Trust. It’s down
to integrity.

Our approach to developing leaders

At Down to Earth, it’s the way we work that helps people become leaders, and leaders become successful. Coaches aren’t teachers – it’s about helping people discover their abilities, learn new behaviours and build relationships through a process of consultation and experiential learning.

It’s all about communication and collaboration: by working together with the individual or team it’s possible to see where the opportunities lie – and to see how we can make the most of those opportunities together.

Down to Earth Development is an effective partner because we bring five key qualities to the process.

Insight

While the approach is straightforward, it’s built upon a sophisticated understanding of leadership – taking in an expert understanding of what makes people and organisations tick, coupled with long experience of organisational dynamics and personal development. Crucially, Down To Earth also enjoys an external perspective, so the view of the issues and opportunities isn’t clouded by internal politics or corporate culture. We get straight to the heart of the matter.

Candour

Being ‘Down To Earth’ means being straightforward and absolutely honest. After all, what’s the point in having such expert insight but keeping to yourself? All our clients – whatever their size or sector – have one thing in common: they want to be better. Doing that means hearing what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. So we deliver our best at all times, offering constant support and compassionate challenge. We’ll be straight with you.

Principles

Down To Earth Development exists to support people who want to get better. Not because it’s good for business (though it is), but because it’s the right thing to do. Here, ‘development’ means helping people make their humanity part of their leadership, creating workplaces that nurture people and teams that support each other. Performance will improve. But it’s all about doing the right thing.

Pragmatism

We don’t have a fixed methodology to sell you. Instead, we listen hard to what you need and develop an approach to suit. We bring long experience and the latest thinking, but we work to your needs, designing together with you. Because when we’re in the room, we can read the room: we can see what’s needed and adapt to what’s happening. If we’re part of the here and now, we can make the most of any opportunity for real learning. In other words, we find a way of working that works.

Empathy

Our focus is professional, but the process is personal. We couldn’t support breakthrough personal development without making a human connection. On one hand, it’s about valuing your qualities and sharing your outlook. On the other, it’s about giving honest opinions and showing you where to find improvement. In a field focused on personal behaviours, interpersonal relationships and team psychology, the real impact lies in the strength of the relationship we build together.

How we work

The Down To Earth approach breaks down into three phases:

Discover

As a true consultant, the first step is always listening. That starts with you, of course. But, because there is never an objective “truth”, only a range of perspectives, we’ll also listen to the people around you. Once we’ve heard every view, it’s then possible to create a clear picture of what’s going on. Even if you have a clear idea what you want, we’ll dig a little deeper to understand what you need. From organisational culture to interpersonal relationships, we explore the issues and share the picture before we develop a solution. The deeper the discovery, the richer the insight and – above all – the greater the impact.

design

With Down to Earth, there are no off-the-shelf solutions. Instead, your programme of activities is tailored to you, your people and your organisational culture. While it’s rooted in experience of what works and guided by the current thinking in leadership and personal development, it’s designed to meet your needs. From individual coaching, to team development, to developing groups of leaders, the result is more relevant, personal and, above all, effective.

deliver

While the form and focus of each piece of work is tailored to you, the approach to facilitation is consistent: we create space for individuals, teams and groups to explore the abilities and strengths, values and purpose, and habits and obstacles that impact your performance. From there, we can together focus on creating the interventions that build your commitment to change – in your thinking and mind-set, in your presence and impact and in your habits and behaviours. The result is that you, your teams and your leaders have the opportunity to be better.