking - step up and apply for that promotion
Blending in - it doesn't pay to go unnoticed
Remaining silent - failure to speak up is a missed chance to be in the game

Small adjustments in how women think and act can improve not only how confident they seem but how confident they feel.
Have a read of this short article.

Finding the Right Place to Start Change; McKinsey Quarterly, November 2011

2011-11-28T21:55:55Z

Changing an entire large organization is never easy; only about a third of all such transformations succeed. One problem many organizations run into as they implement a change program is faltering momentum because employees just don’t change the way they work. Sometimes they don’t want to, and sometimes the reason is a poorly structured plan that makes change harder. Our recent experience at a European retail bank shows the benefits of starting to implement change by focusing on the employees who have the most influence over the daily work that needs to change. This approach can ensure that a successful transformation happens faster and that employees remain engaged in the long term. Read "Finding the Right Place to Start Change" (November 2011)

How women can contribute more to the US economy; McKinsey Quarterly, Oct 2011

2011-10-17T19:41:37Z

Although women generate about a quarter of US GDP, they contribute less than they could—far too few of them move up the corporate ladder, for example, but not because they lack ambition. A McKinsey survey of about 2,500 college-educated men and women found that women who make the leap from entry-level jobs to middle management and on to senior management are not only increasingly interested in becoming leaders but also increasingly confident that they can. Read “How women can contribute more to the US economy” (April 2011).

News: Home Secretary Theresa May has launched ‘Think, Act, Report’ – an initiative to address workplace gender inequality.

2011-09-19T16:28:44Z

She says ‘Better use of women’s skills could be worth 15-23 billion pounds to our economy each year”

http://www.info4local.gov.uk/documents/publications/1988807

Event: Taster session for RECIPRO Executive Learning Group

2011-08-02T10:39:37Z

The only ICF (International Coach Federation) programme in Ireland, back by popular demand.

News: RECIPRO brings women together to accelerate their personal and business success

2011-06-27T21:57:00Z

Imagine a breakfast room with 12 women and only one is speaking...not possible? Think again. However listening is only part of the equation; in peer group sessions, everyone has the opportunity to listen, learn and contribute.

A select group of senior businesswomen met on Thursday 23rd June on a covert mission; to experience a unique Taster Session of RECIPRO’s Executive Learning Groups for Women.

RECIPRO is the brain-child of Anne Dargan, founder of Rapid Change Consultancy, who has developed an exciting new programme due to kick off in September 2011 for the first time in Northern Ireland. Anne’s vision is to create a global network of female executives with a common aim – to provide mutual support to accelerate personal and business success. Anne explains, “RECIPRO comes from the verb ‘to reciprocate”, we chose the name carefully to highlight that mutual support is a fundamental principle in our programme”.

Contrary to popular opinion – yes even among female managers - the role of women peer groups is not to focus on feminist issues and weighty topics such as discrimination in the workforce. It is centred on an ethos of executive networking, and a close-knit support group which challenges as much as it nurtures.

Why only women you ask? “Research on the brain tells us that reflection, dialogue and repeated actions increase retention and learning. It also tells us that women learn better than men through verbal processing” explains Anne. “And when you put a group of women together the dynamic just changes, it is as simple as that. They tend to open up and learn more when in a group with other women”, adds Carolyn Dawson, one of RECIPRO’s facilitators, who specialises in working with senior women in business.

Diversity is essential to create the right type of interactive environment, which is why Recipro invites executive peers from a broad range of disciplines and non-competitive businesses across Ireland. Anne explains: “RECIPRO is based on trust and openness, and the programme has been designed so that the group spends time building and maintaining that trust. Confidentiality is integral to the work we do and our members recognise that this is a unique environment. Ultimately we match you to a group that suits you and your needs”.

Anne also says it is important that the Groups are restricted to 6-8 executive women to create an intimate and collaborative atmosphere. These are professionally facilitated by an expert coach with executive business experience. The 12-month programme combines face-to-face and teleconference sessions to cater for busy schedules.

Feedback from the taster session were extremely positive. The person who was “in-focus”, went away armed with a list of ideas to chose from and a commitment to follow up on key actions. Even those not “in-focus” revealed that “It was really refreshing to hear that other people have similar problems to me. It gives me more confidence”. Others valued the opportunity to just stop and think.

With a genuine passion for executive development, Anne is a Certified Leadership Coach and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). Starting off in information technology, Anne’s own successful career in BT involved several dedicated people development roles leading corporate transformation programmes aimed at driving behavioural and cultural change. In RECIPRO, she relishes putting her 7 years experience in coaching CEOs, directors, and leaders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors into a different and self-motivated direction.

Anne believes Northern Ireland is a hotbed of talented female executives; “The concept is straightforward - RECIPRO is about accelerating their personal and business success”. Are you willing to be left behind?

Those interested in taking part or finding out more about the RECIPRO programme should contact Anne Dargan on 07711 599091 or email anne@rapidchangeconsultancy.com.