Beyond the training: When One NATIONAL truly comes to life
When I travelled to Toronto in July to attend The Institute 201, a two-day training program focused on consulting and client simulations, I expected to come back with new tools to be a better consultant. And that's exactly what happened.
Over the course of two days, we were immersed in challenging simulations that required us to think quickly, navigate uncertainty, defend our recommendations, and demonstrate our ability to advise clients in high-pressure situations. The sessions were demanding. They pushed us beyond our comfort zones and challenged us to elevate the way we think and act as consultants.
But looking back, I realize my greatest takeaway didn’t happen in the training room at all.
Beyond the workshops, a network of trusting relationships is being built
It happened between sessions. Over coffee. During meals. Walking back to the hotel.
It happened through conversations with my colleagues about our respective realities in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Washington, Richmond and London.
As those conversations unfolded, something important began to take shape: trust.
We arrived in Toronto as peers from different offices across the AVENIR GLOBAL network. We left with an expanded network of people we now know we can rely on, trust for advice, and tap into when we need diversified thinking.
In our profession, that kind of trust is invaluable.
An experience we shared together
Although this experience began as an individual journey, Justin and I both came away with the same realization: the bonds formed between colleagues are just as important as what we learned.
We work in an environment where challenges rarely stop at the borders of a city— even a country. Many of our clients operate across multiple jurisdictions, and a single issue can have ripple effects across markets. A successful strategy often requires expertise from several teams across our network.
In those moments, the difference isn't simply the expertise available across the ecosystem. It's the relationships we've built. Because it's much easier to pick up the phone and call someone you've already worked with, shared a meal with or debated a challenging case alongside.
Collaboration is a winning proposition for our clients
That's what The Institute 201 truly helped me understand.
At NATIONAL, we often talk about One NATIONAL, our approach to connecting colleagues across the AVENIR GLOBAL network and working together to deliver the best outcomes for our clients. Before The Institute 201, I understood that concept intellectually. After spending two days with colleagues from across our network, I experienced what it looks like in practice.
The best ideas come from human connections
The formal sessions taught us how to become better advisors.
While the sessions themselves were invaluable, it was often the conversations in between that left the greatest impression. Those shared human experiences reminded us that becoming better colleagues starts with building trust and that trust is what enables meaningful collaboration.
And ultimately, those two lessons are inseparable.
The best ideas rarely emerge in isolation. They come from different perspectives coming together, challenging one another, and building on each other's strengths.
We returned to our respective office with new consulting tools, certainly, but more importantly, with a network that represents far more than a list of contacts. Behind every AVENIR GLOBAL office across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, there is now a face, coupled with a new trusted relationship that goes far beyond client mandates and deadlines.
That's what One NATIONAL means to me.
It's more than the strength of an international network and expertise. It's the ability to bring together the right people, at the right time, no matter where they are, to deliver the very best for our clients. And just as importantly, it's enjoying the opportunity to do that work together.