Toolbox communications

Training and development

The Anima Co Learning Model

At Anima Co, we don’t believe learning is simply about giving people more information. Knowing something is different from being able to use it. And being able to use something once is different again from changing the way we think, lead and work. Our programs are designed around that difference.

We create learning experiences that give people the opportunity to learn something new, reflect on it, explore it with others, practise it in a safe environment, and apply it to the real challenges they face at work.

Because real capability doesn’t develop in a single workshop. It develops over time.

Our programs

The Anima Co Mentoring Program
Mental Health Resilience
The Strategic Thinking Lab
Culture in Practice
Applied Learning Workshops
Ideas in Practice
Leaders in Conversation
Resilience in Practice

Our learning philosophy

The people who come into our programs already know a lot. They bring experience, professional expertise and an understanding of their own organisation and circumstances.

We don’t want to replace that knowledge. We want to build on it.

Our programs therefore combine:

  • evidence-informed learning
  • reflection and discussion
  • mentoring and peer learning
  • safe opportunities to practise
  • application to real workplace challenges
  • reinforcement and learning over time

The aim isn’t for someone to leave thinking, “That was interesting.”

We want them to leave thinking: “I understand this. I’ve had a chance to practise it. I know how I can use it.“

Learning Cycle

1. Learn

We introduce participants to research, ideas, frameworks and practical tools that help them understand a topic or challenge differently.

We focus on what is useful and give people enough space to explore and discuss it rather than rushing through large amounts of content.

The goal is understanding, not information overload.

2. Reflect

Participants consider what the learning means for them, how it relates to their experience,
what assumptions they may be making and what they might do differently.

Reflection helps connect new ideas with what people already know.

3. Practise

Knowing what to do differently doesn’t necessarily mean we feel comfortable doing it.

Our programs provide a safe, supportive environment where participants can try things before they have to use them in the workplace.

Through mentoring, group discussion, scenarios, role-play, problem-solving and real examples, participants can:

  • test new approaches
  • practise difficult conversations
  • challenge their assumptions
  • receive feedback
  • learn from other people’s experiences
  • make mistakes and learn from them
  • try again

The point isn’t to get it right the first time. It is to have somewhere safe to try, reflect, adjust and try again.

This is an important part of building confidence.

4. Apply

Participants take what they have learned and practised and apply it to real situations at work.

They might use a new framework, approach a problem differently, have a different conversation,
test a new leadership behaviour or make a different decision.

What happens in the workplace becomes part of the next round of learning:
What happened? What worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently?

5. Embed

Participants consider what they will take forward and how they will continue to use the learning.
The aim is for new approaches to become part of how someone works — not something they remember from a course they once attended.

Why our programs take time

Many training programs are designed around a simple model: bring people together, teach them something and send them back to work.

We take a different approach.

Our programs are deliberately designed to run over time because there is a limit to what people can learn, practise and change in a single session.

We want participants to have time to learn → think → practise → try → reflect → discuss → refine → try again.

The time between sessions matters. It gives people the opportunity to take something back to work, try it in a real situation and see what happens.

They can then bring that experience back to the group, learn from others and refine their approach.

This creates a cycle of learning rather than a one-off training experience.

What happens between sessions is part of the program.

What participants can expect

An Anima Co program is more than a series of workshops.

Participants can expect:

  • Learning: Practical, evidence-informed ideas, frameworks and tools.
  • Reflection: Time to think about what the learning means in their own context.
  • Mentoring: A supportive environment to explore challenges, test thinking and learn from experience.
  • Practice: Opportunities to try new approaches before applying them in the workplace.
  • Peer learning: Different perspectives and the opportunity to learn from the experience of others.
  • Application: Real opportunities to use the learning in day-to-day work.
  • Feedback: Constructive challenge to help participants refine their approach.
  • Reinforcement: Returning to ideas and concepts rather than expecting them to stick after one exposure.
  • Time: Space between sessions to experiment, reflect and develop.

Our approach

Our role is to create the environment in which learning can happen.

We bring the evidence, research, frameworks, tools and structure.

We facilitate discussion, ask questions and challenge assumptions.

We create opportunities to practise and reflect.

And we help participants work out how the learning applies to their own situation.

We don’t believe capability can be delivered to someone. It has to be developed by them.

Our job is to create the conditions that make that development possible.

How we think about success

We don’t measure the success of a program simply by whether participants enjoyed it or felt they learned something. Those things matter, but they are only the starting point.

For us, the real test is whether participants use what they have learned and whether that changes their practice.

We look for evidence of changes in:

  • how participants approach problems
  • the quality of their questions and decision-making
  • how they communicate with others
  • how they respond to difficult or uncertain situations
  • their ability to apply new tools and approaches
  • their confidence in using those approaches
  • the leadership behaviours they demonstrate
  • the actions they take in response to workplace challenges

Ultimately, we want to see a progression from:

Understanding → Practice → Application → Changed practice

For Anima Co, successful learning is learning that people actually use.