Insights from AGL

Job hunting can be a minefield.

Mysterious AI algorithms, automated recruitment systems, ghosting and fewer vacancies at every level.

McKinsey’s latest newsletter* suggests that we should all focus on “what machines struggle to do: persuasion, empathy, judgement and reading the room.

If you’re preparing to secure your next role, we can help you stand out from the crowd and build genuine connection at every stage of the interview process.

*McKinsey, “Mind the Gap” newsletter, 1 September

How do you achieve more sales without clients feeling ‘sold to’?

You learn to sell using emotional intelligence…

AGL’s Emotionally Intelligent Sales workshops help anyone selling to clients to:

·      Sell more effectively - whether in a corporate or retail environment
·      Read the room and listen with curiosity
·      Ask thoughtful questions that uncover clients’ emotional motivations
·      Ensure clients feel understood, motivated to buy and confident in their decisions
·      Exert thoughtful influence so clients buy from you and not a competitor
·      Deepen client relationships
·      Manage emotions and draw on instinct, adapting in the moment

When a client feels heard, trust grows. Trust leads to loyalty, which builds strong relationships and generates repeat sales.

When communication fails to resonate emotionally, sales may be lost to the competition.

Our recent workshops on this topic received a 100% ‘highly effective’ or ‘excellent’ rating.

No one loves being on the receiving end of a ‘hard sell’. People buy from people, so relationships and genuine human connection are essential.

Time to banish TL;DR and TMI for good.

We’re all overloaded and, ironically, ‘time-saving’ tech often adds to the problem.

Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index found that employees are interrupted by a meeting, email or notification every two minutes. The working day is chaotic and fragmented.

When briefing a senior leader, getting even ten uninterrupted minutes of their time may be impossible. You need to be able to:

·     Get to the point quickly
·     Separate what’s interesting from what actually matters
·     Give them enough context to make a decision without overloading them with detail
·     Ensure every second of their attention counts

These are the skills we help people develop on the AGL Briefing Course.

Developed and delivered by a former adviser to senior military leaders (who have very little time to make crucial decisions), we have recently delivered the course for:

·     A leading high-street bank
·     A top luxury goods house
·     A major property group

The feedback we receive each time is exceptional. Many participants say they wish they’d developed this skill years earlier in their careers.

If your leaders need to make better decisions faster, get in touch to discuss a Briefing Course masterclass or workshop for your team.

An unexpected AGL sighting in the Serengeti.🦒

AGL’s own ‘Big Five’ for genuine human connection: trust, curiosity, judgement, empathy and authenticity.

Does your audience buy in to you?

Emotionally intelligent communication is the foundation of great leadership.

For support to connect on a deeper, more human level, through your communication, please get in touch for an introductory chat.

Happy New (Academic) Year!

August is all about OOO - stepping away, switching off and gaining a fresh perspective.

Then September arrives, and we add the MPH:  Momentum, Planning and Headway.

Put the two together, and you get Oomph.

It’s that Oomph that carries us through a productive final quarter - finishing the year with momentum, while finalising budgets and plans for 2027.

There’s behavioural science behind the familiar post-summer surge. Researchers call it the ‘fresh start effect’.

Returning from a break can renew our motivation and our focus on the goals ahead.

But plans don’t deliver themselves.

Leaders need to communicate priorities clearly. Teams need to have productive conversations. And everyone needs to come together to turn shared goals into action.

AGL supports the Oomph, helping leaders and teams develop the communication skills they need to create alignment, build momentum and achieve their business goals.

Are you struggling with ‘lily padders’?

Many Gen Z employees are ‘lily padding’ - jumping from role to role to build new skills, gain experience and move up the career ladder.

This can be costly and time-consuming for companies. Investing in Gen Z is key to retaining them for the longer term.

The Chartered Management Institute’s 2026 study found that 86% of employed 18–24-year-olds want more support. Deloitte’s 2026 UK survey similarly found that Gen Z is strongly focused on developing expertise.

AGL offers a CPD-accredited course for early-career cohorts, giving them essential EQ skills and a sense of agency in their professional development.

Swipe for details.

The world is noisy and fast. Sometimes, we need to pause, reflect and gain clarity.

We helped teams from a leading luxury goods house do just this recently – giving them the insights and tools to move forward with greater focus.

We created a tailored series of Clarity and High-Performance workshops, designed to give people the time and space to identify priorities and areas for growth for the next 90 days.

Participants used our AGL Leadership Clarity Wheel to assess where they felt they most needed to focus.

They left the sessions with clarity on:

·     Where their energy and time are being used (and how that aligns with their real priorities)
·     Where they may feel unclear, misaligned or underutilised
·     Where they could increase their impact
·     What ‘high impact’ would look like in six months’ time
·     Whether their attitude to giving and receiving feedback is helping them perform at their best
·     What greater ownership would look like in their role
·     What capability, if strengthened, would best support their career ambitions
·     What boundaries would most improve their wellbeing at work

As one participant shared:

“The MOST inspiring speaker and best workshops that I have ever attended. We all need AGL in our lives every day.”

There’s nothing we enjoy more than co-creating a programme in partnership with our client that meets a specific need - especially when it exceeds expectations!