Impact Factory

Influence isn't about your job title - it's about how you connect with people.

Every day we're asking colleagues for support, sharing ideas, managing stakeholders, or trying to gain buy-in for a project.

The challenge? Often, we need to do it without having any formal authority.

Join us for our complimentary 60-minute Influence Without Authority Taster and discover how small shifts in the way you communicate, build trust, and navigate conversations can make a big difference to your impact.

During this interactive session, you'll:
• Explore what creates influence beyond authority or position
• Practise techniques for building trust and credibility
• Learn tools for gaining buy-in and understanding different perspectives
• Reflect on your own influencing style and leave with practical techniques you can use straight away.

Whether you're leading projects, working across teams, or simply want your ideas to have more impact, this taster will give you practical insights you can start using immediately.

Register your interest via the link in the comments. We’d love to see you there!

Storytelling isn’t something you learn by sitting in a room and taking notes. It’s something you discover by doing.

During our recent Storytelling training with the team at Wowcher, we explored the ingredients that turn a sequence of events into a story people actually care about - emotional connection, engaging the senses, suspense, humour and memorable characters.

The list in the image captures some of those storytelling ingredients. But at Impact Factory, we don’t just talk about them - we get people using them.

Our approach is practical, creative and highly interactive. Flip charts come out, Post-it notes cover the walls, ideas get mapped visually, and teams build their stories together.

There’s something powerful about getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper. It helps people see connections, challenge ideas and shape messages that really land.

And when we’re working from our Islington training space, our whiteboard walls add another layer of creativity - giving people the freedom to write, draw and explore (and yes, it does make you feel a little bit like a kid again!).

Because the best learning happens when people are involved, not just informed.

Difficult conversations are rarely easy, but they become much more manageable when people have the chance to explore real-life scenarios, build practical techniques, and learn from each other's experiences.

That's exactly what we focused on during a recent Difficult Conversations training session with the team at BBC Studios.

The most effective learning happens when people don't just hear new ideas - they have the opportunity to practise them in a supportive environment, receive feedback, and leave feeling more confident to apply their skills in the workplace.

A huge thank you to everyone at BBC Studios for their enthusiasm, openness, and willingness to get involved throughout the session. It was a fantastic group to work with.

What approaches have you found most effective when preparing for a difficult conversation?

What makes a presentation memorable?

It isn't better slides.

We recently spent time with a group of colleagues from Interface, exploring the small shifts that make a big difference when presenting, influencing and leading conversations.

The best part of any programme is hearing what sticks. This time, delegates were talking about hot starts, keeping their focus on the audience rather than the screen, and finding the confidence to put their notes down.

Simple ideas. Powerful impact.

Thank you to everyone at Interface for embracing the challenge, sharing experiences and being willing to try something different.

We can't wait to hear how these techniques continue to make a difference in your meetings and presentations.

The best coaches don't have all the answers. They ask better questions.

We had a brilliant day with the team at RVU Group on their Coaching and Mentoring programme, exploring how great coaching isn't about fixing problems, it's about helping people think more clearly, grow their confidence, and find their own way forward.

Three ideas that really landed:
Listen before you leap in. It's so tempting to jump straight into problem-solving, but taking the time to really listen often leads to better questions - and better conversations.

Trust doesn't just happen. It's built through credibility, reliability and intimacy. When people feel understood and know you'll do what you say, coaching becomes far more meaningful.

A little structure goes a long way. The GROW model gives coaching conversations just enough shape to keep them moving, while leaving plenty of room for curiosity, exploration and fresh thinking.

The best coaching conversations don't end with someone else's solution - they end with someone discovering their own.

A big thank you to everyone at RVU Group for bringing so much energy, openness and curiosity to the day. It was a real pleasure to work with you, and we're looking forward to seeing how these coaching conversations continue to grow across your teams.

What does it take to influence people?

Spoiler alert: it's rarely about having the best game plan.

Last week, we had the pleasure of working with the brilliant team at City Football Group, exploring how to influence with greater impact - whether that's in the dressing room, the boardroom, or anywhere decisions are made.

This session was delivered by Anne and Paul, with Paul bringing his wealth of football experience and insight into the room, making the conversations especially relevant for the audience.

Three ideas that really landed:

Great teams don't rely on individual brilliance. Aristotle's principles of persuasive communication are as relevant today as they were centuries ago. Credibility, emotion and logic are the foundations of influence - whether you're delivering a team talk or leading a difficult conversation.

Every player sees the game from a different position. The key to influence is recognising that people make decisions based on their own priorities, pressures and goals. Once you understand their view of the pitch, it's much easier to move the conversation forward.

Read the game before making your move. When someone seems fixed in their position, resist the temptation to push harder. Ask better questions. Our Question Funnel helps uncover what's really driving their thinking, creating opportunities to move the conversation forward.

The best influence isn't about winning every challenge. It's about creating the conditions where people genuinely want to move forward together.

A huge thank you to everyone at City Football Group for bringing energy, curiosity and brilliant discussion throughout the session. It was a pleasure to work with you.

Who's really in charge when half the team is on holiday?

This cartoon made us smile because it captures one of the quirks of summer at work: fewer people, more out-of-office replies... and somehow, just as many decisions to make.

Summer has a funny way of revealing how resilient your team really is. Can people step up? Are priorities clear? Does everything still have to come through one person?

These are exactly the kinds of questions we'll be exploring in our Summer Survival taster session.

No doom and gloom. No "10-step leadership hacks." Just practical ideas, lively conversation, and a chance to rethink how we lead when everyone's in and out of the office.

Join us tomorrow at 11am to pick up simple, practical ways to help your team thrive all summer long.

Register via the link in the comments - we'd love to have you with us.

Ever noticed how many of the most important conversations happen before the meeting?

In the corridor.
On Teams.
Over a coffee.

By the time everyone takes their seat, ideas have already been shared, questions have been asked and opinions have started to form.

Influence doesn't begin when you start presenting.

It begins long before - with the relationships you build, the trust you create and the conversations you have when there's no agenda.

It's a good reminder that great communicators don't just prepare for meetings. They invest in people every day.

What do you think: are the real decisions made in the meeting, or before it?

What does great leadership look like in practice?

Over the past few weeks, we've had the pleasure of working with DXW Group across three online sessions for their Management for Leaders programme.

Together, we've explored how small shifts in the way we lead can have a big impact on the people around us.

From having better coaching conversations to understanding what really motivates individuals, the focus has been on practical tools that leaders can take away and start using immediately.

One of the key ideas we kept coming back to was this:
Great leaders don't just support their people - they know when to challenge them too.

Finding that balance is where growth happens.

A huge thank you to everyone at DXW Group for bringing such openness, curiosity and energy to every session. It's been fantastic to work with a group so willing to share experiences, challenge ideas and try new approaches.

We can't wait to see where your leadership journey takes you next!

The best learning doesn't end when the course finishes - it starts when people feel confident putting it into practice.

That's why every Impact Factory course is shaped around the people in the room. We tailor our training to each group, making it practical, relevant and full of tools and techniques that participants can start using immediately.

There's no need to leave wondering, "How does this apply to me?" Instead, we explore real situations, real challenges and real ways to make lasting change as we go.

A huge thank you to this individual for sharing such thoughtful feedback. Knowing our approach helps people leave feeling ready to put their learning into action is exactly why we do what we do.