What people say about our training

Our training course has been reviewed by external partners and featured in the media

Nic Hammarling, Partner and Head of Diversity at Pearn Kandola, reviewed the programme:

"As an occupational psychologist who has worked with Imperial College over several years on a different behaviour change programme, it is clear that the Active Bystander programme has had a significant impact at the individual level.

Three elements in particular are indicative of significant behaviour change. Firstly, as part of the evaluation, participants are able to cite many varied, and (critically) specific, examples of how they have applied the learning. This level of applying learning is key to behaviour change.

Secondly, participants gave examples of how they had applied their learning in personal circumstances rather than simply in the University setting. This is indicative of a level of general attitudinal and behaviour change that illustrates an internalised skill development, rather than one people feel only applies in the setting where their learning took place.

Thirdly, participants are consistently and accurately able to identify which of the four strategies covered in the training they applied in reality. Again this indicates that participants are genuinely applying their learning from the session. A further, and important consideration, is the fact that people reported feeling more confident in challenging inappropriate behaviour having completed the session.

This, combined with the fact that the session content appears to involve elements of the theory of planned behaviour, indicates that the critical mass approach to rollout adopted by Imperial College is likely to have a significant impact beyond individual behaviour change to a University-wide cultural shift."

Comments from participants

'Useful to practice out loud a good phrase for intervening'

'I thought the training was really good and very thought provoking. I think it makes everyone think about their own behaviour as well as thinking about the behaviour of those around them. There have been instances in our office when someone has jokingly said 'I'll be an Active Bystander here...' relating to a situation or conversation but its made everyone stop and think. So it's really resonated with everyone. I have also mentored a couple of junior members of the division whose behaviour can sometimes be a little extreme and the training has made them think about their own conduct. I feel comfortable saying to them 'as an Active Bystander, what you would say to that?...' when they have reacted to a situation.'

'Although I haven't actively used it I have thought about it in a few situations and explained the system to some people - although not needed I still think it was fantastic training to be armed with and ready to use!'

'The training was very useful to alert me and colleagues to subtleties of poor and aggressive behavior at work. For instance, I hadn't recognised email and copying multiple (and senior) people on emails as a form of aggressive behaviour. Also highlighted the importance of banter and cultural differences. While I am not sure whether I have consciously used the skills in the training, I feel that I have benefited from it and would be more ready to act.'