It feels like no time at all since this course launched, we’re onto the third cohort of New Ways of Working already, and I’m thrilled with how it’s going! Would you like to sign up to be a part of the next group, starting on 29 March? The first two sold out and I’d love for you to join me for the third 🤗
It’s been awesome helping people to experiment with new ways of working in their organisations, which have so far included: BJSS (tech consultancy), Mencap (UK charity), Haringey Council, Mercedes-Benz, Ofwat (UK government department), The Co-operative Group, The Soil Association, BIMM (University), plus a US teaching organisation, an Italian marketing consultancy, a US equity management company, and a lovely non-profit organisation here in Bristol, the city that I call home.
What course participants say
By far one of the most useful, practical, engaging, interesting courses I've been on. Hats off to you, super well thought out, from a practical, mental and emotional perspective.
The experimenting methodology gives me the opportunity to not only "take a course" but actually practising in the "real world".
The benefits to the business have been tangible and resulted in me thinking about work in a very different way.
I loved having another colleague on the course and would totally recommend others try to do the same… I loved the organisation of the course, it all felt incredibly "slick." … I loved Marks humble approach, he listened to us all intently and was patient with us when we needed more time on certain things.
The experiments each week really helped me grow my comfort towards experimenting further. They gave me the perspective of how much needs to be a done, and an eye for what might be 'bite-size'.
I loved Marks generosity, he clearly spends a lot of time preparing and introduced me to very cool tools that we are now using in the organisation.
As a facilitator, you do add quite a bit of magic sauce to holding the space, and your curation of materials is unbeatable.
If you’re curious about joining the next group (starting on 29 March) then read on for full details.
Course Objective
The course objective is for you to enjoy your job more and to be an even better member of your team. You’ll learn collaboration and leadership skills, how to hold meetings that don’t feel like a chore, and how to make better decisions by quickly seeking and integrating the wisdom of the group. You’ll learn how to give ‘brain-friendly’ feedback, know what’s getting in the way of being a great team, and develop the mindset to help make change happen.
To do this we'll borrow from the best sources. These include agile, self-management, organisational psychology, and the most progressive companies on the planet. Here’s a sneak peek of the course platform:
Course overview
The course is led by me, Mark Eddleston. I’m a new ways of working consultant, coach, facilitator and Founder of Reinventing Work. Since 2015 I’ve been practising new ways of working and synthesising the mountain of information that’s out there. The New Ways of Working course is something of a greatest hits. We’ll fast forward to the trusted, tried and tested patterns that are found in some of the world’s most progressive organisations.
On this course, you’ll be practising and learning all the way. You'll get better at listening, teamwork, and self-organising. There will be pre-work ahead of each weekly meet on Zoom. You will have the chance to ask questions and to form a community on Slack. You'll become familiar with Notion, where course content is shared, and with Focusmate which will help you to get through the content. You'll experience Mural and Liberating Structures. Each week you will design an experiment that will be implemented in your own team. You'll form partnerships with classmates who will help you, hold you accountable and be depending on you. Throughout, you’ll be experiencing some of the best collaborations tools and practices out there.
What we’ll work on
Week 1: Challenges - identify what gets in the way of great work in your team.
Week 2: Teamwork - we’ll uncover the research into what makes a great team.
Week 3: Mindset - we explore the mindset shifts that this work requires.
Week 4: Feedback - we’ll learn how to give and get more feedback.
Week 5: Decision-making - we explore alternatives to top-down & consensus.
Throughout the course, you will learn structures that you can pop in your pocket, take back to work and use immediately.
What to expect
Expect practical, interactive and participatory. Each week the format looks like this:
Pre-work: Before each Monday you’ll use Focusmate to work through the course materials (articles, podcasts, talks and and tools) shared via Notion. 1-2 hours.
Seminar: We’ll discuss what stood out from your pre-work, dive deeper into the topic, and figure out how you’ll apply it at work. 2 hours.
Experiment: At the end of each session you’ll have designed an experiment to try out at work that week. This takes place in your workday so timing is your call.
Accountability partnership: Having committed to an experiment you’ll catch up with a course peer to help each other out and hold each other to account. 1 hour.
Journaling: Each week you’ll be invited to write a quick reflection. 5-10 mins.
So it’s a weekly commitment of at least 6 hours, some of which will take place during work time.
When
The five-week course begins on Monday, 29 March 2021. We meet every Monday at 18.00 - 20.00 GMT, wrapping up on 26 April 2021.
Eligibility
This course is for you if you are:
Dissatisfied with traditional ways of working and feel that there’s a better way!
A member of a team - the course is not suitable for those who are not in a team.
Choosing to attend - and haven't been sent by your boss!
Open-minded - prepared to embrace new ideas and to experiment at work.
Committed and ready for a challenge! This is an intensive course - your hard work and active participation are baked into the course design.
Cost per person
£900 - my org is paying for me.
£600 - my org is paying for me plus one (or more) colleague/s.
£500 - I am paying for myself.
Register
To secure your place double-check the eligibility criteria ☝️ then send a note to confirm (mark.eddleston@gmail.com) and I’ll generate an invoice right away.
Please note that cohorts are limited to 12 places.
About Mark
I’m a new ways of working consultant, coach, and facilitator and I came across new ways of working in New Zealand in 2015 after spending a pretty frustrating decade in traditional workplaces. It was the first time I found consistent fulfilment in work. This beautiful and challenging experience was with a law firm and community organisation that features on the distinguished Corporate Rebels ‘bucket list’. Once you taste this way of working, it’s impossible to go back. I’ve now been a member of staff in three organisations that embraced progressive leadership, so come with plenty of lived experience.
I’m co-founder of Reinventing Work, a global community and playground for people interested in decentralised, purposeful and self-organised ways of working. So far we’ve gathered in over 25 cities across five continents, including in Bristol (where it began) London, Berlin, Melbourne, Montreal and New York. I’ve delivered online sessions to thousands, spoken about new ways of working at The University of Oxford, and facilitated at Meaning Fringe. I’ve also appeared on the wonderful Leadermorphosis podcast and the University of the West of England’s MSc Occupational Psychology programme discussing the future of work.
My website: https://www.marco.work.