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  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Emotions are inevitable, why not become better at using them? #BeingHuman see more

    CWN Post Event Review: The Role of Emotions in Leadership with Dr Alexandra Budjanovcanin of King’s Business School, Wednesday Oct 30 2019

     

    I was intrigued to actually be inside this thriving Business School, smack in the middle of busy Aldwych on the border of theatre land. In keeping with the latter, Ali, an academic working at Kings, opened her presentation by asserting that in business we should discard the ‘myth of rationality’ and that organisational leadership is inescapably about emotions. Emotions are an important tool for leaders – and key to rational thinking. For information on Ali do read her bio and interesting to see the organisations she has helped including Women in Law, London.

     

    Ali suggests three strategies:

    1. Enhancing performance

    • Through the use of a positive ‘leadership climate’ ie having a positive climate generates positive outcomes. Leaders should be managing one’s ‘emotional climate’ as this is as important as managing a ‘cognitive culture’. I agree with this statement but found myself thinking this is common practice for many but a reference to expertise in this area may also be helpful for leaders to whom this may not come naturally.
    • The importance of modelling (walking the talk in my language) the desired culture and leaders need to be aware how contagious their emotions are.

     

    2. Effecting Change

    • Transformational leadership is more than transactional leadership
    • The importance of inspiring one’s team through the use of charisma – and changing the ‘I’ to ‘We’.
    • The key points here all focussed on the importance of Emotional Intelligence (E Qi):
      • Stress management
      • Self- perception ( self- awareness is a critical element of effective leadership)
      • Self- expression
      • Decision making
      • Interpersonal skills
    • For the young and old in the room, Ali notes that E Qi peaks in one’s ‘40s but one can continue to develop!

     

    3. Managing Stress

    Ali used two models to demonstrate how performance changes depending on variables like pressure, job demands and job resources. Interestingly, one model highlighted how important moderate pressure is to insuring the highest performance.

    A key skill to develop is resilience - and to do that by adopting a ‘growth mind-set’. An important element of learning is to carve out the time to reflect and learn from experiences. She also talked about the importance of social support and the importance of paying attention to organisational relationships – not just deliverables or outcomes – as the managing the former is critical to delivering the latter.

     

    4. Key Premise:

    Emotions are inevitable, ‘undetachable’ and particularly useful to leaders.

    Why not become better at using them? #BeingHuman

     

    5. Venue – an added benefit to the location was the presence of many female King’s alumnae – their perspectives on organisational culture were equally enlightening.

     

    Thank-you very much to CWN Events team member, Leyla Gilbey, for organising the event.

     October 30, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Missed the event 'Embodying Leadership' - key take-out & summary here see more

    Post Event Review: Embodying Leadership Masterclass

    Embodying Leadership, led by Kate Walker Miles a vocal coach at RADA Business, was a masterclass of a different type – how to use our body and voice to create presence and impact with clear, confident communication.

    Kate is a very experienced actor, trainer and TV producer with a degree in Experimental Psychology from Oxford and was captivating to listen to, watch and interact with. She started with the empowering thought: people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but will never forget how you made them feel. Be present – look your audience in the eye. Ben Wishaw is an actor who is more present than any actor she knows (and that’s many famous ones). Look your audience/receiver in the eye - sounds easy, but do we do it?

    A lot of our behaviours are habits. The purpose of the session was to learn some new behaviours that may seem odd to us, because they are less familiar but being aware of them, we can learn how to move to modify our leadership style by being aware of the choices we have.

    We practiced three tools of communication – the body, breath and voice – learning tricks and techniques to come across with greater authority, impact and influence. This included some simple ways to warm up before a presentation or meeting. We know about splashing cold water on our face – but not always easy outside the boardroom door – so wake our face up by ‘massaging our forehead, cheeks and lips. Hum….. wake our voice up and open the resonators by humming. Use the sounds: m, n, ng, ah…..Visualise – take a moment to put ourselves in a positive frame of mind, recall times when we felt confident and strong.

    We explored how it feels to embody different leadership characteristics. This included scanning our body for tension pre meeting/ presentation- releasing knees, buttocks and shoulders. The Importance of feeling grounded with our feet – let them spread on the ground. Balancing our weight between our feet and relaxing our belly and let our breath drop down low into it. Feel the top of your head and imagine a golden string pulling you up from that top point. Focus on our intention – what do want to make your audience feel, so they will do what we want them to do – excited, challenged, inspired?

    We did a variety of exercises in pairs to experiment with these techniques of having one thought, one breath and then stopping, pausing to allow our audience / partner consider the thought while the presenter / me prepared for the next one.

     The evening started with very tasty, healthy and decent size savoury bites in the bar outside the auditorium and finished with drinks and yummy desert squares in the same room, buzzing with how we felt and how we intended to practice the skills we are all endowed with but may not use.

    Thank-you to the wonderful events team with this event specifically organised by Kate O’Brien and Fatema Orjela (other teamies include Geraldine Gallacher, Leyla Gilbey, Jeanine Long, Melissa Longley and lead by Paula Kienert) for organising an invigorating event that opened our eyes (and body) to how we can employ simple techniques to create more presence and impact

     September 27, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Suzanne Williams, former Scotland Yard Detective - now a successful hostage negotiator see more

    Post Event Review: Negotiating for life ... and for lives... read what we learned from Sue Williams

    It’s not every day that you get to meet a hostage negotiator in the City – hence this event sold out quickly and filled the room at the stylish Brand Exchange. Suzanne (Sue) Williams started out her career as a police woman in London rising to Detective Inspector in charge of murders. She had to give it up in the end because people were “basically getting away with murder’’ said Sue sharing her wry humour and quick fire style. An admitted adrenaline junkie and having retired from the police force a number of years ago she has developed a career as hostage negotiator, knowing she can make a difference. Hostage scenarios can arise for many different reasons - from domestic barricades to political kidnaps. Sue says regardless of the reason she ‘just does what she does… just keep them talking’. She says she can now look people, who have had a family member kidnapped, in the eye, and tell them that she will be able to help. Although she doesn’t make promises like this to hostages’ families, she surprised us by sharing the fact that 94-96% of negotiated hostages are freed. Another surprise was to hear that her longest negotiation was 5 years and the shortest...a mere 45 minutes. The first involved governments and well organised terrorists and the latter involved a family situation and too much alcohol. 

    Sue shared some fascinating insights gleaned over the years as well as mantras that guide the processes she uses. It was incredible how relevant and useful they are for corporate – and family life:

    • Don’t tie yourself into unnecessary deadlines - causes stress all round
    • Change what you can control; influence what you can’t
    • Develop your active listening skills - the “infantry” of successful negotiating
    • be mindful of discovery, without any judgement
    • be the listener and accept the knowledge
    • be interested and not interesting
    • seek first to understand before being understood
    • creating empathy can lower the emotion
    • No deal is better than a bad deal (cue guffaws of Brexit induced laughter)
    • Remember your open ended questions- who, what, why, where, how and tell me?
    • Positive body language is required even on the phone. It translates. 
    • First impressions count. So think about what impression you want to create. 

     

    There were a few watch outs too- 

    • Failure to invest in the relationship is a big mistake and lack of preparation is another classic error
    • Remember we can make matters worse by what we say
    • Limit the emotion. Don’t make it personal
    • There’s no point in getting to yes if “how” doesn’t follow
    • Use intermediaries and find common ground- apparently lots of baddies support Manchester United. Who knew?

     

    In addition to these great tips we were regaled with fascinating stories of hostage situations and little observations relevant to daily life eg:

    ‘Airline staff are not lining up to greet you as you board a plane for entirely altruistic reasons: they’re sizing you up ie ‘she’s the fit, tall one who may help if we need a strong physical support’.

    It certainly was a very worthwhile and entertaining evening – thank-you to event organisers Geraldine Gallagher and Helen Bunker and to Sally Todd who had read about Suzanne in the FT.

     September 13, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Attention... Interesting... AI & a summary of the excellent event you may have missed see more

    Post Event Review: Algorithms and me – what’s happening in AI and beyond...

    ANZ, CWN’s corporate partner, kindly hosted this event on artificial intelligence (AI) at their stunning offices in Canary Wharf. Paul Armstrong, a leading strategist, author and speaker on the future of technology and disruption, you may have seen him commenting on the same on BBC, opened the talk by reminding us how broad the remit of artificial intelligence is, spanning everything from Facebook to Blockchain. Paul talked through the key areas of development in AI and outlined the importance of developing a strategy to incorporate AI into your business – however big or small your organisation is. He identified that it is critical to get the CEO, CTO and CDO into a room to set the AI strategy – this isn’t something that just sits with technology. It is interesting to note that most of the budget is directed to marketing.

    Paul advised that it is important that we all read about AI so we can make informed decisions – whether you do or don’t want to engage with it. To help us know where to look, he was very generous in highlighting the best places to find out more information on what’s happening in technology e.g. reading Wired and recent industry updates.

    Although Paul mentioned some of the more scary possibilities of AI, he was very positive about its impact and believes that fundamentally it can help us all focus on the most valuable aspects of our work.

    Paul finished with an exercise to help us think on how we can leave a legacy where we work. Paul clearly knows his topic inside out and keeps up-to-date with all the latest developments. He is a very engaging personality and uses this to great effect to enthuse his audience on this wide topic. Certainly, I’m sure we will see much more of Paul in the future across our screens and boardrooms. We were very fortunate that he made the time to speak at our event.

    There was much debate after the presentation, over drinks and canapes. Discussions included who else from the Executive Committee should be in the room, with the CEO, CTO and CDO, to set the AI strategy and examples of how AI can make a positive impact in our work lives.

     

    Ana Pacheco,

    Communications and Events Committee Chair

     

     September 10, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Exploring experiences that matter – learning from Tumultuous Times with Jeneva Patterson see more

    Exploring experiences that matter – learning from Tumultuous Times

    Tonight’s event aimed to give our members an opportunity to find out about learning through tumultuous times. What better way to learn than to share and reflect with other CWN members expertly facilitated by our terrific speaker Jeneva Patterson, EMEA Lead for organisational leadership at the Center for Creative Leadership. Jeneva created a warm, intimate and safe space for members to reflect and share on a few momentous occasions. We were invited to ponder our Wonder Woman moments. Members shared times where they had overcome adversity and proved to themselves they could do something they hadn’t realised they could. Jeneva explained the fusion between powerful emotion and long term memory and highlighted the value of on the job learning which accounts for 70% of all work learning. Apparently only 10% of work learning happens on a course. Emotion provokes learning and evokes memory. 

    We were next asked to consider an event which turned upside down our previous understanding of the world. Again we experienced the power of reflection and sharing for real learning as some people appreciated how a certain turn of events had indeed changed the course of their lives. Adversity brings with it opportunity.

    We picked up a great question to pose to help foster team bonding. Ask them “What experience would you like to share with us that was integral to making you the leader you are today?”

    Having come along to find out about agile learning, Jeneva reassured us we had just spent the evening doing exactly that. New people, new location, new ideas - precisely the components that stimulate new neural pathways. And she reminded us that learning can cause dis-comfort, dis-equilibrium even dis-ease as our brains strive to get back to equilibrium but this very up-set is the sign that we are both learning and unlearning. We are resetting our brains in an upward trajectory.

    Aside from the great insights I gleaned from tonight’s event I felt I had actually “met” many more people as the whole experience was very interactive. Great combination of learning and networking. And the canapés were great especially the chocolate mousse.

    Geraldine Gallacher

     April 03, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Stephanie Flanders, Bloomberg News, spoke on the economic & political pressures facing the UK. see more

    The New Economy: Beyond Brexit

    In collaboration with Nomura’s WIN Network, CWN members were invited to attend a lunch at Nomura’s offices on the Thames in the heart of the city as a part of City Women Network’s series of events celebrating International Women’s Day.

    Stephanie Flanders, the senior executive editor for economics at Bloomberg News and head of Bloomberg Economics, gave an exciting talk on the future of the economy and key economic drivers and themes to watch for in the coming year.

    Before a full house, Stephanie guided us through the economic and political pressures currently weighing on the UK economy, both foreign and domestic. She addressed what she views as key themes affecting Britain and her takeaways from Davos this year, discussing everything from the relatively slow productivity growth in UK economy and the long period of sustained global economic growth to the impact of globalisation on European firms and how economists must bridge the gap between economics and politics.

    Stephanie also shared her experiences as an economist and a journalist, revealing some of the key challenges that economists face and the value of male allies and champions in our struggle for gender diversity.

    Conversations continued over drinks and lunch, where guests from CWN and Nomura’s WIN network enjoyed networking and spirited discussions.

    Martha Beith

     

    Please find a video of the talk here.

     March 15, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do see more

    Overcoming Challenges with Kate Philp

    Kate Philp, formerly Major in the British Army, now keynote speaker and leadership consultant, shared with us her take on CWN’s development theme: ‘Leading through uncertainty with confidence, resilience and impact’.

    Intertwined with a very personal and deeply moving account of her army career, her three tours of duty in Iran and Afghanistan cut short by a life-threatening injury and her 2013 ‘Walking with the wounded’ trek to Antarctica as part of the UK team, Kate shared with the audience these gems on leadership, teamwork and resilience:

    • Leadership implies answering the question of how prepared you are to deal with the (inevitable) contingencies. As the saying goes in the military: “No plan survives the first contact with the enemy.”
    • Leadership means knowing your people, really knowing them. It means valuing differences and focusing on what each team member can do, not what he or she can’t do.
    • Trust matters most. To Kate, confidence is more superficial and can be faked. Trust, however, goes much deeper and is based on your values as guiding principles.
    • Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, or put otherwise: explore your discomfort zone to expand your comfort zone. This allow you to build a memory bank of tough times to learn from when challenged.
    • When you are confronted with a challenge, impose some sort of structure and focus on what you can control. Find opportunity in difficulty.
    • Celebrate your successes. We all too often forget to Press the Pause button. Yes, do reflect on what could have been done differently but don’t skip the celebration: ‘you did it’!
    • You improve your resilience by actively redefining what success means to you.  What constitutes failure if viewed in a certain way, can become success if seen differently.
    • Reaching out for help is not a weakness. Maintain perspective: what is really worth worrying about?

    And for those of us tempted by the Arctic challenge:

    • Joining an Arctic expedition is a great, albeit drastic, way to become fit. You will burn some 7-8k calories to do the daily distance and keep warm at minus 35 to 45 degrees Celsius. That is much more than the 5-6k calories you can possibly eat under such extreme circumstances. (Any volunteers?)

    Kate concluded her speech with this wonderful quote from Theodore Roosevelt, calling for action rather than inertia in the face of uncertainty: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”

    For more on this exceptional evening, see also CWN member Beverly Landais’ blog on the evening: ‘The Power of Trust’. Her blog captures the spirit of this motivational evening beautifully - thank you, Beverly!  .

    We also give special thanks to the Royal Bank of Canada, one of our corporate sponsors, for hosting this great event.

     February 25, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    CWN Winter Drinks 2019 at 67 Pall Mall see more

    CWN Winter Drinks 2019 at 67 Pall Mall

    CWN members started 2019 in style on 23 January at 67 Pall Mall by making new connections and learning about wine at the same time. Grant Ashton, Founder & CEO, hosted this CWN event in their magnificent Grade II venue. Grant set up this fabulous members’ club in 2015 and described it as ‘not a gentleman’s stuffy club, this is a club for social people who enjoy wine and want to know more about wine.’ He also added that at least 30% of their members are female and he was keen to increase the gender diversity ratio. With over 4,000 bottles of wine and currently the largest wine list by the glass, it certainly is an appealing possibility.

    As a network which brings together successful women, we were delighted that a female sommelier introduced the wines available to taste. She had selected them as they all had ‘emerging’ aspects, such as a British couple that started producing wines and regions that had only recently started growing grapes. Interestingly, the red wine from Greece proved extremely popular.

    Then we were charmed by Sarah Kemp, the former Managing Director of Decanter, who shared some amusing anecdotes as she briefed us on how wine has changed over the last forty years. She believes we are in a golden age of wine as we’ve never had better wine made with the most incredible selection from all around the world.

    Sarah started with the role of Oddbins bringing Australian wines to the UK and went on to tell us how a wine tasting competition with French judges, in Paris, organised by a young British wine merchant called Stephen Spurrier, started an explosion in Californian wines. She revealed how she set up the Decanter Wine Competition which became the world’s largest wine competition (now with over 17,000 wines judged by 250 judges) and we revelled in hearing how last year an English wine producer called Ridgeview beat all the established French champagne houses, to win the best sparkling wine award. Finally, we heard about the rise of Chinese wines, triggered by an unknown wine producer west of Beijing winning the best Bordeaux Blend Category.

    All in all, the evening was a wonderful excuse to meet old and new CWN members and to toast the new year in style.

    Ana Pacheco

    See photo gallery

     February 18, 2019
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    An event aimed at improving understanding of financial accounts and statements see more

    Financial Literacy in the Boardroom - 3 December 2018

    In collaboration with PWC and Women on Boards, CWN members were invited to attend an evening event at PWC’s’ offices in More Place, London as part of their focus on supporting the advancement of women in the boardroom.

    The event was targeted at current and aspiring board members who don’t have a financial background who wish to improve their understanding of financial accounts and their ability to read and analyse financial statements

    Dasa Brynjolffssen, PWC Director from the Accounting Consulting Services team, took us through a fast-paced tour of key elements of a set of company accounts with Women on Boards chairing the event and sharing insight and guidance through the event and during the Q&A.

    Dasa delivered a practical and engaging session, providing a much appreciated safe space for all to ask questions openly and learn from each other.

    Themes discussed during the evening included various responsibilities from a financial and non-financial perspective of being both a Non-Executive Director as a well as a main Board Director

    Various types of board roles were considered, and discussions took place on how they differ from sector to sector and how this impact on understanding the financial accounts.

    Conversations continued over drinks and canapes, where guests from PWC, Women on Boards and PWC enjoyed networking and sharing experiences.

    CWN plans to develop further events during 2019 on the theme of ‘Board Readiness’.

     December 10, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Committee member Geraldine Gallacher reflects on our recent reverse mentoring workshop see more

    Reflections on Reverse Mentoring

    Events Strategy Committee member Geraldine Gallacher reflects on our recent reverse mentoring workshop.

    CWN advises and supports Fractio Vitri (FV), a cross-sector network for early stage career women. We hold a few joint annual events and this year we tried out Reverse Mentoring, hosted by the law firm Howard Kennedy. Given our relative ages and experience, we make the ideal composition for such an event. 

    We were delighted to be hosted by the law firm Howard Kennedy and their Head of People Irena Molloy started off the event by telling us about their own soon-to-be launched reverse mentoring programme.

    We then paired up, one FV and one CWN member and had 15 mins each to share experiences. To get things off to a quick start we had worked out some questions in advance from each network as follows: 

     

    CWN questions:

    1. What would you find inspiring in a female leader?

    2. If there was one thing you could change about senior leaders’ approach to developing your generation what would it be?

    3. In what ways do you feel technology helps and hinders you?

    4. What is your biggest concern now about the world of work?

    5. How do you feel about remote working versus being in the office?

     

    FV questions:

    1. What could we do to influence leaders who are resistant to change?

    2. The phrase "too old for change" is often bandied around. How can the junior workforce influence change in leaders/the more senior workforce when there is a resistance to change? 

    3. What do you think you can learn from the junior workforce? What knowledge do you think they have which can be transferred to a more senior workforce? 

    4. The junior workforce is more focused on the work "experience". How do you think the workplace is changing and what changes do you welcome? For example, flexible working or working remotely. 

    5. Technology and the ways of working are fast evolving. How do you think technology assists in the workplace? 

    6. Being honest and giving feedback to the senior workforce can often be difficult. How do you embrace such feedback? 

     

    It seemed however that no specific suggestions were needed as the conversations seemed to flow well and it was hard to break them up before starting Round 2. This time, we swapped around to allow people the opportunity to meet someone different. Again, if the volume level was anything to go by these conversations proved equally absorbing. We were pleased that there was a hand-bell, otherwise we might have gone on indefinitely…

    We concluded the formal part of the event by grouping the CWN members and the FV members together to discuss our learnings in the respective groups, with the idea to share these later with our cohort.  

    From the CWN perspective, what surprised us was that the FV members found it hard to approach older women in their companies and so the Reverse Mentoring format provided an ideal forum for doing this. They felt comfortable asking questions they might not usually like to ask such as “What regrets do you have and what sacrifices do you feel you have made to achieve where you’ve got to in your career?”

    The CWN members found it hard to think of regrets but they did wish they had had their Gen Y counterparts’ more balanced approach to life earlier. Learning that the FV members had multiple goals, with career being just one of them, offered us a valuable prospective on what “ambitious” means for the younger generation. 

     December 07, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Reflections on CWN event where Monica Parker discuss the nature of our changing workplace see more

    Changing Workplaces

    In collaboration Derwent, CWN members and guests were invited to attend an evening event at 25 Saville Row in London, one of Derwent’s showcase properties, to hear Monica Parker, founder of HATCH Analytics, discuss the nature of our changing workplaces.

    After a wonderful introduction to Derwent and CWN from Emily Prideaux, Head of Leasing, Monica Parker took the audience on a journey with a dynamic, engaging and entertaining talk addressing big topics including the future human skillset encompassing presence, unlearning, aha moments and, a new term for many of us in the audience, meraki.

    And what about disruptors like automation, globalisation & portfolio work? Monica encouraged the audience to embrace the positive in these – citing examples of facial recognition used to reunite orphans with their parents in India and the first flower, a beautiful zinnia, grown in space, to make her point.

    Turning our attention to the key contributors to an engaged workforce, Monica shared her perspective on cause, control, contemplation & community as essential aspects of the workplace.

    We also explored the way in which we develop new skills.  On this topic, Monica asked us to consider Kurt Lewin’s change model stages of thawing, reframing and refreezing – still compelling and relevant. Monica also shared research on neuroplasticity and learning with a wonderful video of one person’s attempt to ride the “backwards bicycle” as an adult compared to his young son’s. 

    Conversations continued over drinks and canapes where guests from Derwent and CWN were able to speak with Monica Parker, network and share experiences.

     November 29, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Finding meaning in the world of work see more

    Masterclass with King's Business School: Purposeful Leadership and Meaningful Work - With Professor Katie Bailey

    Hosted by King's Business School, over 120 CWN and King’s alumnae came together at their new premises in the beautiful Bush House on Aldwych to learn more about finding meaning at work.  

    Professor Katie Bailey explored the future world of work where the aim is no longer merely financial performance but instead we are now in a world where the so-called triple bottom line of people, purpose and profit becomes reality. She drew on recent cutting edge research into purposeful and ethical leadership and meaningful work and asked what businesses would look like in this new world order, exploring the barriers and enablers of successfully creating and sustaining an ethical workplace.

    Katie is a thought leader on meaningful work, employee engagement and strategic HRM. She is the author of over 180 articles, papers, books and reports, including 60 peer-reviewed   journal articles on the topics.

    Following the presentation, all the guests enjoyed a networking reception over drinks and canapes, meeting CWN members as well as the guests from King's. This is the first event in  which we have partnered with King's Business School and we hope it may be the first of many!

     November 13, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Using the power of your voice to lead with confidence, resilience and impact see more

    One Voice: Masterclass with RADA in Business

     

    Yes, you can sing!

    Can you sing? Most of us will say ‘no’ to that question.

    This Masterclass, One Voice, held on 19th September, taught us that it is possible for anyone to sing, and how powerful and energising it is when done as a group.

    This was the third evening event that CWN organised in partnership with RADA in Business. After focusing on posture and presence in earlier sessions, we now experimented with another essential leadership tool: our voices.

    In a lively session of an hour and a half, RADA's Vocal coach and renowned West End musical director, the incomparable and fearless Tom Wakeley encouraged, cajoled and orchestrated some fifty attendees into performing as a choir - for the final performance when everything came together.

    Find your unique voice

    Tom began the evening by helping us better understand that often under-utilised leadership tool: our voices. On our feet within minutes, Tom started off with practical breathing and vocal exercises. There was no time to be self-conscious as our attention was cleverly directed to feeling what was going on within our bodies with each breath as we sustain sound.

    Referring to Kristin Linklaters’ book ‘Freeing your natural voice’, Tom explained how we each have a natural resonance and a unique voice that is most effectively used when linked with our emotions. Also, any tension in the body will affect the quality of your voice.

    What if we replace “I can’t” by “How can I?”

    We moved right into the action when Tom introduced the lyrics of the song we were about to perform: ‘The Rhythm of Life’ from the hit musical ‘Sweet Charity’. The attendees did not have any time to have second thoughts, it was time to use those voices!

    Tom organised the singers into groups, giving them roles, guiding their voices and encouraging them ‘to do something out of their comfort zone’. It was indeed a Masterclass in fostering a growth and change mindset.

    Stumbling over words, losing and finding text, laughing out loud, we learned about pitch and volume, tune and harmony, choreography and movement. We savoured our success when things came together for the final performance.

    The power of the human voice

    This masterclass was a reminder of the power of the human voice. It also showed what rewards await when you push your boundaries.

    The buzz at the networking drinks afterwards reflected the sense of achievement and the energy and joy that came from performing as ‘One Voice’.  

    The evening was a powerful testimony to how we can work on our confidence and learn to express ourselves while supporting others.

     

    This piece was inspired by a blog written by one of our attendees at this event, member Beverly Landais, who has captured the essence of the evening so beautifully. Thanks Beverly! 

     September 28, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    CWN guests enjoy a night of shopping, socialising and small business inspiration at The Fold see more

    An Evening at The Fold with Founder and CEO, Polly McMaster

    In partnership  with the Fold, a chic clothing brand for professional women,  CWN and Fold held an evening VIP event at the Fold’s flagship store in Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge London, for CWN Members and their guests.

    Polly McMaster, CEO and Founder, shared her career journey to date with 40 guests and took part in a Q&A discussion alongside Sally Todd, CWN President, inviting questions from the guests.

    We learned about the challenges and opportunities that setting up and managing the Fold has brought to Polly and her team and also about the success the Fold now enjoys as it grows.

    The much admired community of Fold Women was discussed during the session  as exemplary in the way Polly and her team are championing and showcasing the careers of many of their customers, women with lifestyles and unique stories who continue to inspire others. For more information on the Fold Woman see www.thefoldlondon.com

    Polly was passionate about the importance of seeing the bigger picture regarding business development and networking and in being patient in that process and in not underestimating the importance of hard work and ‘keeping going’. 

    Experiences were shared at the event about the imperative of understanding finances and of how important that is to the growth of any business.

    Networking, shopping and more conversation continued  over canapes and drinks after Polly’s and Sally’s session. Many enjoyed the opportunity to try on and purchase the new autumn/winter collection in a relaxed and fun environment.

    We hope to offer more events like this over the coming year.

     

     September 05, 2018
  • CWN Admin posted an article
    Digital Transformation, Disruption, the Gig Economy and what it means to you see more

    Warwick Business School Masterclass on the Future of Work

    The third CWN/Warwick Business School Masterclass on the Future of Work took place on the 26th June at The Shard.  There was a great turnout with over 50 CWN and FV members attending the lively session and Professor Pinar Ozcan’s presentation was extremely well received.

    The event showcased a preview of Pinar’s research on the Sharing Economy.  The findings of her study are now in the public domain and can be found here.

    Pinar is one of Warwick’s world-class faculty members and teaches across a number of programmes for senior executives including the top-ranked Executive MBA and The Warwick Executive Diplomas.

    To learn more about Warwick’s London campus and how the School is working with organisations from across the globe, please contact Sarah Hansen at Warwick Business School by email sarah.hansen@wbs.ac.uk  or phone 02476 574319.

    For further information about Warwick Business School, please click hereCWN and FV members are entitled to a 15% discount off course fees for Executive-level programmes.