All OTD coaches to receive inclusivity training 

The Birmingham-based global training company will deliver ‘OTD - inclusive facilitation’ to its entire network of more than 150 international associate business coaches. 

The programme has been specially designed to enable participants to improve their awareness of the challenges of unconscious bias and discrimination experienced across the nine protected characteristics. It also aims to ensure all OTD coaches are culturally competent, understanding how to be an ally in teams and in the workshops they lead.

OTD joint managing director, Chris Cummins, said: “As a global coaching and training business, we want to inspire and be inspired - and that's applicable to everyone.

“Our customers are an incredibly diverse group of people, located across the world. To deliver first class training we must be able to engage with them, and to do that effectively we have to be fully inclusive.” 

Andy Crotty, joint managing director of OTD, said that the programme aims to create a safe psychological environment for participants to feel comfortable and able to air their views openly.

He said: “Every person that takes part in an OTD workshop must feel psychologically safe and we want to avoid a scenario where people are worried about saying the wrong thing. Likewise, all of our coaches need to be confident in facilitating discussions on sensitive topics too. 

“Equity, diversity and inclusion is perfectly aligned with OTD’s values - it’s about fostering a sense of community and looking after each other.”

‘OTD - inclusive facilitation’ will be spearheaded by two of the company’s associate business coaches, Marie Gardner and Marie Loney, who have undertaken extensive training and research before delivering the programme. 

“We want to maintain the highest standards of equity, diversity and inclusion within OTD and the first step to achieving that is to develop a culture of facilitation,” said Marie Gardner.

“Inclusive facilitation isn’t just about theory though, it’s also about empowering people to change the way they act, and that’s hugely exciting.”