Success in any aspect of life can be put down to a winning combination of raw talent, the development of skills and knowledge, and effort. This combination is necessary but not sufficient; the missing element is mindset: The mental attributes of focus, resilience, motivation, confidence and empathy. Until recently, these were thought to be a ‘set point’ in the genes that we were born with. Modern neuroscience has disproved this and whatever our start points, these mental mindset attributes can be enhanced (as with any skill).

Most of us have been trained through the education system or in the workplace in traditional skills, process and methodology. However, there remains a knowing vs doing gap in what to do and the how to do but don’t do the doing consistently or as effectively as we would like. These issues manifest themselves as some generic challenges:

business manager courses

Distraction Challenge

We lack the focus on the key activities that make success happen. Current organisational culture fused with ‘always on’ alert-driven technology means there are many reasons to be distracted and so we default into more comfortable but less productive tasks.

business manager courses

Conversation Challenge

Hierarchy, lack of self-confidence and lack of empathy work together to inhibit our ability to engage in effective communications. This results in issues being fudged and a failure to develop or qualify the full range of options.

business management courses

Motivation Challenge

We don’t necessarily understand what motivates people and tend to think it’s about money. The reality is that intrinsic motivators such as purpose, autonomy and mastery are potent and result in fulfilled and productive people.

bussiness management courses

Setback Challenge

Are we able to bounce back from the well-intentioned mistakes and setbacks we will encounter or do we procrastinate into displacement activities and comfort zones?

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Confidence Challenge

Our confidence can be flaky and transient. We can be a victim of imposter syndrome (internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’), limiting our ability to maximise our true potential. Alternatively, miss apportioned confidence can manifest itself as arrogance, bluster and belligerence.

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and capabilities and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.

The Mindset Development Programme has been developed using evidence-based thought leadership in psychologies, behavioural economics, stoic philosophy and neuroscience. The content delivers a set of tools, techniques and mental constructs presented in our recurring themes and mindset skills.

Facilitator led face to face training

The unique approach of the programme has resulted in its excellent reputation for delivering measurable results. The programme has been utilised by numerous leading companies including blue chips such as VMware, BT, Okta, Dell EMC and CA Technologies through to SMEs in a range of different sectors.

The company was originally formed in 2012 with the content positioned to sales teams. Feedback from many participants was that the content was to sales. In 2020, the Mindset Development Group was formed. Feedback was that the content has been positioned to help us ‘thrive in the challenges of life’:

  • Leadership and management roles
  • Business development and sales roles
  • As a corporate professional
  • As a students, (from 7 years onwards) parents and teachers (The Pocket Mentor App)

Feedback over the years has been very supportive, with delegates stating that the workshop is insightful, interesting and positively challenging, and has helped enhance personal effectiveness and mental strength both in and outside the workplace.

Meet the Team

mark

Mark – CEO

Mark Williams is the CEO of the Mindset Development Group. The Group’s purpose is to enable individuals and organisations to Thrive in the challenges of life. Following a successful sales leadership career, Mark recognised a need to train corporate professionals in the same way top athletes receive training in the mental side of life.

Mark developed an evidence-based mindset and mental resilience framework, taken from evidence-based thought leadership in sports psychologies, business psychologies and neuroscience that equips you with toolkit that enhances focus, resilience, motivation, confidence and empathy, driving personal effectiveness and mental wellbeing in and outside the workplace.

Following the success and positive feedback received from the delivery of the trademark framework ‘The Thriving Sales Professional’, Mark is broadening the framework’s reach to other roles; leadership, graduates, life skills and more!

The company’s framework, especially on resilience and persistence, has been very relevant to Mark as a keen golfer and Watford FC season ticket holder!

Based in Berkhamsted in the UK, Mark is married with two grown-up children. He enjoys most sports (especially golf), music (especially the boss, Bruce Springsteen), chess and walking, and he is passionate about enhancing mental wellbeing across society in general.

elise

Elise – Director of Impact

After graduating Kings College London in 2015, Elise recognised the huge mental resilience and wellbeing gap in the education system. 3 years of research and development later and The Pocket Mentor app was launched; the mental wellbeing workout app that provides tangible tools to integrate into our daily lives, that proactively builds our mental strength and protects our mental health. The Pocket Mentor is now provided to all our delegates to support them to integrate the tools they learn in our workshops and courses.

Elise now manages impact, enabling us to lead a sustainable and responsible business and developing our product offering to empower delegates to integrate our framework into their lives, to make meaningful long term change.

She is managing the development and implementation of long-term strategy, including the development of our online courses and mentoring programmes.

When not at work, Elise can be found wandering the countryside with various animals!

Carl Davies

Carl – Associate Director

Carl is an Associate Director of The Mindset Development Group focused on new client partnerships and client success. However, the breadth and depth of his experience adds great value to all aspects of the business.

Carl has worked (and continues to work!) in the corporate world for over 35 years and has been a Managing Director, CEO and COO of privately owned companies since 1993. Carl has extensive experience across a wide range of industries and geographies either in an operational or consultancy capacity.

Carl graduated in Economics and Public Administration and joined Procter and Gamble on their fast-track graduate sales and marketing scheme. He then set up a Sales and Marketing Management Consultancy which he ran for over 15 years. With offices in the UK and The USA he and his team supported some of the world’s largest brands around the globe in both B2C and B2B environments.

Since 2009 he has set up &/or bought &/or run several businesses including an ABTA/ATOL Villa tour operator, an online holiday rental portal, a property development / investment organisation, a customer experience consultancy, a GFSC regulated wealth management company and two FCA regulated Fintech Peer to Peer lending organisations.

Carl has experienced success and demonstrates resilience in equal measures which serves those companies and individuals that he supports extremely well in today’s fast moving, turbulent world.

Carl is passionate about helping individuals achieve their potential by being the best they can be in their job for their teammates, families, and themselves.

Sport (both participating and watching) is large part of Carl’s life, as are his family. Fine dining, socialising, and travelling take up any additional spare time that might exist.

Charity work is important to Carl who, along with his committee, has raised well over £2m for The Lord’s Taverners – giving underprivileged and disabled children a sporting chance.

Neil Woolerton

Neil Woolerton – Associate Director

Neil sits on the board in the capacity of Associate Director. Neil Woolerton has twenty-five years of executive and board-level experience in the technology & digital sectors and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, skills, and contacts to help guide us on the next stage of our journey.

A former MD of Horsebridge Networks, a Director at BT Global Services, and now a NED/Board Advisor to several organisations across the UK Neil’s specialism is in scale & growth which fits perfectly with our overall strategy & vision.

Neil lives in Nottingham with his wife and three children and is a passionate sports fan.

kiery

Kiery – Operations Integrator

Kiery’s in charge of scheduling and integrating The Pocket Mentor app daily content.

With a degree in visual effects and animation, Kiery creates graphics and animations for app design, online course development and social media campaigns.

Kiery is a first-class cook ( he makes a mean bolognaise!) and an avid gamer.

wendi

Wendi – Operations Manager

Wendi is responsible for our HR, diversity, inclusion, sustainability policies and office management (basically everything else!)

fraser

Fraser – Facilitator

Fraser heads up our business unit running public workshops (now virtually delivered). He has a background in commercial optimisation, change management and emotional intelligence enabling him to develop diverse teams and ensure delivery against ambitious targets.

A keen sportsman and keep-fit enthusiast, Fraser demonstrates his resilience by being a Spurs fan!

jo ward

Jo – Operations

Jo runs the back office and operations for the group, bringing a calming stability to a vortex of activity!

about

Alan – Executive Chairman

Alan leads the Mindset Development Group Board, ensuring that the Group’s business objectives are exceeded. He supervises the activities of the Group in the pursuit of these objectives – in collaboration with the CEO – and ensures the Board meets its strategy creation and corporate governance responsibilities.

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