Space Matters: A not-boring guide to planning your L&D event… unless watching minds drift before coffee is the plan

By: Heice Yau and Swathi Vallabhaneni - Black Dog Consultants

Your training venue isn’t just where you plonk chairs and wheel in a flipchart.

It’s your silent co-facilitator.

The vibe-setter.

The difference between “that changed how I think” and “I mostly remember the biscuits.”

If you want your L&D session to stick, don’t sleepwalk into booking the nearest soulless hotel conference room.

Here’s what to look for instead…

Ambience isn’t an afterthought – it's the atmosphere engine

Picture this: you walk into a room that feels like a cave - dark, dreary and a bit claustrophobic.

Yikes.

Atmosphere matters.

It’s more than a ‘nice to have’ - it’s the unspoken signal that says: “we care about this.”

Choose a venue that inspires creativity and collaboration.

Look for spaces with quirky décor, textures that aren’t plastic, or a splash of something unexpected.

Peopl...

By Raatha Ganesh, GM Singapore at Black Dog Consultants

TL;DR (for the time-starved):

We’ve glamourised the loudest voice, the biggest energy, the “command-the-room” aura.

How often does that charisma silence nuance?

How many great ideas go unheard because presence is mistaken for volume?

I once worked with a leader who barely spoke in meetings - but when she did, the entire room leaned in. She didn’t fill the room. She tuned into it. Her power was in what she noticed, not what she projected.

That’s when it hit me: real executive presence isn’t about performance. It’s about attunement.

It’s not a spotlight - it’s a mirror.

It’s not a solo - it’s a dance.

In today’s climate, attunement isn’t soft - it’s strategic.

What’s more powerful: being heard... or hearing what others miss?

We need to talk about presence.

Not the kind that lights up a stage or owns the mic.
Not the one that turns heads in a boardroom.

I mean the kind that notices.
That listens before it speaks.
That ...

Authors: Dawn Isaac and Raatha Ganesh

Most event sponsors use the mic to sell.
We used ours to listen.

At ICF Hong Kong’s 15th anniversary, we ditched the pitch deck and asked six sharp questions instead.

Then we shut up and handed the mic to 86 coaches.
The responses weren’t polite noise.

They were a raw signal.
Some were bold. Some were hesitant.
But nearly all were hungry - for something better.

This wasn’t a survey.

It was a pulse-check.
And what we heard might just be the clearest signal yet of where coaching is headed next.

🦴 Here’s the chew toy version of what we learned:

So, what’s driving coaching demand right now?

Q1: What’ll spark the biggest increase in coaching in the next 24 months?

• Organisational transformation → 41%
• AI-enabled coaching → 33%
• Career development → 15%
  (Side mentions: cost, regulation, geopolitics)

🐾 Signal:
People don’t hire a coach when the satnav’s working. They call in reinforcements when the road’s closed and Google Maps has a meltd...

By Dawn Isaac, COO at Black Dog Consultants

“Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

I first heard this phrase a few years into being a people manager.
I remember chuckling, smugly relieved that whatever chaos was unfolding - wasn’t mine.

Not my monkeys. Not my mess. I could just sip my coffee and watch the show.

But I was quite proud of my own circus. As an aspiring Greatest Showman, I thought I ring mastered with flair.

My acrobats were slick, the clowns were funny (on purpose) and the whole thing ran on time.

“My circus, my monkeys, 10/10. Move along. Nothing to see here.”

The reason this popped into my head again? A family member sent me a meme about the “fourth monkey” - apparently, modern life has bred a new one. But instead of adding to the troop, it got me thinking about the original three. And then about work.

What are our monkeys?
How many of them are invisible?
And do we even know we’re feeding them?

Monkey One: Seeing Effort (Before It Disappears)

Deadlines met. Tasks ticke...

🎥 We didn’t just talk about transformation - we felt it. 

You can’t fake real connection.
And at this year’s ICF Hong Kong Chapter 15th Anniversary Flagship Event, it was everywhere.

We came. We spoke. We hugged strangers.
Black Dog Consultants were proud sponsors and speakers this year and we loved every minute. 

✨ 18 global thought leaders
🔥 Keynotes that made us pause
⚡ Breakout labs with real a-ha moments
💬 150+ bold, curious, change-hungry humans

From the first handshake to the final hug, this was time well spent. 

We didn’t just show up.
We listened. We learned.
And we left charged with possibility.

🖤 To the ones we met: thanks for the sparks.

Want to work with us? Connect at www.blackdog-consultants.com 

Author: Raatha Ganesh, Head of Partnerships, Black Dog Consultants

Most leaders love the idea of transformation.
Until it requires belief. Until it requires budget.

Then? Silence.

McKinsey says long-term thinkers outperform on profit and revenue. Gallup links optimism in leadership to higher engagement, retention and crisis performance.

So the data’s clear. Playing the long game works.

And yet - Most organisations keep rewarding short-term wins and clinging to the status quo.

What’s the result?

Inertia. A quiet, comfortable force that buries bold ideas in the 'someday' folder.

The Pattern We See (And You’ve Lived)

• Workshops light the match. Leaders leave with post-its full of promises.
• Fast-forward 30 days: No structure. No follow-up. No pulse.
• That bold idea? Now hibernating in someone’s inbox marked “maybe later.”
• The idea wasn’t weak. The system was.

Radical Optimism Isn’t Naïve. It’s Necessary.

And no, we don’t mean the “everything will be fine” type on a dusty mo...

By Dawn Isaac: COO at Black Dog Consultants

Coaching is traditionally reserved for the VIPs. The C-Suite. The high-flyers. The biggest earners. Get the title, grab the corner office and voilà – you’ve earned a professional development concierge to fine-tune your already robust skill set.

We think it’s time to flip the script.

What if we’ve been backing the wrong horse? What if the real coaching revolution belongs not to the top, but the middle?

The unsung heroes: middle managers

Middle managers don’t just sit between layers of org charts. They absorb pressure from above, keep teams afloat, juggle targets, people problems and the occasional crisis of meaning.

They’re the ones reaching for the duct tape when things fall apart - patching up gaps no one else wants to see. And yet? They’re often left out in the cold when it comes to their real, impactful development.

It’s not just unfair. It’s a massive, missed opportunity. These folks are the heartbeat of the business. They turn strat...

Author: Raatha Ganesh, Black Dog Consultants

Comfort kills change. We all know it. But we still chase it.

For some reason, we’re still designing learning that soothes instead of stretches. That avoids tension like it's an awkward uncle at a wedding.

We call it ‘respect.’ We call it ‘being nice.’
But let’s call it what it really is: avoidance.

If you’re serious about behaviour change, you have to stop equating harmony with progress. The work doesn’t begin until someone feels uncomfortable.

What tension really is

Tension is that awkward silence when someone says what everyone’s been avoiding.

It’s that moment your stomach turns before you speak truth to power.

It’s not cruelty.
It’s not conflict.
It’s the necessary stretch before the shift.

Without tension, there’s no transformation.
Just repetition.

Tension is not a ‘nice to have.’ It’s the ignition switch.
You can’t build muscles without resistance. You can’t change minds without friction.

But here’s the key: tension alone d...

By Raatha Ganesh, Black Dog Consultants.

Inclusion is broken, not in theory, but in practice.

It’s become a hollow buzzword;  overused, misapplied, and stripped of its power. In many organisations, it’s reduced to well-meaning checklists or symbolic gestures that create more noise than progress.

The issue isn’t intent. It’s execution. We’ve mistaken open doors for open hearts. We’ve confused invitation with empowerment. It’s time to do better.

At Black Dog Consultants, we’ve seen firsthand that inclusion isn’t about inviting everyone. It’s about creating purposeful spaces where the right voices are heard, where dissent is welcomed and where meaningful progress can happen.

Inspired by Priya Parker’s concept of generous exclusion, we believe it’s time to get specific, deliberate and courageous about who we invite to the table and why.

Why Inclusion is Failing

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: inclusion, as it’s often practised, isn’t working.

1. Too many voices, not enough focus
   I
...

Author: Raatha Ganesh, Head of Partnerships at Black Dog Consultants

They told us what leadership should look like. Stand tall. Speak loud. Always know the answer. Lead from the front.

They got it wrong.

What if the best leaders don’t always lead the charge? What if quiet beats loud? What if making people uncomfortable is sometimes the kindest thing a leader can do?

Raatha, our Head of Partnerships, has been digging into the leadership lessons we’ve all been fed.

Some don’t hold up. Some need rewriting. Some need throwing out altogether.

So, let’s do that. Let’s unlearn a few things.

“The best leaders always lead from the front.”

• Actually, the best leaders know when to step back and let others take the lead.

“Only extroverts can inspire teams.”

• Think again—quiet, thoughtful leadership often inspires on a deeper level.

“Consensus is the mark of strong leadership.”

• Not always—bold decisions often require breaking from the pack.

“Professional distance builds respe...