FAQs

Why join?

To pause and reflect
To look at how you operate from different perspectives
To meet with and learn from peers
To create and build supportive relationships
To share ideas, difficulties and experience in a confidential, non-competitive setting
To have an opportunity to be listened to
To have somewhere to be your most authentic self
To look at professional and personal issues that may be affecting your work
To explore your relationships with employees and trustees
To celebrate your successes
To prevent burnout
To take care of yourself

Who joins?

Mostly CEOs of medium-sized and smaller organisations who are working at the ‘coal-face’.

How does my organisation benefit?

An organisation benefits from a CEO being in post for at least five years – thus completing two funding rounds. Paying for your membership and thereby helping to keep you healthier and more robust in your job, will be cheaper and less arduous than going through frequent recruitment procedures.

You also work with Chairs – could there be a conflict of interests?

I have a very clear boundary around this: If I am working with you, I wouldn’t work with the Chair of your organisation. Similarly, if I am working with your Chair, I wouldn’t be able to work with you.

Why do you ask for payment for a term of four meetings?

The group works best if there is stability and you can get to know each other, so I ask that you make a commitment for a term rather than dropping in and out.

What other support is available?

When you join, you immediately gain a group of peers with whom you can optionally be in contact outside the group as well as at meetings. I am also available professionally on a one-to-one basis.

What happens at the end of eight sessions?

The groups are ongoing, so you are welcome to stay on in your group for as long as you want. I ask for a minimum commitment of a term of four sessions and then it is up to you. My hope is that you will enjoy the collegiate nature of the groups enough to want to make your membership a constant way of supporting yourself in your career.

What is expected of participants?

Commitment: The group will work best and you will get most from it if you attend every session and so the request is that you prioritise attendance over other commitments.

Confidentiality: Everything discussed at Tough at the Top meetings is held in strictest confidence within the group.

Willingness: To share thoughts and ideas and to offer and receive support.

Endings: When you decide to leave, I ask that you give a term’s notice so that we can all enjoy a proper ending with you. Shorter notice than this can be unsettling for the group.

Why did you set up Tough at the Top?

For a number of years I gave support to three CEO friends who were saying much the same thing to me about their trustees, employment issues and stress levels. I realised that although there were a wide range of conferences and training opportunities available, there was nowhere for them to go to talk about these matters together. This gave me the initial idea for Tough at the Top.

Will I be written about in one of your articles in Third Sector magazine?

Absolutely nothing that you say would ever be repeated or be identifiable as you.

When can I join?

At the start of a new term. Just contact me at any point during the year and I can let you know the next start date.

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