Introducing the first ever ECD Qualified Leaders in the world  

We're proud to share a bright spot with you all. Last week, we delivered the first-ever ECD Foundations Workshop to a group of in-house leaders of a local Government Agency in New Zealand.

This culminated over 18 months of design, prototyping and testing with the fantastic assistance of Elephant Riders, Lotty Roberts, Steven Hargreaves and Lorissa Garcia. 

There have been so many twists, turns, surprises, setbacks, uncomfortable moments, highs, aha moments and a giant pivot along this journey.

From September, our global community of ECD Certified Consultants will deliver these ECD workshops in over 20 countries.

What exactly are these new ECD Qualified Leaders Workshops?

These highly interactive and hands-on workshops qualify your leaders to apply The ECD to create more emotionally aware leaders and teams.

Tailored for training in-house organisations and business leaders, an ECD Certified Consultant...

Huge cheers and congratulations are in order for Kayleigh Woodings, who has just achieved the crowning glory in our Elephant Rider Community, becoming a Master Elephant Rider

By achieving this prestigious accomplishment, Kayleigh joins Lotty Roberts as one of only two Master Elephant Riders in the world.

Reaching this status epitomises understanding and mastery in crafting emotional cultures – an art Kayleigh has truly made her own.

Over the past 24 months, her journey has been nothing short of spectacular.

She's facilitated a stunning total of 65 ECD workshops, lent her expertise to dozens of leaders through 1:1s and stirred up inspiration at five (but potentially more) ECD Meetups.

Kayleigh began her Elephant Rider journey at the beginning of 2020 and went on to become an ECD Certified Consultant later in 2022. Kayleigh has been a beacon of dedication to The ECD and helping rehumanise workplaces.

Her reach has been as diverse as it is impressive. Whether it was financial...

This is a celebration of an extraordinary achievement!

This week marks a momentous occasion as we honour the incredible Jim Dryburgh, who has officially unlocked his Specialist Elephant Rider Badge. Joining a select group of remarkable individuals, Jim has surpassed an impressive milestone, facilitating over 25 Emotional Culture Deck Workshops.

Jim, your contribution to our ECD Universe has been immense. Your journey has been nothing short of awe-inspiring, and it fills our hearts with joy and pride to witness your remarkable growth. The impact you've made reaches far and wide, touching countless individuals and teams and reminding us all of the power of meaningful human connection at work.

You continue to prove that people of all backgrounds and experiences want to express themselves at work (and school). They just don't have the tools and the labels to express themselves meaningfully. And after everything you've achieved, it strangely feels like you've just found your groove. But...

We're thrilled to announce and celebrate the outstanding achievements of over 130 individuals who have recently graduated as ECD Qualified Practitioners from the transformative ECD Online Masterclass!

With utmost pride, we congratulate each and every one of you. You fearlessly stepped outside your comfort zones and embraced this challenge with open arms. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you into our Elephant Rider Community!

To our newest Elephant Riders, this is just the beginning. As we continue to shape the world's first community of Emotional Culture Crafters, we express our deepest gratitude for your curiosity and contributions. 

Your diverse backgrounds and expertise are invaluable assets to our growing community. Together, we can create a profound impact by inspiring and emboldening people to express themselves and rehumanising the places we work.

For those who are inspired by the achievements of our Elephant Riders, we invite you to embark on...

Attention, passionate team builders!

Are you tired of witnessing teams struggle to cultivate a cohesive and inspiring culture? Do you find yourself navigating through a maze of disjointed efforts, unsure of how to truly connect and engage team members? As a coach or consultant, you understand the critical role that team culture plays in driving success and fulfilment. But finding the right tools and approaches to create a meaningful impact can be a daunting task. That's why we're excited to introduce you to a transformative solution that will revolutionise your approach to team building: The ECD Online Masterclass.

Introducing the ECD Online Masterclass Course, your guiding light in building a thriving emotional culture within your team. It's time to unlock the potential of your team and foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

In this immersive online course, you'll delve into The Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) and its associated tools, equipping yourself with practical...

For even the most cynical and rational individuals, understanding and addressing emotional culture in the workplace is essential for success. Research has shown that emotional culture influences employee satisfaction, burnout, absenteeism, teamwork, and financial performance. The Emotional Culture Deck, a powerful and innovative tool, can help you tap into this often-overlooked aspect of organisational culture. Read on to learn about the research-backed benefits of using The Emotional Culture Deck in your organisation.

The Impact of Emotional Culture on Employee Satisfaction

Numerous studies have established a strong connection between emotional culture and employee satisfaction. When employees feel valued, supported, and understood, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. The Emotional Culture Deck fosters open conversations about emotions, helping to create a workplace environment where employees feel heard and acknowledged. This heightened satisfaction can lead to...

Sanely simple. Incredibly powerful.

Emotions drive life’s experiences. They can inspire and embolden people to push their limits or crush confidence and motivation, leading them to languish. Resolved, they are a marvellous force for good. Unresolved, they damage and vandalise human potential.

From workplaces to private lives, from where people earn to how they earn, mastering the “F-word" is truly a life skill.

Emotions can change the relationships humans have (with ourselves and others), the cultures we work in and the vocations we pursue. Understanding and tapping into everything that emotions can mean and do motivated riders&elephants, makers of the world’s leading prompted conversation starters, to develop The Emotional Culture Deck.

It remains our most popular offering. Today, over 400,000 people in 60+ countries around the world look to our simple and powerful card deck to change the world around them.

Emotional journeys.

As a company, we champion...

Goodstart Early Learning, Australia's largest not-for-profit childcare provider, is changing the way their teams work by focusing on emotions. 

Using The Emotional Culture Deck, the teams have transformed their work environment into a safe space, which is particularly important for educators in lower socioeconomic areas. By creating a culture where talking about emotions is okay, the teams have won a National Safety Award and reduced safety incidents in their centres.

Read this article from the F Word Magazine to learn how Goodstart Early Learning uses The ECD to create positive change in their workplaces.

The Emotional Culture Deck has been gaining traction in the education sector, with more and more people, teachers, schools and universities using it for various purposes within education. It's exciting to see its potential being recognised and tapped into by educators and students alike.

Here's what we've learned so far about using The ECD in education and the game's potential for transforming education.

Changing the Core Question

One of the most liberating things about the game is that it has two core questions: "What do we want our people to feel?" and "What do I want to feel?" However, for educators, the core question becomes "How do you want your students to feel?" This changes the entire dynamic of the game and makes it relevant to education.

Using the Game to Improve School Culture

When using the game in schools, the core question can be changed to "How do we want the emotional culture of our school to be?" or "How do we want the environment of our school to feel?"...

The Emotional Culture Deck can be used to stimulate meaningful discussions among leaders. Asking the question, "How do you want people to feel and not feel when they join your organisation?" can profoundly impact defining an effective onboarding strategy.

Here's why this question is so powerful:

1. Encourages empathy: By asking this question, leaders are prompted to put themselves in the shoes of new employees, fostering an empathetic mindset. They'll start to appreciate the emotional needs of their people and create a welcoming onboarding process that caters to those needs.

2. Prioritises emotional well-being: This question makes it clear that emotions count in our workplace. It underscores the importance of emotional well-being. Leaders who understand the significance of emotional well-being are more likely to create a positive work environment that supports employee engagement and satisfaction.

3. Clarifies expectations: The question encourages leaders to...