Your strongest experts are often promoted because they’re good at the work. Then the work changes.
Leadership asks them to influence, challenge, coach, communicate and bring people with them, often in situations where the stakes are high and there is no simple answer.
practive8 helps experts lead beyond their expertise.
Our three-hour workshops give people a safe, realistic space to practise the human skills that expertise alone doesn’t teach. Grounded in useful theory. Built around real workplace situations. Designed for groups and teams within organisations.
‘Conversation practice that feels real, not false or cringeworthy.’
When expertise alone isn’t enough
Expertise still matters. But as people take on more leadership responsibility, success increasingly depends on things their professional or technical expertise may never have taught them: how to influence, communicate, coach, collaborate, handle pressure and bring others with them.
The practive8® model
The practive8 model brings these demands together into eight connected leadership practices. Together, they cover how people lead themselves and how they work with and lead others.
Use the eight practices to identify where your people most need to grow, then choose the workshops that give them a safe, realistic place to practise.
Click on model to expand
The 8 leadership practices
Communicating
Make important messages clear, credible and more likely to land.
Influencing
Bring people with you, especially when authority alone isn’t enough.
Thriving
Stay effective and resourceful when pressure is high.
Inspiring
Create energy, purpose and momentum around what matters.
Coaching
Help others think, learn and perform at their best.
Collaborating
Build trust and work effectively across boundaries.
Empowering
Create clarity, ownership and accountability in others.
Grounding
Understand your impact and lead with greater self-awareness.
Typical outcomes leaders report
Personal Impact
increase in confidence in high-stakes situations
Leaders report an average 20% increase in confidence when presenting to senior leaders, handling difficult conversations, and leading under pressure by the end of the workshop.
Personal Impact
increase in awareness under pressure
Participants report an average 40% increase in awareness of breathing, presence, and the gap between intention and impact during the session itself, through live practice and feedback.
Influence & Negotiate
increase in confidence when influencing and negotiating
Participants report an average 15% increase in confidence when influencing senior stakeholders, handling resistance, and adapting their influence approach immediately after the workshop.
Influence & Negotiate
78% expect to apply learning within one week
Across cohorts, 78% of participants expect to apply what they’ve learned to their work within the next week, with many committing to multiple techniques.
‘Exceeded my expectations. I now have a toolkit of techniques to use to increase my influence on decisions at Board level & in other areas that are important to me.’
practive8® Insight tool
Not sure which workshops are right for your people?
Use the practive8 Insight tool to explore the eight leadership practices, identify the areas that matter most and see which workshops could help.
Flexible ways to develop your people
Book a single workshop around a specific need, combine several into a focused development programme, or add practive8 workshops to an existing leadership initiative.
One-off session: Tackle a specific leadership challenge or skill.
A collection of workshops: Build a focused development journey around several related needs.
Part of a broader programme: Add practive8 workshops to an existing leadership or talent programme.
How it works
We want to make booking your workshop as simple as possible, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
1. Choose your workshop
Browse by leadership practice or workshop, or use the Insight tool if you are not sure where to begin.
This will provide you with personalised recommendations, either for yourself or your team.
practive8 workshops are booked by organisations for groups and teams. They are not currently available as open-enrolment courses for individuals.
2. Start your workshop enquiry
Tell us about your organisation, the people you want to develop and the challenge you are trying to address.
3. Contextualise it
A 30-minute call with your facilitator makes sure the examples, scenarios and emphasis fit your organisation and the people taking part.
4. Put it into practice
Your group experiences a three-hour, hands-on session built around realistic practice, feedback and practical techniques they can use back at work.
practive8 builds on more than 20 years of action research and thousands of hours working with leaders and organisations.
Frequently asked questions
Who are practive8 workshops for?
practive8 workshops are designed for groups and teams within organisations. Participants may be emerging leaders, experienced managers or senior leaders, depending on the workshop and development need.
How long is a workshop?
Every practive8 workshop lasts three hours, whether delivered face-to-face or virtually.
How many people can attend?
We offer two cohort sizes: small cohorts for 8–11 participants and larger cohorts for 12–16 participants.
Can workshops be contextualised for our organisation?
Yes. Every workshop includes a 30-minute contextualisation call with the facilitator so that examples, scenarios and areas of emphasis can reflect your organisation and the people taking part.
Can we combine several workshops into a programme?
Yes. Workshops can be booked individually, combined into a focused learning journey or incorporated into an existing leadership development programme.
How much do workshops cost?
Small cohorts of 8–11 participants cost £3,600 per workshop. Larger cohorts of 12–16 participants cost £4,100 per workshop. Discounts are available for multiple or volume bookings. Face-to-face delivery may involve additional travel or venue costs where applicable.