Presence and Impact for Graduates
#BP Women In Leadership: Presenting The Future
City Academy was tasked with organising and hosting a Communications Skills Training event to highlight the BP Women’s Network, support their aim of increasing the number of women in leadership positions and their core aim of embedding diversity and inclusion in businesses.
The Brief
Given the important, challenging goal of the BP Women’s Network, the priority for BP was to empower delegates with the communication skills needed to present ideas with authority and confidence.
As much of the conference programme was speaker-led, BP were looking for a series of short, punchy sessions that added unique, practical elements to the day.
The sessions needed to be high-impact, engaging to delegates and provide tangible communication techniques that could be applied immediately. It quickly became apparent that actor-led sessions would have the dynamism required to fulfil the brief.
What Did We Do?
For this business case study, we developed a series of communications skills workshops rooted in performance training, covering methods of conveying presence and creating impact. The three short practical sessions explored the importance of gravitas, led by three communications specialists working on-site at the BP offices in Sunbury on Thames. Each workshop had a capacity of 30 people, mixing both technical and non-technical staff members.
Delegates were given the same body language and vocal training methods taught to professional actors. Our specialists introduced techniques to increase confidence and communicate authority as well as negotiating power dynamics and hierarchy. Using role play, the groups were encouraged to explore their own personal styles, finding ways of holding attention and making an authentic connection with their audience.
"We enjoyed an absolutely wonderful session this morning with Kate, Dolly and Lotte! They managed a crowd of 90 people with real energy and professionalism, and everyone walked out of there with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. A big thank you to those three incredible ladies."
Kathleen De Melliac
BP Organiser