Testimonials for business coaching and facilitation delivered by CTTG
Developing and maintaining competitive advantage is all about collaborating with talented individuals to create enhanced business performance. In the complex 21st century business environment, our ability to create and sustain relationships based on trust and mutual respect, is at the heart of our ability to deliver real value. This is a selection of comments and testimonials from those I have worked with:
Business coaching:
“The Governance Leadership Development programme was invaluable in supporting my approach to negotiating boardroom dynamics and relationships via a combination of workshop modules and personal coaching. The Programme Director, Anna Bateson from Cutting through the Grey, helped me to identify and leverage my strengths and skills. Anna’s approach is intelligent, intuitive and insightful and one of the core strengths of the programme was Anna’s ability to challenge and inspire each participant in a tailored way. The personal coaching was calibrated to enhance the learning gained in the group sessions. The programme was, in short, a truly brilliant opportunity for both personal and professional growth.” Zoe Willenbrock, Governance Manager, The Society and college of Radiographers.
– “Sincere thanks for giving me the tools to make a leap into the unknown. I was able to devise a blueprint for my way forward and am excited about the future direction of my career.” Sinead Critchley, Director of Governance and Assurance, The University of Kent
– “Anna has a great coaching style. She is warm, supportive, and challenging when necessary! Through a series of focused discussions and valuable thinking time, she guided me to achieve some much needed clarity about the role I wished to fulfil within my organisation. While effecting change in business relationships is rarely achieved without some effort, an understanding of the dynamics involved certainly helped me to negotiate the territory. Anna’s insight into the nature of change and its complexity was invaluable during this process.” Operations Director, Business Consultancy
– “Anna enabled me to consolidate my goals and prepare a plan to apply my learning. She touched my life in a great positive way. I understand myself better and look for opportunities to play to my strengths, spend my energy wisely and embrace opportunities.” Nihal Mashaki, Professional Trainer & Board member, Turkish Corporate Governance Association
– “I have personally benefited from my business mentoring programme and now undertake a wider strategic Director role within the overall business. Anna’s style at all times has been motivating and encouraging and I have the confidence to expand in my role as a professional Director within the business.” Rachael White, Group Finance Director of IXION Holdings Ltd
– “I found my coaching relationship with Anna useful and helpful, because it allowed me reflection time and challenged me in a ‘safe’ environment. We met for face to face sessions and talked by telephone and email between those sessions. We discussed my goals and the environment in which I needed to achieve them. Once we had reviewed the feedback from my 360˚, Anna enabled me to identify and develop options for achieving my goals.” Managing Director, Quoted Financial Services Group
– “I value the confidential and supportive coaching process, which we built together.” Anon.
– “Our sessions helped me to focus. They explored exactly what I wanted to address.” Anon.
– “You recognise and understand my business environment and how it impacts on my ability to perform.” Anon.
– “Your living coaching record really helped me to keep track on my objectives and the steps I have taken to achieve them.” Anon.
Facilitation and Development for In-Company Groups:
“Anna has helped us stay focused on strategic options in our transformation drive. I find her insights and often her intuition right on target. She is a strategic strategist.” Vice Chairman, NAHCO
“As the Company Secretariat for a UK Holding Group with thirteen legal entities, we are conscious that the corporate governance environment is changing and the role we perform reflects these changes. We took the opportunity to work together as a team through a development programme which challenged our thinking, helped us to share our own insights and understand how each member could provide value to the Boards we support. Anna designed a programme that was digestible and relevant to us, engaged us in providing honest views and provided the different tools and ways of thinking which we need.” Group Company Secretary
“We recently commissioned Anna Bateson to facilitate our ‘Board Away Day.’ I would have no hesitation in using Anna as a facilitiator again. She exudes professionalism, has great integrity and is well respected by her peers.” Alan Coates, Chairman, Park Royal Partnerships
“Anna worked with us to develop our understanding of the principles and spirit of Corporate Governance and the role which an effective Board plays. She took time beforehand to get to know us, our organisation and our objectives. Together we prepared extensive, relevant, helpful and incisive workshop documentation and a highly interactive process. We found Anna to be flexible, discreet, dynamic and personable. Her common sense and practical approach made for a very effective learning environment.” The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain.
“Thank you for your help in our success. Reflection and thoughtfulness are indeed precious – a good reminder.” Managing Director, Insurance Company
Speaker Events, Facilitation and Development for Open Audiences:
“Thank-you Anna for a stimulating and enjoyable couple of days. The breadth and range of knowledge, ideas and theories you demonstrated to us was the best I have seen at any event. You were able to display a huge variety of ideas and in different media.” Matt Cooper, Business Development Director, National Institute for Health Research
“You are a rare combination of a source of great knowledge and a warm flow of enthusiasm that makes one eager to learn more from you.” Carleen Kelemen, Chair, Institute of Directors for Devon and Cornwall.
“Coaching for Governance: an approach to building high performance Boards was extremely well received. It was both relevant, engaging and thought-provoking which is an ideal combination in an opening conference presentation.” David Nicholl, MD of OnBoard
“I just wanted to thank you for an excellent workshop , I thoroughly enjoyed it beyond my expectations – you made it relevant, appropriate and interesting.” Jeremy Brettell, MD of Drachen Ltd
“I thoroughly enjoyed the day and found the content very helpful – especially thinking about translating some of the models into real life situations as a NED.” Vanessa Walker, Chief Executive of Network Idea
“Anna has an in-depth knowledge of the leadership environment and combines this with her unique facilitation style. She enables leaders to discuss the challenges and dilemmas they face individually and collectively and holds this space with patience and warmth. She is a skilled alchemist, bringing together this blend of theory, reflection, support and challenge.” Dr David Kearney, Chartered Director, Chartered Psychologist, OPDC
“I just wanted to say thanks for an informative and thought provoking session yesterday in Belfast. So many courses are about dry and often irrelevant theory, so it was great to hear some practical insights based on real world experience.” John Miskelly, Partner, FGS McClure Watters
“Excellent style. Challenged group assumptions and behaviours. The conversations were excellent with great anecdotes and examples.” John Hugo, Change Delivery Associates
“Excellent learning experience with exceptional facilitation. I just wanted to say thanks for a most enjoyable 3 days. As you can imagine, I do a lot of these type of events at the University but the quality of this was exceptional. I really do feel the value and have already implemented some changes to working practices here to take account of the learning.” Dean Phillips, Head of Relationship Management, University of Aberdeen
“Anna spoke at an event for senior public sector executives in Northern Ireland in a highly professional, intelligent and compelling manner. She was able to bring the topic of the relationship between Boards and finance professionals to life for the participants in a very engaging and participative way. Anna brings a wealth of experience across the public, private and third sectors to her presentations, providing delegates with real examples, case studies and anecdotal evidence of what works and what does not.” Alistair Steenson, CIPFA Northern Ireland
“Stunning rendition with rich background experience. Very enthusiastic and energetic.” Anon.
“Refreshing and inspiring.” Anon.
“Great knowledge, good examples, great stories, really enjoyed.” Anon.
“Excellent speaker, thought provoking and enabled great collaboration.” Anon.
“One of the most dynamic presenters ….who bought the material to life.” Anon.
“Anna is inspirational. She brings academic as well as real life perspectives to the table.” Anon.
Cutting Through the Grey 