About Janet

I am a Learning & Development Consultant, Trainer and Mentor. I help staff and businesses understand the filters that hinder high performance, whether they’re managing staff, talking to customers, giving difficult messages or delivering a presentation. I’m interested in what influences people to behave the way that they do. I prefer the idiosyncratic style and try not to do formal very often.

So, what do you do dear?  Describe your work to a parent.

I train and teach people to understand how their brains work so that they can be better at communicating, thinking and learning.

What was your favourite learning experience (Could be work, personal, school…anything is valid)?  What were you trying to do? Why did it work so well for you?

Training to be a manager when working at Selfridges (a one year programme.) It was intense, immersive, social, experiential and challenging. I learnt a lot about myself as well as the core curriculum. It was also incredibly good fun.

Enough already…What one thing do you wish people in your industry or profession would stop doing? (What gets your goat?)

Not really thinking through how what they are doing has an impact on the people they are working with. It’s just so thoughtless and dismissive of others’ needs. For instance, if someone puts up a slide and then says “you probably can’t see that” I am liable to explode. 

Same again please…What has changed for the better in your professional world as a result of COVID working practices? Should it be retained for the future (whenever that might be and whatever it might look like)? 

On-line training has made it easier to provide smaller, bite-sized, bits of spaced learning. I hope we never lose this.

From the good old days…What do you miss most about working life from the pre-COVID world? Do you think it will return? 

I really miss being in the room with people and actually being able to look them directly in the eyes. I think a mix of input given on-line and then a “class-room” based reflective session can be the best option for some of the more intense subjects. I worry that the future will have a lot of neither done well.

Theft is the sincerest form of flattery…Which part of which other industry or profession do you think we should learn from and adopt (or just steal)?

Science – everything from what science can teach us, through to more scientific, disciplined approaches to learning and thinking.

You know who would be great for this…Which famous person (live or historical) do you want to join your team and why?

Commander Chris Hadfield, commander of the International Space Station’s Expedition 35. His drive, technical ability, calmness, creativity and humour would be a great asset to any team. He would probably stop me procrastinating.

If only I had…What did you learn from your most recent mistake?

Be clear about why you are doing something – dig deep for that answer; it may not be the reason you are giving yourself.

There can be only one…Which one tool or piece of kit would you keep if you could only use one from now on?

Flipchart and pens (though my pockets may just happen to be stuffed with Lego.)

The picture of success…Which image or picture is a good representation of how you would like to develop your practice over the next five years?

Where can we find you?

• Email: janet@janetwebbconsulting.co.uk
• Website/blog: www.janetwebbconsulting.co.uk
• Socials: Twitter – @JWebbConsulting, LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/janetwebblandod

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