Our clients come to us for various reasons. They may want help in shaping and sharing visions to build common purpose across complex or fragmented organisations. We help them work out plans to change people’s behaviours to adapt to new technology or business needs.
Our participative approach involves seeing the world from perspectives of the people in the system. This, in turn, helps you to address challenges more effectively.
We design ways to get your people talking honestly and openly and then motivate them to action. Well managed conversations can identify challenges, encourage people to solve problems for themselves, build relationships, establish common purpose, create more certainty for people and give them a sense of control over the future. We know from recent insights into how our brains work that these are all things that help people work more effectively together.
Couravel was founded by Mike Pounsford in 2001. Over the years, he has developed a client network and a network of trusted associates, all with different skills, that work with clients on specific projects. It is a mature business model, one that provides clients with lower cost access to highly skilled individuals, and which suits the working style of the associates.
Before founding Couravel, Mike worked at Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson) and Alexander Consulting Group. In 1996 he founded Banner McBride – WPP Group’s first start up – working with the leadership of Enterprise IG and Hill & Knowlton to grow it to a team of 40 in London and New York over 5 years.
His work has won international recognition from industry groups such as the International Association of Business Communicators and from within organisations including the Global Gold Award for BAE Systems Chairman’s Award for Innovation
David is a designer, Big Picture artist, and graphic facilitator. He works with Couravel to support our workshops which use visuals to build ownership for vision or strategy.
Martin is a facilitator, trainer and consultant. He helps groups, teams and partnerships work more effectively together to bring about lasting change.
“We needed the business to move forward with pace, and it was fundamental that everyone had a sound understanding of our strategic direction. We were concerned when the employee opinion survey showed that only half our people believed they understood the business strategy. This was our driver to find a new approach that would give everyone the opportunity to fully discuss where the business was heading.”
“What felt good today was our unity and the slickness of our presentation of the thinking. Hackneyed phrase, I know, but we really have been on a ‘journey’ together and that’s how it felt. It was a master-stroke to get Mike Pounsford involved as facilitator and I feel this has made a big difference and helped teach us how to get things done.”
“I have just been taken through the latest thinking re vision, mission, objectives and next steps. I have to say I am really blown away by them. I think they are great, and that it is really good that you have managed to consult with the wider management to bring them into this process. I think the whole process and outputs to date are a really big achievement.”
“Couravel has provided a fast and effective way to help us deliver against our project milestones, and introduce new ways of working at an operational and a cultural level.”
“Couravel helped people understood what we mean by ‘Great’. This had motivational benefits for our people, benefits for customers in terms of service, for our positioning in the sector, for how we look to the regulatory authorities, to the impact we have on influencing Government policy, to the speed with which we change and to the overall performance of the business.”
