ACP Consulting

19/10/2026

A few snaps from our latest Giving Circle 💛

ACP is incredibly proud to be a silver sponsor of Meridian and be part of a community that backs people doing meaningful work.

This round, we collectively granted $60,000 to three brilliant organisations:
✨ $30,000 to Sister Project
✨ $20,000 to Common Ground
✨ $10,000 to Cedar for Tanzania

Taking our investment fund to around $1million.

Such a great night celebrating generosity, connection and the impact that’s possible when people come together to give.

16/10/2026

Are you helping? Or just feeling helpful?
“I’m out of my depth.”
“Nah, you’re doing great, mate.”

Warmly intended. But has the person received the help they were asking for?
This is one of the listening traps we explore at ACP: listening to rescue.

We hear uncertainty or distress and rush to make it better. Often because we care. Sometimes because sitting with someone else’s struggle makes us feel uncomfortable, helpless or responsible.

“You’ve got this” brings immediate relief. They smile, say thanks and leave.

But later? The same problem is waiting. They still need support, and now they may think: “They believe I can handle it. I probably shouldn’t ask again.”

Over time, people can learn to hide uncertainty. Problems linger. Help comes later than it should.

At ACP, we help leaders understand the pattern beneath the behaviour. “Listen better” only gets us so far if we haven’t noticed what makes listening difficult.

Before rushing to reassure, pause:
What am I feeling? What am I trying to make go away?

Then get curious:
• “Which part are you feeling out of your depth with?”
• “Where are you getting stuck?”
• “What would useful support from me look like?”

Stay with the discomfort long enough to understand the need. Then agree on a practical next step.

“I believe in you” can sit alongside “Let’s work out what you need.”

This month, notice your urge to rescue.

Are you responding to what they need—or what you need to stop feeling uncomfortable?

12/10/2026

What patients don’t tell us can be just as important as what they do.

In my latest piece for Medicus, I explore why psychological safety isn’t simply a “soft skill” for clinicians; it’s a clinical one.

I also share five simple, practical ways clinicians can help patients feel safe enough to say the things that really matter.

Read it here:

SPECIALTY FEATURE – GENERAL PRACTICE What patients don’t tell us Anna Pitman Founder & Director, ACP Consulting Group Claim...

05/10/2026

Module 2 of our Leader as Coach Program — Listening & Powerful Questions

September was all about helping leaders resist the urge to jump in, fix and provide the answer — and instead listen more, talk less and ask better questions.

A big focus was putting the skills into practice, with leaders coaching each other through real workplace challenges using the GROW model.

The feedback said it best: 100% felt the balance between content, discussion and practice was just right, with coaching practice the clear highlight of the day.

And the commitments coming out of the room? "Ask more open questions", "listen more", "WAIT", and "Be present".

Simple shifts that can completely change the quality of a leadership conversation.

28/09/2026

We really love working with teams who make the time to come together properly, because they recognise the value in regularly stepping out of the day-to-day to reconnect, reflect and make sure they're still heading in the same direction.

Minderoo Foundation's Operations Team Leads do this once a quarter, creating space to align, have the conversations that can easily get lost in the busyness, and think about how they can work better together.

We also always enjoy spending time at Minderoo. There's a real alignment with what we believe at ACP - particularly generosity, contribution and using our work and resources to make a meaningful difference for others.

Very grateful to have been invited back into the room to facilitate the conversation.

21/09/2026

Accountability isn't something we can demand. It's something we create the conditions for.

We recently had the pleasure of working with the Procurement team at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (). What stood out most was the genuine psychological safety in the room; a reflection of intentional leadership over time.

We explored how accountability grows when people feel safe to contribute, leaders coach rather than rescue, and teams are empowered to take ownership.

When leaders stop rescuing and start coaching, accountability stops being expected and starts becoming part of the culture.

14/09/2026

ACP is proud to partner with as an Expert. We really enjoyed being back with them recently, speaking on one of my favourite leadership topics: Coaching.

The biggest shift? Managers don't need more time; they need better questions.

When leaders stop solving every problem and start coaching people to think for themselves, they build greater ownership, capability and confidence.

Some key takeaways included:
• "Really enjoyed this workshop, I found it very insightful."
• "Great insight in interactions both at work & at home."
• "This topic helps me know when to listen instead of trying to fix."

With a workshop score of 4.9/5.

Looking forward to the next cohort!

07/09/2026

Great leaders don't have all the answers. They ask better questions.
We're thrilled to launch Cohort 2 of ACP's Leader as Coach Program with a long-standing client.

Module 1 focused on the shift every leader wrestles with: moving from solving problems to coaching through them. We explored presence, curiosity and the GROW model — and put them straight into practice.

The feedback reinforced what we see time and again: nothing beats practice.

Leaders left committed to:
→ Asking better questions
→ Listening more deeply
→ Creating greater ownership in their teams
→ Making coaching conversations a regular habit

A great start to the next five months. 👏

31/08/2026

"Knowing my PRINT profile and learning about my triggers."

"The report felt very accurate and applicable to both work and life."

"Understanding the motivators of others to work with them better."

These are just a few of the reflections from our recent PRINT® workshop with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

One of the things we love most about PRINT® is that it goes beyond describing behaviour. It helps people understand why they behave the way they do, what motivates them, what happens when they're under pressure, and how they can build stronger relationships at work.

Our participants told us they left with greater self-awareness, a better understanding of their teammates, and practical strategies they could apply immediately in both their work and personal lives.

A huge thank you to ACP Coach Nicole Heffernan, and the team at DWER for your openness, curiosity and willingness to lean into the conversations.

24/08/2026

Grit Doesn't Just Happen. Great Leaders Grow It.

Angela Duckworth's research made one idea famous: grit is one of the strongest predictors of success.

Not IQ. Not talent. Not even EQ on its own.

It's grit — the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

If grit matters this much, what's the role of a leader? Can we actually help our people become grittier?

I believe we can.

At ACP, we define grit as the ability to keep showing up when the outcome isn't immediate. Research suggests it isn't fixed. It can be strengthened.

The question is how.

Many leaders respond to struggle by motivating, advising or solving. But what if the more powerful response was to coach?

Coaching doesn't remove the challenge. It helps people build the internal capacity to move through it.

When leaders ask thoughtful questions instead of supplying answers, something shifts. People reconnect with their reasons for continuing. They remember how far they've come. They focus on the next small milestone instead of the whole journey.

Instead of relying on external motivation, they build internal conviction. That's where grit grows.

The leaders who build the most resilient teams aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who create space for reflection.

They ask:

→ What's kept you going so far?
→ Why does this goal still matter to you?
→ What's the next step within your control?
→ What will achieving this make possible?

These aren't just coaching questions. They're grit-building questions.

At ACP, this is a core reason we teach leaders to coach. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?fbclid=IwVERDUATE-TZwZG9mAWZkaWQWUKnPLqi29VfrYOm_bQT28KGQx_DBDmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7kGa6j2h9M41887k3Rs9z7eoGKK3jtdao3SoecJzew0egpameO4U9uds9U9g_aem_K8ks0Vs-nlm_XCwBXcvaNQ

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predicto...