Thu 19 Mar 2026
Breakout session A
Running the room: Speaking with confidence and authority in high-stakes situations
This hands-on session gives you practical tools you can apply straight away to take the lead in any space—physical or virtual—so your voice carries weight and your message lands with impact.
You’ll discover how to:
- Set up the room for authority and psychological safety so people are ready to listen.
- Gain and hold attention with confidence and tact without talking over others.
- Close with clarity so decisions and actions stick.
Whether you’re presenting to a board, leading a meeting, hosting an online discussion, or simply want to raise your professional impact, you’ll leave with techniques you can use the very next day and the confidence of knowing how to establish yourself as the trusted voice in the room.
Cath Baxter, Professional Voice and Public Speaking Consultant & former Head of Voice, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Breakout session B
Preparing for Your next grade: Are you Application and Interview Ready?
If you would like to be taken through the selection process step by step by a Civil Service selection expert and Senior Civil Servant who has trained and worked successfully for many years with Hiring Managers, Panel Chairs and hundreds of applicants then this is the session for you. You will be able to compare how prepared you are, and what you need to do next to improve your approach in a supportive session which will offer examples and valuable tips that have worked for others.
Richard Hillsdon, Civil Service Selection Consultant; Former Senior Civil Servant
Breakout session C
Communicating for results: how to negotiate with impact
Are you apprehensive about entering negotiations? Can you get comfortable with asking for what you want, with the results you want? The good news is that whether you are overflowing with confidence or you feel like you could do with a bit more, this session will teach you how to communicate effectively when it counts. Whether you’re negotiating high value contracts, securing resources for your project, or looking to make your work conditions more favourable, in this interactive session, communication expert Cath Baxter, will provide you with actions that can empower you in your next negotiations
Cath Baxter, Professional Voice and Public Speaking Consultant & former Head of Voice, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Breakout session D
Managing difficult conversations
Every manager will encounter times when they need to have difficult conversations with their team. Conversations with individuals about performance, conflict, workplace change, and wellbeing issues such as health or bereavement can all be tricky for a manager to navigate. This session looks at how to prepare for difficult conversations, tips on communication, and how to work through to successful outcomes.
The FDA
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