Twelve facilitators in a room…

It’s been quite a journey.

A year ago, this might have felt like a bit of a pipe dream for some at Aviva. But last week in London, it became very real.

For the first time, our full UK Lead the Way facilitation team came together for a couple of days in person. Twelve of us, all part of Aviva’s flagship leadership programme – Lead the Way, finally in the same room after months of working side by side from a distance.

What became obvious pretty quickly is just how much we enjoy working together.

There was a real buzz when this group got going.

Between us, there’s a huge amount of experience, and when we start sharing ideas, swapping stories and building on each other’s thinking, the energy lifts… along with the noise levels.

At times, we were probably one step away from needing a facilitator for the facilitators. 😃

There are also a few proper characters in the team, which really helps.

Strong opinions, quick wit, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. In other words, plenty of laughter alongside the learning too.

It’s obvious that we’re a group who care deeply about what we do.

It came through in every conversation. At one point, someone described it as “violent agreement” – lots of energy, lots of perspectives, and a slightly chaotic way of realising we actually all agree.

The feedback on the programme so far has been pretty amazing, which we’re proud of.

But there’s no sense of “job done.” If anything, it’s the opposite.

There’s a shared drive to raise the bar even higher, and a real belief that the best days are still ahead of us, especially as we tap into the full mix of skills across our community of practice.

Two days that reminded us why this work matters… and confirmed that getting this group in a room together was a very good idea – especially day two, when a bigger room gave our energy (and volume) a bit more space.

What makes a team really click when you get them in the same room?