Below we have highlighted four recent case studies to give a flavour for the work we do. Talk to us for more!
“When we talked about this at the Conference, we got so much from it. However, it’s only now that we realise what a difference it is making to us. Personally and professionally we’re shifting from a ‘survival’ mentality to a ‘thriving’ organisation with purpose and a healthy, profitable future.”
(HR Director)
In 2009, at the start of the recession, one of the UK’s largest construction companies held their Annual Conference for main board and regional Directors across the UK. The challenge was clear – the company needs to survive the coming year by maximising every opportunity to succeed. The question became, how can the company prepare their leaders to demonstrate resilience so that this can be role-modelled at all levels across the company?
In a series of workshops, we worked with the leaders to understand three fundamental issues:
A tough, cynical group of male leaders were able to, individually and collectively, relate to the material taking learnings that offered short term wins but, more importantly, the seeds of sustainable resilience.
“Strengths based coaching has been such a positive experience for all of my teams, the training has made a huge difference to the levels of engagement and motivation on an individual, group and at a centre level. Strengths brings so much more to the conversation and is enables you to get underneath the skin of how a person ticks! It’s the obvious lever for increased performance.”
(Head of Contact Centre)
The RAC has a 400-seat contact centre in Bristol with 30 Performance Managers responsible for coaching the agents. For many years coaching had been the ‘stick’; a discussion about what you are not doing and need to improve in order to increase and achieve performance targets. There was a sense of weariness about coaching and little that was joyful. With a renewed focus on transforming the customer experience, the managers were introduced to strengths based coaching through workshops and individual feedback sessions. For many managers (and agents) the transformation has been inspiring with performance levels demonstrably increased, and energy levels enhanced.
From the coach’s point of view:
“Some of the material I’ve been using instinctively for years, but now knowing it has a weight of evidence behind it gives me confidence to use it consciously. Somehow the research has made my coaching more authentic. I’ve found the concept of happiness; using strengths and resilient thinking particularly useful and found that people in business have drunk it in. I haven’t yet found the cynical response I expected. It’s been a powerful and motivating time for me (and my clients!).”
Jane is a highly experienced coach who has held consulting, coaching and HR roles in a variety of industries spanning the private, public and charity sectors including: IT, manufacturing, energy, distribution, science, finance and food. With a BSc in Biological Chemistry, Jane holds an Advanced Diploma in Coaching & Mentoring (Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring), is qualified to BPS Level B (Saville and Holdsworth) and is a Fellow CIPD member (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development).
Jane already draws upon a variety of well-established tools and techniques during her coaching sessions, including Myers Briggs and NLP. In 2008 Jane wanted to enhance her coaching toolkit, and was trained by Lucy in the six positive psychology ‘labs’. Here is her feedback:
“The whole experience has been very positive. It’s like having a fabulous new tool in my toolkit and I feel more equipped to deal with the range of situations I get in HR.”
From the client’s point of view:
“It helped me truly understand, and make use of, all my resources and my experience and for me, that is only good if you know what to do with it. The coaching took me, and the business, to a completely different level that is still growing and having a transformational effect now.”
Tracy is the Managing Director of successful management consultancy and was interested in identifying her personal resources to be the best she could be. ‘Am I maximizing all my talents?’ was one of her first questions. The business was also in a period of transition and Tracy wanted to reflect on where the business was going in the next five years and how she was going to impact on it. Over a period of six months, Tracy worked with us to review her at her best (from her own point of view and, using Reflected Best Self exercise, from 20 other people); to understand her strengths; to develop resilience and positive emotions so she built on her personal resources and to develop a business plan that was motivating and challenging.
“The biggest thing for me was working with strengths. Positive Psychology starts and continues from that place. Working with what you have got; what you’re great at and what other people value is a great starting point. Understanding how you can translate that into other areas…that is so powerful.”