What our clients say

“I really wanted to thank you in person for delivering the future leaders course to our team leaders.  They have learned so much from you and about each other.  They have the foundations of understanding in place and have been encouraged to implement their learning since the course began.  It has been a pleasure to work with Pro-Development and you have been fabulous – nothing has been too much trouble, you’ve always kept smiling and positive.  For that I’m so grateful”.

“We have grown considerably as a business over the past few years and the size of our management team has also grown, with some new additions coming from internal promotions, and we knew that some extra external training would be useful. We also needed to revise our vision, mission and culture to reflect the changing dynamics of the business.

We found the experience of working with Helen and Pro-Development to be rewarding, productive and also a lot of fun. We had a group of six people in the management team involved in the process and every individual gained a lot from it and it’s given us a great platform to build on and confidence to continue our growth at the pace we’ve targeted.

Three positive outcomes:-

• We have bonded much more as a management team and individuals within it have gained more confidence to carry out their roles as successfully as possible.
• Communication between the management team and also with the way we communicate with the rest of the team has improved markedly.
• As leaders we have all become more aware of how our individual attitudes and performances are so intrinsically aligned to the performance of the rest of the team and are also aligned to the company’s culture as a whole and its vision.

The thing we have most valued about working with Pro-Development has been the value of ensuring that communication is as positive at all times as possible, but even more importantly that it is always honest, despite how challenging that may be at times. Without honesty and trust between the management team there will be no true honesty and trust within the company as a whole”.

 

“We had new members added to the management team with some longer standing team members and needed to build a team for the future that was forward thinking to help develop and grow the business. Individual team members required personal 1-2-1 development and guidance in new management roles.

Our experience of Pro-Development was very professional, open and relaxed with a high level of knowledge and skill set.  They worked very hard to be able to deliver courses and development required throughout the lockdown fighting against all technology and restrictions. We gained valuable information following on from a successful delivery of an employee engagement programme leading to further development of staff at all levels and setting goals and development plans for individuals.

We value the close working relationship and bonds built within and between the Bensons and Pro-Development  team and the constant support and positive forward thinking”.

 

“I wanted to grow & develop my role in the team and this is what led me to engage with Pro-development.

I feel more confident about my role in the team, and about what I have to offer at work. I had the opportunity to discuss a training course opportunity which I have since signed up for.

I am committed to further training on leadership (Future Female Leaders) and to increase my hours from April. I am a more confident team member and feel a greater commitment to the team.

I have valued so many things working with Pro-Development. Being challenged to think from different perspectives and being encouraged to believe in myself, the contribution I can make and that I can take on and deserve to take on a fuller role in the working world outside of my roles of parent and carer”.

 

“I really enjoyed and learnt from the coaching sessions, and the coach always made me feel engaged.

I am new to team management which is why I was enrolled on the course.

The course provided me with the tools and methods to deal with various situations and gave me the confidence to do that.

The benefits have been that I am now able to plan my time better, delegate tasks in a more constructive way, and understand my role as a manager more clearly.

I have most valued being able to learn from the experiences and the situations the coach has been involved with, making me feel more confident to deal with similar experiences and situations”.

 

Navigating through the pandemic has been tough and we wanted to ensure we face into the unintended consequences that remote working has brought about the dynamics and relationships of our senior leadership team.

I have been involved with Michelle and her team on a few occasions and they have worked hard to build a strong trusting relationship with us, so there was no question in my mind that Michelle was the right person to help me bring the team together for some honest conversations and insights into how we can improve. Thankfully for me, one of the outcomes was the senior leadership team agreed that Michelle’s role and expertise was a catalyst to creating a safe environment for honest conversations that has enabled us to agree and own individual and team action plans. We also had a lot of fun, which given how challenging the last 2 years have been, was the perfect antidote to really re-bond the team. What makes Michelle great is her unassuming way of being able to bring out the best in people and where there are areas of learnings for people this is done in a safe, respectful, and human way.

 

“My experience of working with Tracey has been positive, informative and transformational in my mind-set shift and I have previously worked with Pro-Development when I attended a leadership programme. My challenge was around having a new team to manage during a period of sustained high volume workload, both operational and strategic and support required to re-focus and have tools in place to transition to managing a wider team.

Through very supportive coaching and mentoring, Tracey gave me the tools I needed in a timely manner and I mostly valued Tracey’s friendly, positive approach, knowledge and informative tools. The impact on the business and me personally has meant improved team cohesion with a focus on strategic HR and people risk and being up-skilled to coach on the skills/models I have learnt. Investment in development is a must, and Pro-Development fit perfectly with our culture and are exceptionally credible. They are a pleasure to work with and I am extremely likely to recommend in future. Thank you to Tracey for the time you have taken to invest in me and my development”

 

“Since Pro-Development I have a lot more self-confidence and rather than taking a more self-depreciating view on my contribution to the business, I do believe I am a valuable member of the team and have a lot to offer. I am also more willing to have difficult conversations in the organisation, using the new confidence found and having a framework I can follow to prepare before having these interactions. In addition, I have the knowledge and tools to take time to breathe, plan and distribute work with greater ease, understanding investing a little time training staff can ultimately free up my time to be better spent elsewhere. It also makes me feel more equipped to coach my own staff and help understand their issues and offer constructive solutions.

I found the coaching experience extremely valuable and many regards, a much wider help that just in the workplace. It is very rare to have someone listen one-on-one about your weaknesses and then objectively suggest solutions to overcome them. Tracey was a pleasure to work with and our coaching sessions always seemed to pass very quickly, and most of all, were a real pleasure to do.”

 

“I was apprehensive about starting the online leadership development programme as I didn’t know what to expect (and was dreading role plays!) but my fears were unfounded as, from the outset, Tracey put everyone at ease by creating a positive, open and honest learning environment.  She encouraged everyone to contribute, listened and gave good feedback and helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses as well as providing me with tools and techniques to become a better manager.

We were challenged but we weren’t made to feel that there were any ‘wrong’ answers which meant that we all felt safe to contribute, particularly as the sessions were confidential. Delivery of the sessions and the course materials was clear. Tracey was precise with her instructions, both during the sessions and with the preparatory work. I have finished the course with a much better sense of myself and have identified my development areas. I have a stronger working relationship with my fellow participants and a set of reference materials which will help me and my team going forward.”

 

By far the best development team I’ve worked with. Pro-Development are relatable, warm, friendly and really know what they’re talking about. They are not just regurgitation things from a book. They really do help you discover your own authentic style of leadership. Everyone on this programme has grown throughout it. We are also going to keep in touch to stay on top of our development and continue to help each other out.  To anyone thinking about or doing this course remember that change doesn’t happen overnight. Change takes time and work and communication. What the team at Pro-Development does is give you the tools to make change happen and happen right. It’s up to you to use them.