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i10 is delighted to be Cyber Essentials certified, demonstrating our commitment to cybersecurity. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, Government-backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks. Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. Cyber Essentials is designed to prevent these attacks, giving i10 protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber attacks. This is important because vulnerability to simple attacks can make organisations a target for more in-depth unwanted attention from cybercriminals and others. Certification gives us peace of mind that our defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber-attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place. For more information, visit the National Cyber Security Council website.

i10 is delighted to welcome a new partner to our specialist ecosystem with assistive and digital experts AdaptEco Ltd. Digital Transformation AdaptEco provides smart home technology for assisted living and future-proofed homes. They also combine the industry’s most innovative technology, building and delivers bespoke customer-centric smart home solutions to enable people to live safely in their homes for longer. i10 specialises in a number of organisational and transformation aspects: people, process, technology, data and digital. Backed by a team of experienced professionals and utilising our ecosystem of specialist partners – now including AdaptEco – i10 strategic services meet the needs of a range of clients and deliver lasting changes with measurable results. As part of this partnership, i10 will also become part of AdaptEco's Digital Care Partnership. Management Transformation and Digital Care Christian Geisselmann, AdaptEco Founder and CEO added “We are very excited about the partnership with i10. Having the addition of i10’s high-value management transformation services means that we can expand our current offer and portfolio to our clients. i10’s organisational transformation services are very complimentary to AdaptEco’s ongoing work within digital care where people, process, technology and data are at the heart of what we do. Both companies working on the basis of an EcoSystem, and having the same shared ethical values meant that i10 was a natural fit when considering our continually expanding offer.” Technology is a Key Enabler Mark Hastings, i10 Founder and Director commented “In these challenging times, independence is precious and technology is a key enabler to helping people live independently. This partnership gives us a great opportunity to work with both the private and public sector to support some of the most vulnerable people in society. AdaptEco has the same values as i10 and together we are excited about being able to make a difference by working with Local Authority Adult Social Care, Care Providers, Housing Associations as well as Architects and Specialist Design and Build for Supported Living / Extra Care Living.” About AdaptEco AdaptEco provides smart home technology for assisted living and future-proofed homes. AdaptEco has developed a unique collaboration, a Digital Care Partnership we are proud to be part of. Combining the world’s most innovative smart home technology, AdaptEco build and deliver bespoke solutions to create an Ecosystem enabling people to live safely in their homes for longer. With an all-round tech agnostic approach, AdaptEco combines the relevant Digital Care Partners to provide customer-centric solutions to meet specific assisted living requirements. With over 20 years’ experience, AdaptEco works closely with Local Authority Adult Social Care, Care Providers, Housing Associations as well as Architects and Specialist Design and Build for Supported Living / Extra Care Living. Learn more at https://adapteco.uk/ and follow AdaptEco on LinkedIn. #DataDrivenTransformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest

Temporall and Business Partner i10 are now appointed suppliers on the G-Cloud 12 framework with organisational intelligence platform Workbench now available on the digital marketplace. As a Temporall Business Partner focused on the public sector, i10 offers Workbench including the Organisational Index and the Organisational Resilience Index – two Temporall-designed tools that bring clarity to leaders as part of 26 new services launched on the Digital Marketplace. Often seen as something ticking along in the background – whether your bins getting collected, street lamps flickering on or the familiar siren firing past in a city centre – the public sector is rarely at the forefront of our minds until we need its support. And of course, almost all of us will have a humbling, extraordinary experience of the NHS for example, but we soon settle back into the normality of the everyday of public services. For many of us, our roads, schools, laws and hospitals continue to just exist – so typical and so present that we often don’t pay them much attention. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that. Millions of us have become reliant on the public sector – whether for care, income support or bolstering of industry, what we often saw as the backdrop to our everyday came front and centre of the public psyche. But what will happen next? The demand on the public sector is arguably higher than ever. It must continue to serve millions of people yet will continue to face an array of bureaucratic, regulatory, budgetary and cultural challenges – all underpinned by the ongoing likelihood of a second wave of infections and lockdown measures. For leaders, this means the continued distribution of teams and the constant negotiation of an extremely fluid and rapidly changing situation. With resources stretched and demand set to continue to soar in the VUCA climate (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), public sector leaders must seek greater clarity on their organisations in order to constantly adapt. Leaders must utilise their people and systems intelligence to gain a clear vision of their performance factors: culture, resilience, agility, digital capabilities, innovation, strategy, conduct and more – so they can understand where they are now, what to do next in what order – and how effective their previous actions have been. Workbench, i10 and the public sector Workbench delivers real-time organisational intelligence to help leaders make better decisions, faster. The platform connects, collects and analyses organisational data from across enterprise systems, people and teams. This intelligence gives leaders continual, rapid and relational insights using A.I. techniques and data analytics in a single, unified platform – instead of relying on anecdotal evidence or data from a single moment in time. Workbench helps leaders manage one of their largest budget items; their people by developing strategies that break down the barriers of more distributed teams, tackle damaging internal dynamics and aid the inevitable need to understand rapidly changing information. Mark Hastings, i10 Founder and Director says: "In today’s VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), the need for clarity has never been so important. Temporall’s Workbench platform, developed by ex-Googlers and Behavioural Scientists in conjunction with London Business School is truly game-changing." "Having the data from people and enterprise systems to understand what’s really going on in an organisation is of critical value to leaders. Such informed decision-making can be the difference between surviving and thriving. We exist to help organisations be the best they can be and to put it simply, organisations with clarity will perform better than others." Thomas Davies, Temporall CEO and Founder adds: "The i10 mission to help organisations be the best they possibly can mirrors our goals here at Temporall. Their focus on the human side of organisational performance is particularly commendable as this is something that is often overlooked by companies and their consultants alike." Get in touch to find out more or arrange a demo.

We are delighted to have been appointed as a supplier on G-Cloud 12 offering 26 new transformation services to public sector clients. The services span both cloud software and cloud support lots and cover organisational transformation spanning people, process, technology, data and digital. Backed by a team of experienced professionals and utilising their ecosystem of specialist partners, i10 strategic services meet the needs of a range of public sector clients and deliver lasting changes with measurable results. Download our Overview and Service Descriptions here: Get in touch: https://www.i-10.co.uk/contact Follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/40896306 #DataDrivenTransformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest

August 14, 2020 i10 and Journey4 form strategic partnership i10 Limited and Journey4 have entered into a strategic business partnership, combining i10’s high-value data and digital consulting services with Journey4’s expertise in customer driven growth and transformation. i10 specialises in a number of organisational transformation areas: people, process, technology, data and digital. Backed by a team of experienced professionals and utilising their ecosystem of specialist partners - now including Journey4 - i10 strategic services meet the needs of a range of clients and deliver lasting changes with measurable results. "Journey4’s knowledge of utilities, transport, health and business outsourcing compliments our sectors nicely” said Mark Hastings, i10 Founder and Director. "In today’s VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), the need for clients to benefit from insight from other sectors is critical” he added. "We exist to help organisations be the best they can be and we owe it to our clients to offer deep expertise: this partnership helps us to do that." Journey4’s expertise is delivered through 4 core service areas, Customer, Strategy, People and Performance. Increasingly data and digital services have been at the heart of business improvements and target operating models and this partnership with i10 strengthens the companies data and digital delivery capability. “i10’s track record in the Government sector is impressive and builds on our existing relationships” said Stuart Pearce, Journey4 Director. “Helping meet our clients customer’s expectations is at the core of the approach within our partnership” he added. i10 i10 is a personal and professional transformation services firm, supporting clients since 2006. We exist to help people and organisations to be the best they can be through Consulting, Board Advisory, Non-Executive, Counselling, Therapy, Coaching and Training. Our purpose is to help our clients, both as individuals and organisations, to transform and achieve their Peak Performance and our Consulting expertise comprises People, Process, Technology, Data and Digital. Learn more at www.i-10.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation #DataDrivenTransformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest For more information, contact: Mark Hastings, Founder and Director, i-10 Limited mark.hastings@i-10.co.uk

UK - July 24, 2020 - i10 Limited and Temporall have entered into a business partnership, combining i10’s high-value management consulting services with Temporall’s deep expertise in organisational intelligence. i10 specialises in a number of organisational transformation aspects: people, process, technology, data and digital. Backed by a team of experienced professionals and utilising their ecosystem of specialist partners - now including Temporall - i10 strategic services meet the needs of a range of clients and deliver lasting changes with measurable results. Temporall's organisational intelligence platform Workbench collects and analyses structured and unstructured data – giving users the insights needed to drive improvements in organisational performance. Workbench applies A.I. techniques, Relational and Data Analytics to data from across systems and workforces. It makes clear where an organisation needs to adapt, which elements should be prioritised and how to get started. As a Temporall Business Partner, i10 will use Workbench and its tools to enhance their services. They will be resellers of the Organisational Index and the Organisational Resilience Index - two Temporall-designed tools that bring clarity to leaders. "In today’s VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), the need for clarity has never been so important. Temporall’s WorkBench platform, developed by ex-Googlers and Behavioural Scientists in conjunction with London Business School is truly game-changing” said Mark Hastings, i10 Founder and Director. “Having the data from people and enterprise systems to understand what’s really going on in an organisation is of critical value to leaders. Such informed decision-making can be the difference between surviving and thriving. We exist to help organisations be the best they can be and, put simply, organisations with that clarity will perform better than others." Thomas Davies, Temporall Founder and CEO added: “We are excited to welcome i10 to the Temporall Partnership ecosystem. The i10 mission to help organisation’s be the best they possibly can mirrors our goals here at Temporall and I’m sure this will make them a fantastic Business Partner. Their focus on the human side of organisational performance is particularly commendable as this is something that is often overlooked by companies and their consultants alike.” i10 i10 is a personal and professional transformation services firm, supporting clients since 2006. We exist to help people and organisations to be the best they can be through Consulting, Board Advisory, Non-Executive, Counselling, Therapy, Coaching and Training. Our purpose is to help our clients, both as individuals and organisations, to transform and achieve their Peak Performance and our Consulting expertise comprises People, Process, Technology, Data and Digital. Learn more at www.i-10.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation #DataDrivenTransformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest For more information, contact: Mark Hastings, Founder and Director, i-10 Limited mark.hastings@i-10.co.uk

UK, South Africa, USA and Europe - July 3, 2020 - i-10 Limited and DotModus are delighted to announce they have entered into a strategic partnership, combining i-10’s high-value management consulting services with DotModus’ expertise in cloud computing as an AWS Registered Consulting Partner, Microsoft Azure Partner and Google Cloud Premier Partner. "Technology is critical to every business and with Covid-19 having thrown the rule book out of the window, we anticipate that more work will be conducted remotely. Partnering with DotModus is about anticipating the future of work", said Mark Hastings, Founder & Director of I-10. "With an onsite UK & European presence and deep engineering capability in South Africa comprising over 100 engineers, we are able to significantly reduce costs for our clients whilst delivering outstanding quality outcomes. South Africa is perfect as the timezone and cultures are closely aligned” he added. “Getting traction in a new market requires a great deal of experience and enormous perseverance - especially in one as competitive and mature as the UK. This is a key partnership for us to expand our offering deeper into the UK and we look forward to bringing our 10 years of cloud expertise to new customers” added Tom Fowler, CEO DotModus. i-10 i-10 is a personal and professional transformation services firm, supporting clients since 2006. We exist to help people and organisations to be the best they can be through Consulting, Board Advisory, Non-Executive, Counselling, Therapy, Coaching and Training. Our purpose is to help our clients, both as individuals and organisations, to transform and achieve their Peak Performance and our Consulting expertise comprises People, Process, Technology, Data and Digital. Learn more at www.i-10.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest For more information, contact: Mark Hastings, Founder and Director, i-10 Limited mark.hastings@i-10.co.uk DotModus DotModus specialises in digitising and automating businesses with custom software, data analytics and machine learning. Advances in cloud computing have provided every business with the tools and technologies required to run smoother and smarter. Despite this, many businesses are still overspending on inefficient processes and disregarding any insights they could be surfacing from their data. As leaders in digital transformation, DotModus helps businesses identify these opportunities and provide cloud-powered solutions that help reduce IT costs, improve decision-making and streamline operations. For more information, contact: James Louter, UK Business Development, DotModus jamesl@dotmodus.com

i-10 Founder and Director, Mark Hastings talks about i-10's partnership with Aiimi, experts in Enterprise Information Management. “Insight from data is a key strategic asset for businesses today,” said Mark Hastings, Founder & Director of i-10. “Aiimi are at the forefront of helping organisations turn information into opportunity. They have delivered some remarkable transformations and their InsightMaker platform is world-leading.” he added. Aiimi is a pioneering tech company based in the UK who use the latest AI and data science to manage information and create insights for businesses such as Jaguar Land Rover, Anglian Water, Rolls-Royce, Northumbrian Water and Liberty to name a few. They are obsessed with creating ways in which technology and AI can manage information intuitively, so clients can be free to do their job better, smarter and quicker. Whether you are a Chief Data Officer worried about risky sensitive information scattered across your network drives, or an employee wading through folder after folder looking for that one file you need, Aiimi can help, with a range of tools to make sure clients get the information they need the moment they need it, whether it’s stored in the cloud, in a network drive, or in a long-forgotten folder. Aiimi also have their own IP called InsightMaker which enables ordinary folk to do extraordinary things – like access detailed data science analytics at the touch of a button, discover sensitive files for GDPR, manage assets intelligently and make an entire enterprise searchable. With lightning-fast response times, customers can securely search across millions of structured and unstructured data sets to find valuable information that was previously hidden or at risk of a data breach. "Aiimi can help clients derive enormous value from their data and are adept at working from Discovery / Strategy all the way through to implementation and sustainable support. Their strength lies in the ability to make the complex information easy to understand and in aligning data strategy with organisational objectives. Together we are excited to bring this impressive capability to the public sector." i-10 i-10 is a personal and professional transformation services firm, supporting clients since 2006. We exist to help people and organisations to be the best they can be through Consulting, Board Advisory, Non-Executive, Counselling, Therapy, Coaching and Training. Our purpose is to help our clients, both as individuals and organisations, to transform and achieve their Peak Performance and our Consulting expertise comprises People, Process, Technology, Data and Digital. Learn more at www.i-10.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest

Never has the context in which businesses operate been so volatile. The concept of a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) has been around for years. It has been explored by the Harvard Business Review and Forbes (amongst others), but never has it been so relevant! The Covid-19 global pandemic has arguably been the single most disruptive event for businesses around the globe since the dawn of time. That disruption is set to continue for the foreseeable future and there is no guarantee that this will be the only such disruptive event. In parallel, there are a number of other disruptive influences on businesses: We have seen a rise in remote/flexible working in recent years with many organisations struggling to understand how to trust, manage, motivate, lead and support geographically dispersed staff and teams. Technology is transforming how we communicate: from binary 1:1 conversations to collaborating on digital platforms and video-conferencing with people on the other side of the world. Getting hold of the right talent is no longer just about employing the right people – it’s about partners, eco-systems, interim staff, augmenting core capabilities with services. Indeed organisational and international boundaries are blurring and talent can be sourced from across the globe in a multitude of different ways. That workforce is being augmented by technologies such as Robotics Process Automation & AI as business models become more digital. There is a clear move away from individual authority to a hive-mind which spans traditional silos and even organisational boundaries. Technology is evolving faster than ever before – and it will never be this slow again – presenting new possibilities for businesses. Non-traditional aspects of business are coming to the fore, in particular climate change, ethical investment, diversity & inclusion, fairness and other societal factors. One thing is for certain – the ‘normal’ we were used to before Covid-19 is over – things will never be the same again. As a result, now is the time to rethink. Businesses are not going to ride out the storm by battening down the hatches and waiting for everything to go back to normal. Normal has already changed. Now is the time for bravery. Now is the time to evolve business models and operating models to survive. But to thrive, you may need to go further: to reinvent. Where to start? As Simon Sinek says, ‘always start with why’. What is the why of your business? Start there and consider how that ‘why’ can be achieved in an environment where nothing is the same and where all bets are off! Take heart! Businesses can be reimagined: Nokia, founded in 1865, started out as a pulp mill and is now a multinational telecommunications, information technology and consumer electronics company. And there are plenty of examples of the consequences for businesses who didn’t evolve: think Blockbuster who failed to react to the digital age. In this VUCA world, the need to iterate your business and operating models is real. Covid-19 has triggered many businesses to ask fundamental questions: do we really need an office? What purpose is it serving? How come my people are more productive working from home? Now consider the environmental implications of all the non-essential commuting we’re been doing for years! Then factor in the importance of personal choice in how they work with every one of us with different personal circumstances and at different stages of our lives. Why would we ever think that all of us working in the same way was even remotely sensible?! If you’re not asking these fundamental questions, you can guarantee that someone is – and that someone might just be about to cannibalise your business! Asking those fundamental questions on a regular basis is key to business success. As Richard Bach said, “Bad things are not the worst things that can happen to us. Nothing is the worst thing that can happen to us!” Advice: One important aspect when asking these fundamental questions is to make sure you solicit advice. From colleagues, from peers in other organisations, from professionals. By getting this advice from a range of people you are recognising that no single person (or organisation) has all the answers. Now may be the right time to consider an advisor. Or better still, harnessing the hive-mind of a set of advisors who can collaborate and bring significant experience to bear on your business challenges. Evolve to survive. Reinvent to thrive.

Co-authored with Sam Smithson-Biggs, Director of Transformation at Aviva Leadership: what it is and what it isn’t. Leadership used to be and too often is bestowed on the most experienced individuals. But leadership isn’t something achieved through tenure or knowing the most about a particular specialism, therefore leaders with expertise in a specialism don’t necessarily make the best leaders. Moreover leadership is not about knowing the most about a subject or being in charge, nor is it about telling people what to do. In fact leadership requires an entirely different set of skills. Leadership is inspiring people to come on a journey: to stand behind a cause. It is vital. Good leadership is a critical recruitment tool: the reason people join an organisation. It’s also the reason people stay and can be the reason customers buy from an organisation. Conversely, bad leadership can deter people from joining. In other words it can be the reason people leave and the reason customers go elsewhere. The world is changing and leaders are having to deal with more and more The context in which leaders need to operate is changing: The working world is evolving. In recent years we have seen a rise in remote/flexible working styles, which brings its own set of challenges for leaders. Traditional communication methods are radically changing (have radically changed), replaced by digital platforms that change the way leaders need to communicate across these mediums. How capability is sourced has also transformed recently where short term and freelance contracts (the gig economy) are becoming more commonplace hence having an impact on the traditional approach to leadership. Leaders could be working with permanent, interim, partner, as a service and contract resource which brings different leadership challenges. The workforce is changing and the day to day requirements of a leader for different generations are very different: by 2025, roughly 75% of the global workforce will be millennials and people joining the world of work in 2029 are currently in primary school. For the first time we have people in the workplace that have just left school and those in the 70’s and 80’s. There is a clear move away from individual authority to a hive-mind which spans traditional silos and even organisational boundaries. The pace of technology development is faster than it has ever been, as a matter of fact it will never be this slow again. Consequently the multi-generational workforce is being augmented by technologies like Robotics Process Automation & AI as business models become more digital. Non-traditional aspects of business are coming to the fore, in particular climate change, ethical investment, diversity & inclusion, fairness and other societal factors. What does this mean for leaders in the 2020s? Firstly, a leader needs to know where they are going and need a strong purpose: a cause, a mission. That starts with WHY, not what or how. As Simon Sinek says. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. And that’s true for staff and customers. That WHY needs to be embedded into the very fabric of the organisation. Into its DNA. It needs to be visible in everything the organisation does: from the strategy and roadmap to the operating model, the performance management system, the bonus scheme and the reporting. In addition to that WHY, leaders in the 2020’s need to be able to do the following: Deliver outcomes that goes beyond financial results and includes customer and staff measures, with trust being at the heart of both. This requires transparency and vulnerability which are not the qualities of all leaders today. Be humble. Make themselves subservient to the cause or company that they lead. The purpose is more important. Inspire, not motivate or manage. Build leaders, not managers. Bring mission and purpose to their team(s). Unite around shared purpose. Hive mind. In our hyper-mobile, digitally intermediated world, relationships are hard to come by, so it is critical to create a culture based on community, united around a common purpose. Plus, solving new unusual problems requires the hive-mind of a strong community. Understand their people. Recognise that not everyone’s the same. People are at different stages of their lives, driven by different things. Understand that to unlock inspiration. Listen to their people. Ask them how they accomplished what they did. Encourage them to recreate it. Probe them. Gain their feedback and incorporate it. Get curious when things work well and when they don’t and understand why. Be self-aware. Arguably no skill signifies a strong leader like self-awareness. The ability to understand your own strengths and weaknesses will equip the leader to work effectively with different co-workers possessing differing strengths. Setting a precedent of self-awareness among your team will allow your co-workers to more honestly assess themselves as well, and better gauge their own individual strengths and weaknesses. This in turn will undoubtedly propel your team to work more efficiently, with everyone understanding where they excel and where they lack. In addition, team members benefit from working in an environment that promotes self-awareness and discourages individuals from hiding their weaker skills. Don’t be isolated. Isolation is the enemy of innovation. And the antithesis of taking people on a journey. Collaborate. Great things come from collaboration … be open, transparent and work openly with others. Ask. Not everyone has all the answers. Diversify and obtain a range of other perspectives on problems to remove blockers and improve results. Be honest. Without honesty, the purpose won’t be believed and congruence is key. In fact consistency is more important than intensity. Be future focused. Be clear on where you’re heading. What else do leaders in the 2020’s need? It’s not just about skills & capabilities. Leaders in the 2020’s need to build an external network to collaborate with, people to bounce ideas off, gain more diverse thoughts & different perspectives and expertise from people who’ve been there before. Leaders also need the organisation to have the right structure, culture and processes to support the leader in 2020’s to succeed. That includes the way leaders are evaluated.  Traditional measures such as financial results, strategy delivery and managing the day to day will not embed sustained behavioural changes.  For this reason looking at employee engagement, leadership capability assessments and alignment to company values and living them through their leadership styles are options to consider. Furthermore leaders also need a development path, they need the ability to improve their leadership skills over time and for this reason leadership isn’t a one and done. In fact it’s something that needs to evolve, develop, iterate. Particularly as an organisation goes through different phases: from start-up to scale-up to maturity – there are different challenges that require different skills.  In the same way as accountants need ‘continuing professional development’, why would leaders not need the same? Logical Conclusions (Leadership in the 2020’s, it’s all going to change) “Leadership is not a rank; it’s seeing those around you rise.” The power of a leader is accumulated through helping others, which may result in jeopardising your own job, but that’s fine. The by-product (aspiration) is that other leaders will emerge from across the organisation and it’s vital that they do. This is an interesting concept for Founders: because at some point it will be time for the Founder to step aside and let others lead (more on this in an upcoming article). So what? We need to recognise the specialism of the generalist and promote leadership to be recognised as a specialism in its own right. A profession. And like other professions, have a clear development path in place. Leadership is a profession, not a position. It takes work. You’ll get things wrong. That’s okay – it’s the best way to improve. #LeadersOfTheFuture. #FutureLeaders. Leadership in the 2020’s, it’s all going to change. It has changed.

Announcing Our Partnership: A Joint Press Release UK, Italy & Moldova - May 6, 2020 - i-10 Limited and Nitro Agility are delighted to announce they have entered into a strategic partnership, combining i-10’s high-value management consulting services with Nitro Agility’s cutting-edge software development capability. With technology playing an increasingly critical role in every aspect of business, clients recognise they need to accelerate the development of digital solutions to ensure they deliver outstanding services to their customers and users. The i-10-Nitro Agility partnership brings together deep skills in organisational transformation, agile delivery, dev-ops, cloud and data to help support clients through successful technology and business transformations. Being multilingual, our teams are about to service clients internationally. Bucking the trend “This partnership is a powerful combination. At a time when many organisations are struggling with the impacts of Covid-19, it is refreshing to be able to announce good news, particularly involving companies working in 2 of the worst affected countries!” said Mark Hastings, i-10 Founder and Director. “i-10 has an outstanding track record of helping complex businesses to transform - from strategy to delivery - helping them to re-imagine how they structure and how they operate encompassing people, process, technology, data and digital." "By combining our capability in programme leadership, design and delivery with Nitro Agility’s impressive capability in software development, data solutions, cloud services (including AWS, Azure and Google Cloud), we can really help clients to maximise the full potential of their digital, data and technology transformations." He added “during these challenging times, now is the time to be brave, to connect and to create new possibilities which is why we are excited about this partnership”. Nitro Agility Founders and Directors Nicola Gallo & Antonio Radesca said “It is an exciting time to be working in the Tech Industry, the landscape is changing very quickly and there are several technologies which are going to disrupt how businesses operate. However Tech is not enough and strong management skills are required, therefore Nitro Agility decided to enter into a strategic partnership with i-10". i-10 i-10 is a personal and professional transformation services firm, supporting clients since 2006. We exist to help people and organisations to be the best they can be through Consulting, Board Advisory, Non-Executive, Counselling, Therapy, Coaching and Training. Our purpose is to help our clients, both as individuals and organisations, to transform and achieve their Peak Performance. Learn more at www.i-10.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @i10_Transformation #MakeADifference #PeakPerformance #BusinessAdvisory #BeYourBest For more information, contact: Mark Hastings, Founder and Director, i-10 Limited mark.hastings@i-10.co.uk Nitro Agility Nitro Agility is an IT Consulting business and Software House with offices in Europe. We were founded by a team of technology professionals that have experience working with leading companies across multiple sectors. Our team of highly skilled technologists help our clients to accelerate the delivery of technology platforms, whilst on-boarding cutting-edge technology. Nicola Gallo, Founder and Director, Nitro Agility nicola.gallo@nitroagility.com

I had the good fortune to join the recent webinar from Natural Direction's Martin Coburn which focused on ‘how to cope with uncertainty, stay focused and take back control’. Here are a few take-aways that I found particularly useful along with a few additional thoughts from our own experience. First and foremost, getting perspective is particularly important. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”! We’ve all seen various Facebook posts talking about how our grandparents and great grandparents were asked to go to war whereas all we’re being asked to do is stay at home. That’s not to belittle the challenge we’re all facing, but putting it into context is important and can be very powerful. Secondly, as I’ve said on a previous blog, the link between physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing is real: the two are inextricably linked. Therefore it follows that we need to look after both our physical and mental wellbeing in times like this. Clearly there are levels here. The techniques contained herein focus on states of worry and heightened worry and finding ways to work with that worry rather than against it. However, if you are experiencing anxiety or extreme anxiety we would recommend that you contact an experienced coach, therapist or counsellor. Coping with uncertainty In these unprecedented and uncertain times, many of us will find ourselves worrying more than usual. It is important that each of us recognises this because, if left unattended, worry can lower your immune system. The good news is that worrying is completely natural and has good intentions: to protect you. It is the body’s natural reaction to a threat. The even better news is that we can work with it rather than let it take over and debilitate us. The first step is to acknowledge the worry: recognise that you’re worrying. Then, identify the source - where has that worry come from? What’s the source? Then, once you’ve identified it and pinpointed the source, you can act on it. That may take a number of forms - you may wish to ‘turn down the volume’ on that particular source; you may choose to find out more information about it to gain a better understanding (rather than the shock-and-awe headlines that we see plastered all over social media); you may turn to a friend or colleague for advice or context; you may reframe the question in a more positive light - rather that ‘what if this happens', ask 'what if it doesn’t’? Stay focused A great way to reduce worry / anxiety is to focus. Our brains crave certainty so in this new world of uncertainty, the trick is to give your brain something to be certain about. In other words, accept the things you can’t control and focus on the things you can control. And in that focus, may you be granted with ‘the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference’. Dr Stephen Covey talked about three circles: the circle of concern, the circle of influence and the circle of control. So what are those things you can control? Your attitude and enthusiasm, your working environment, what you read, your thoughts, your actions, your routine, your reactions, how you behave, what you eat, how you spend your time, what you believe, how you feel. There are some simple techniques that can help to give control: ensure you have a clear and achievable ‘to do’ list, set goals and link your ‘to do’ list to the achievement of those goals, create and stick to routines, give yourself rewards (make them healthy), take regular breaks, do the next most important thing first. However, some are more challenging. Indeed, to some of you reading this, some of those will be a surprise! "I can’t control my thoughts!” or “You made me feel like that!”. The reality is that we can understand our thoughts and change the way we speak to ourselves. More on that in a future blog! You’ll have seen plenty of ‘hints and tips’ on social media about how to thrive or survive: the basis for many of these is to give discipline and therefore focus so that certainty is increased and focus is achieved. Experiment with some and see what works best for you! Take back control In many ways, a healthy mind is similar to a healthy body - put good things in and you’ll reap the benefits; fill it with rubbish and you’ll soon get bogged down! Be mindful fo the images, words, conversations and social media posts you are consuming because what you are consuming affects how you are feeling. Are you just watching the news and reading all the bad news about death rates and infection rates? It’s fine to consume some of that, indeed you have a duty to keep informed. However, be sure to balance that with positivity and the good that is still happening. How are you helping others in your community? Read about other positive stories of those who survived. For me, listening to Chris Evans in the morning works - he’s super positive and puts a spring in my step. You can also change your own physiology to help change how you feel - try this: please sit how you would sit if you were ‘bored and tired’. Now sit how you would sit if you were ‘energised and confident’? Did you move? I bet you did! That’s because your physiology is linked to how you feel. So you can make yourself feel better by changing your sitting position! There is also a great deal of evidence about the benefits of exercise - yes, there is a reason the Government is allowing exercise each day - it’s vital to both physical and mental wellbeing. So do what you can to release endorphins into the blood stream by exercising. Finally, stay connected. Those virtual meet-ups with friends are really important to release serotonin which elevates our mood. Make sure you schedule those connections as if they were a meeting/appointment and have a goal to connect with a number of people each week. Summary There are lots of resources available to help in these challenging times. The key is to seek out the positive and focus on that to help you find what works best for you. If you need additional help and support, our trained coaches and counsellors are just a phone call away. Take care of yourselves. Stay home. Save Lives. Protect the NHS.