Newsletter
The Co’s Words
As ImpaQt’s 40th anniversary is just around the corner, the idea of recruiting two new young facilitators fills me with hope and excitement.
A warm welcome to Mathilde Lefeuvre and Jasmine Fitzpatrick !
Firstly, because this resonates as I’m taking a step out to focus and reflect on our pedagogical approach and on MMAPPER’s growth.
Secondly, because I was impressed by the number and quality of applications we received and by the enthusiasm of a lot of candidates seeking to find meaningful work.
And lastly, because our language activity is thriving, providing us with the opportunity to train our new team members in our field of origin. Indeed, we all began our journey at ImpaQt in the field of languages, where facilitation and its pedagogical posture are particularly relevant. I wish Mathilde and Jasmine a long and enriching experience with ImpaQt – one that allows them to grow and learn throughout their lives.
As Richard Bach once said in his book Illusions « We teach best what we most need to learn ». Our secret as facilitators is that we learn more from our learners than they learn from us, and this is how we help learners unlock their potential.
MMAPPER will continue to evolve, offering valuable insights across many learning areas.
Today we have MMAPPER facilitators and tomorrow there will be MMAPPER managers, MMAPPER HR leaders, MMAPPER doctors… and who knows perhaps one day, a MMAPPER school. 😉
Wishing you all a great summer,
Richard Bowcott
Co-manager
Food for Thought
AI – Opportunity or Threat?
Since the beginning of our journey, our reflections on learning to learn have consistently brought us back to one particular thought : the role of tools and technology in relation to those of the learner and the facilitator. We continue to find meaning in the orchestra analogy: What added value does the conductor (facilitator) bring? What can a musician (learner) do or cannot do alone using the range of instruments (tools and technology) and music (content) available? And how do we integrate new instruments into the orchestra? When television first appeared, many predicted the end of radio, and our good old books still have a special place in our lives… Today, as artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities, we are once again invited to reflect and to keep adjusting the balance within the orchestra in our organizations or across society.
We know that we are going to be able to delegate many time-consuming tasks to AI. In my view, this presents both an opportunity and a potential threat.
AI can give us the space to develop our emotional and intuitive intelligence. Let’s remember that the end of the domination of a narrow view of intelligence – the kind that helps us ace IQ tests (or not 😉) – is still very recent. The American psychologist Howard Gardner, creator of the theory of multiple intelligences, was among one of the first to challenge that limited perspective… This was in the 80’s! He identified several types of intelligence, including two “personal” intelligences directly connected to understanding human nature: interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. And according to Gardner, these capacities are essential to finding fulfillment and one’s path in life…
This theory gave rise to the emotional intelligence movement. It was the American psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman who made this concept mainstream with his global bestseller Emotional Intelligence. One of Goleman’s core insights is that our emotions guide us to make the right decision, faster than rational thinking, when we embrace them without feeling overwhelmed.
Following in the footsteps of emotional intelligence, intuition, a topic of neuroscience research, is the hallmark of our unconscious intelligence. It draws on a range of abilities connected to self-awareness and awareness of others… which are key concepts in the “Mirror” of the MMAPPER model.
A few years ago, I had the privilege to meet Dr. Stephen Karpman, an American psychiatrist and heir to Eric Berne, best known for his « Drama Triangle ». That evening, in a small and intimate gathering in our Paris offices, I had the opportunity to discover the extra-ordinary potential of my own intuitive intelligence…
In my opinion the main threat lies in that we could slowly lose the ability to follow the logical and deductive learning process that allows us to know how to do so many things today. Thus, we risk under-stimulating our IQ and becoming dependent on technology. And we know that for any meaningful project to be carried out, there needs to be a journey behind it. This concern is also reported in the documentary series AI at Work by Samuel Durand.
To conclude, the challenges we face related to the development of AI are many:
- Making the effort to take a step out regularly to define the right place for both humans and machines
- Daring to develop our emotional and intuitive intelligence
- Continuing to cultivate our IQ.
What concerns me today is seeing the number of teams continuing to overfocus on productivity and struggling with communication…
Still, I remain optimistic about human potential and the power of collective intelligence – which I hope will always surpass the capabilities of AI – and continue to coach teams with the same passion I’ve had since day one.
Let’s cultivate human connections rather than connections between human beings and machines.
MMAPPER Insight
Disconnect to reconnect
Ten years ago, Richard and Pierre Paineau – then Director of the Fenwick Linde factory in Cenon (Vienne) – were setting up connection days with all the managers. Pierre would call them ON days rather than OFF days…
Since then, we’ve managed to instill this practice into many teams – a kind of healthy routine that more and more participants now consider essential. These days, often rich in emotion, allow people to reconnect on a human level and collective intelligence to emerge. As our friend Jérôme Lefeuvre says: “Our emotions are not the problem. They are the solution.”
So what are connection days actually for?
- To integrate new team members with care
- To take a step out, share the vision and the project with the team, and take them further together
- To work collectively on important topics that require reflection—such as defining a delegation framework
- To bring to the table “things that niggle”, and learn how to say things to each other in a way that can be heard and is constructive.
Disconnect to reconnect with MMAPPER—because taking time is the best way to save it! 😉
Listening comprehension…help!
Listening comprehension… ouch!
I don’t understand a word of it! They’re speaking too fast, they have a thick accent, they’re swallowing most of their words, they’re jumping from topic to topic…
Sound familiar?
And what if you tried HEARING before trying to UNDERSTAND?
Think of your ears as tools. Wouldn’t it be amazing to learn to use them more effectively – so listening becomes more natural and less exhausting?
At ImpaQt, in the METHOD pillar of MMAPPER, we’ve created a step-by-step process to guide learners through this:
STEP 1: WARM-UP – Tune in, don’t overthink it, just let the sounds sink in. Listening as relaxed as possible helps you capture the whole picture. I’ve heard that classical music is known for « opening » your ear.
Step 2: SENSORY – Voices, background noise, breathing, silences, repetitions. What sounds did you pick up on and when? Train your ear to distinguish sounds and the “music” of the language.
STEP 3: PERCEPTION – Use your experience, logic, imagination, creativity and brainstorm ideas about what you’re hearing.
Step 4: CONTEXT – Now ask yourself: What do I know so far? Who? When? Where? Why? How?
The objective being to develop more natural listening, regular work over a period of time is key to getting solid progress.
Each step chips in to the final result. Start with the global picture before diving into details.
Start with what you already know and save your energy to focus on what you need most.
So, are you ready?
Open your ears wide!
News
Recruitment mission accomplished!
Not only one, but two new members bursting with energy, enthusiasm and desire to grow have joined our ImpaQt team as of May 5th.
We wish an incredible learning adventure into the heart of facilitation to Jasmine Fitzpatrick and Mathilde Lefeuvre ! 🚃
And our MMAPP’Heure in Normandy 🐮and in the Charente 🐌too!
These interactive afterworks took place on the 3rd of April at the Filature in Louviers and on the 10th of July at the Hauts de Chalonne in Gond-Pontouvre.
What was the theme?
The impact of reinforcing teams on managing transformation in an industrial environment.
A big thank you goes out to:
Virginie Rigaudeau for your investment in the subjects of transformation and human capital
Fanny Moulin and Joël Denis-Lutard for your enlightening testimonials.
The next one will be in Grenoble! ⛰️
Last call before departure! 🚂
Need to boost your language skills?
There’s still time to hop on our 2nd-semester sessions… otherwise you’ll have to wait for early 2026 departures! 😉
Friends and Partners
Jérôme Lefeuvre, a passionate and inspiring humanist
When Richard invited Jérôme Lefeuvre to host a workshop on emotional intelligence last June for the ImpaQt team, it wasn’t just another training session to be ticked on the calendar. It was about trust, strong ties, and a shared desire: to continue learning, growing, and making our practices evolve.
Richard and Jérôme first crossed paths in 2015. At the time, Jérôme, Master Trainer in Process Communication – was leading the certification program in which Richard took part.
Two years later, Jérôme wrote in the preface of the MMAPPER book: « If life is worth living, it’s for the encounters and marvels we provoke along the way ».
We warmly thank him for the two extraordinary days we spent by his side and for all the seeds that were planted with benevolence and subtlety.
Julia’s Q Corner
Quality or too much quality – a fine line to balance
I decided to focus on a definition of the word Quality:
Each of the positive aspects of something that make it best meet expectations.
(Source: Larousse Dictionary)
With recent decisions made by the state to reinforce spot checks, create new standards and issue a Version 10 for the Qualiopi standard, I’m starting to wonder where the place for the positive aspects is.
If, at the end of a training program, learners feel more confident in their abilities and are better equipped to face their day-to-day professional challenges – that’s huge! It’s a major step toward autonomy and a victory over personal barriers or limiting beliefs. My inner voice can’t help but wonder: how do we formally demonstrate that in an audit? What indicator measures confidence or self-esteem?
I’m not questioning the need for a framework to stay on track and to help us continuously improve our processes and training programs. Since the beginning of ImpaQt, we’ve made constant progress on that front.
However, putting too many limits in place could end up stifling our creativity – which, in my opinion, is one of our greatest strengths as pedagogues.
Long live pedagogical creativity and intelligent frameworks to ensure the quality of learning experiences!
Scores on the doors !
The recommendation rate in 2025 stands at 100% based on survey responses received to this date.
Our end of year recommendation rate reached 97% (based on 154 reviews) at the end of 2024.
According to our 2024 pedagogical and financial report, 403 learners integrated ImpaQt Programmes – 101 in Languages and 302 in Management – representing an increase of 49% in comparison to 2023.
Our Fast Trackers have their say…
« An enriching experience on a personal and professional level with top facilitators. Emmanuel Bruand, Team leader at Schneider Electric
“Very fulfilling programme to improve English skills as well as in terms of personal growth” Morgane Bus-Charnay, Sales Manager at Itron
“An extraordinary course that gets learners on their feet. It requires time and energy, nevertheless it has a strong impact on confidence and public speaking. Simply great! Dacian Ispas, End User Sales Account Manager at Schneider Electric
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