Capability Development

Unlock Capability that Anchors Change and Builds Momentum

At Symbia, we don’t see capability development as a commodity. We see it as a way to equip people with the subtle, human skills needed to apply strategy, navigate complexity, and sustain change when it gets hard.

Our training supports people to do the subtle, human work of business well — influencing without authority, navigating ambiguity, landing ideas with impact, and sustaining momentum when change becomes hard.

This is not off-the-shelf learning.

It is capability development grounded in real organisational context, delivered by experienced practitioners who understand how businesses actually work.

How our capability training is different

Training at Symbia is always anchored in the bigger picture. We don’t start with a catalogue of topics and ask clients to choose. We start by understanding the context you are operating within and we design the learning journey from there. That context might be:

A transformation moving from vision into execution

(AI enabled workforce, Social First, Strategic partnering at scale)

Enabling functions needing to influence decisions without formal authority

Shift in focus and operating model

e.g. local first, global as influencers - new ways of working

Teams navigating complexity, pressure, and competing priorities

Leaders needing to re-engage people as energy dips within change

Our training is designed to:

  • Reinforce strategic direction
  • Build shared language and judgement
  • Help people apply learning directly to their real work

In many cases, capability training follows leadership workshops, diagnostics, or transformation work — ensuring learning is relevant, timely, and grounded in reality.

Capability journeys rooted in real business context

 Training at Symbia is always grounded in organisational context — we don’t start with a topic menu. We start with the moment that matters. Whether teams are feeling uncertainty, resistance, or stretched by strategic priorities, we use diagnostic insight to shape a sequence of sessions that makes learning relevant to the real work. Below are the core themes that have emerged from our work

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Self Leadership

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Stress & Performance

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Navigating Change

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Sustainable Performance

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Business Partnering

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Communication & Persuasion

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Line Management

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Leadership Development

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Team Effectiveness

Taster Of Our Programs

Navigating Change

Navigating uncertainty & change

Dealing With Uncertainty

Exploring the impact of the change on our motivation levels. Learn how to 'control the controllables' and move forward with ambiguity. Unlocking performance even during stress, uncertainty and change

Navigating Change

Experience the neuropsychology of change, how to identify and manage resistance & reframe perspectives. Practice moving into the 'growth zone' despite uncertainty or our desire to stick
with the status quo

Cultivating A Growth Mindset

Master the foundational thinking habits to help you see possibilities rather than obstacles and failure. Apply the 4 steps of moving from fixed to growth and how to coach others to do the sam

Strategic Relationships

Strategic relationships & Influence

Building Stakeholder Relationships

Strategize who, where and how to build stronger relationships in an authentic and genuine way. Create a unique stakeholder map with a practical action plan to grow your sphere of influence.

Managing difficult 
people & situations

What do you do when emotions start to rise? Learn how to deal with and diffuse tension in the room, tune-in with empathy and communicate to an effective resolution.

Influence &
Persuasion

Influencing is a learned skill, doing it without ‘authority’ is a practice. Practice the influencing styles and communication techniques that engage and persuade any audience.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking & Problem solving

Critical Thinking
& Questioning

Create clarity around a brief or problem by asking the right questions to get to the core of any challenge. Practice ‘problem reframing’ to unlock thinking and deliver against the right requests.

Effective 
Communication

Quickly build rapport, use foreshadowing and ‘labeling’ to focus attention and navigate competing agendas and structural sensitivities. Practice the impactful skills of communication.

Creative Problem Solving

With the right tools, you can view challenges from different perspectives and generate creative solutions, and break free from unproductive conversations.

Stress & Performance

Stress & Performance

Priority setting & pushing back

Learn what, how and when to prioritise vs say no (effectively without damaging relationships). Practice defending your focus while enhancing your business partnering skills.

 

Stress &
Performance

Create clarity on what you can control and influence and what’s worth your focus. Set clear strategies for action ensuring you can navigate stress effectively without letting it overwhelm you.

Confidence under pressure

Practice skillfully handling challenge, even from senior leaders. Learn to read body language and use tools to regulate emotions while deciding your next move.

Conflict & Negotiation

Conflict & Negotiation

Active listening

Get clear on the different types of listening and how to ‘suspend’ the judging / solving part of our brain.
Apply the new skills to navigate confusion, challenge & conflict.

Dealing with difficult situations & people

Even with the best of intentions some conversations can go in an unhelpful direction. Learn and practice how to skillfully handle these scenarios with grace & emotional intelligence.

The art of Negotiation

It can be daunting, but it’s simply a ‘conversation with a purpose’. How can you influence the discussion to get the outcomes you want? In this session, learn a six-step stairway that hugely improves the chances of a successful outcome.

Example Learning Journeys

Elevate Your Skill

Courageous Conversations

Business Partnering

Finding Your North

Empowering Teams With Practical Tools For Immediate Impact

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LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING:

Theory meets practice with storytelling, case studies and hands-on application.

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FLEXIBLE FORMATS:

90-minute bursts, 6 month virtual programs, half-day intensives, or multi-day journeys.

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TOOLKITS INCLUDED:

Every session comes with follow-up resources so learning continues beyond the Zoom room.

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TAILORED TO YOU:

Align with your skills framework or internal priorities—or let us design a bespoke journey

Training As Part Of A Wider Change Journey

Capability training is most effective when it:

  • Reinforces leadership intent
  • Supports people through uncertainty
  • Helps organisations navigate change

 

For this reason, training at Symbia often forms part of:

  • Leadership alignment work
  • Transformation programmes
  • Organisation-wide summits and cascades

 

Training is not the whole solution — it is one of the ways insight, direction, and strategy become lived behaviour.

Let’s start with a conversation

If you’re considering capability training and want it to genuinely support your organisation’s priorities, we’d love to talk. Get in touch to explore how capability development could best support the challenges you’re navigating right now.

Measurable Results, Real Impact

Research and measurement underpins our work, we're as tired as you at having to convince stakeholders and budget keepers of the untangiable benefits of training so instead we make sure we can demonstrate the TANGIABLE and the MEASURABLE impact of all our programs.

Don't See What You're Looking For?

We design bespoke programs and one of trainings for our clients all the time, through our briefing process we'll help create bespoke sessions tailored specifically to your goals, culture, and context. Whether it’s a one-off topic, a multi-day intensive, or a series aligned with your internal frameworks—we’ll co-create something that works. Want a case study or briefing call?

Jawade Malek | Supply Chain Capability Development Lead

"Working with Symbia’s team has been a very positive experience for us at HEINEKEN."

By supporting us in designing and delivering our Train-The-Trainer program, they brought strong expertise, practical insights, and a consistently professional, respectful and positive attitude. Their contribution made a real impact and I highly recommend them.

Jawade Malek | Supply Chain Capability Development Lead

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Mohammed Fouad | Medical Education & Scientific Relations Lead

"I now have positive mindset in both my personal and professional life."

The program meant colleagues engaged with diverse topics that deepen understanding of effective leadership and enhanced skills in managing challenges. One of the key takeaways was the emphasis on mental fitness, which has empowered me to cultivate resilience.

Mohammed Fouad | Medical Education & Scientific Relations Lead

Johnson & Johnson | Alumni Of The EDGE
Franziska Bloch-Creasey | Head of HR

"There is something for everyone’s preferred learning style."

Symbia’s courses generally assume that some foundational understanding exists and so the concepts and tools discussed go one step further, which, when supplemented with experiences and perspectives from different participants, provide very actionable insights to strengthen our ability to lead self and others. 

Franziska Bloch-Creasey | Head of HR

Atlas Copco | Alumni Of The EDGE

Capability training as part of a wider journey

Capability trainings often act as a catalyst — not the end point. Depending on what emerges, organisations often continue with:

Leadership workshops to set strategy into motion

Summits to align wider groups around shared direction

Ongoing partnership to sustain clarity and momentum