Gearing Up for a New Reality

When a small company becomes part of a big one, it can be all change for the staff. VOX helped a firm in the creative industries adapt to new circumstances by boosting their confidence and honing their communication skills.

Challenge

When a highly regarded firm in the creative industries became part of a group of companies, the staff had to adjust to a new regime. They were now small fish in a big pool, and some of the ‘cosiness’ went out of working life.

The staff were talented, experienced and committed, but they were used to getting on with their jobs without a great deal of formal scrutiny. Now, however, senior people were expected to give incisive presentations to the top brass whenever they visited from group HQ. They needed to learn how to perform with assurance and impact under pressure, conveying information and ideas in a compelling style and responding well to questions. All staff had to adapt to changes, regain their confidence and regroup.

Solution

The company approached VOX for two kinds of support:

Presentation-skills training for the senior team to enable them to discharge their new reporting duties with greater authority
Input to the planning and delivery of a one-day conference for all staff aimed at reinforcing unity and raising morale in a period of uncertainty

At the conference, VOX delivered one plenary session and two breakout sessions. In the plenary, the coach explored in an entertaining and engaging style some of the key determinants of effective face-to-face communication. The breakouts, which were chosen by the client from a list of possibilities, complemented the plenary and included practical exercises designed to develop participants’ communication skills and reconnect them with the creativity that was at the heart of their work.

Results

All the feedback showed that VOX’s plenary session energized the delegates and set a positive tone for their conversations throughout the event. The breakout sessions were judged by the participants to be absorbing, stimulating, informative and useful. People felt more confident about the future and their role in it.

The separate training day on presentation skills for senior staff was equally well received. The bigwigs from the new parent organisation seemed duly impressed by the clear, succinct and powerful presentations they received on their next visit.

What our clients say

I have been pleased to work with VOX Coaching since 2007 … Pete Bailie and his colleagues work very professionally and have engaged wholeheartedly in meeting our needs and designing material to our briefs.

Researcher Development Officer

[The] interpretation of the brief, tailoring of content and varied delivery made for a productive and enjoyable event … I wouldn’t hesitate to use Pete or VOX again.

Director for Careers and Employability

… an inspiring coach who makes an enduring difference to the way people communicate, lead and manage.

Communications and Marketing Director

Participants find the sessions great fun, and at the same time are amazed at how blind they might have been to their own and others’ behaviours, be it in a meeting, or relationships with junior or senior colleagues.

Assistant Director, Researchers and Research Culture

On the day of the interview I was barely nervous (which is very unusual for me), very confident and performed very well…in fact I would say ended up enjoying it. They have awarded me a fellowship, so it must have worked!

One Health Policy Lead and Statistics Adviser Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

I had a fantastic experience with VOX Coaching … in preparation for interviews for large grants from research councils. In simple words, without [their] help, it would have been very challenging to perform well at the interview.

EPSRC Research Fellow & Professor of Coatings and Surface Engineering University of Nottingham

I attended a one-day group session … in preparation for a funding interview. Pete has a great understanding of the academic funding landscape, which helped demystify the process for me and my fellow attendees. I would highly recommend.

Lecturer in flight dynamics and control University of Bristol

Transformational, inspiring and fun … Liberating that inner voice, being able to ‘read’ body language and vary styles of communication are the secrets this course unlocked for me.

Marketing Officer UWE

… the single best presentation & communication skills trainer I have ever worked with. Deeply knowledgeable, personable, adaptable, and infectiously enthusiastic about his subject.

Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship University of Bristol

Six months after my last coaching session with Pete I am still applying what I learnt. Pete is a creative coach with an inspiring array of tools and experience to call upon when coaching clients. Our sessions were focussed, creative and challenging, helping me to target those areas of my professional life I want to develop further.

Head of Corporate Programme Office NHS

Other case studies

Delivering Major Change

When a university had to move thousands of its staff members to a new pay-grade structure, there was a pressing need for skilful and sensitive communication. VOX helped managers across the institution rise to the challenge.

Influencing Up

Top politicians benefit from the input of impartial advisers. But what if the advisers have trouble connecting with more senior people? VOX helped a group of such individuals develop communication skills that matched their intellectual prowess.

Inspiring Excellence in Teams

A firm operating in 40 locations had to be sure that all its senior players were able to articulate a compelling vision and lead people effectively. VOX worked with them to strengthen the skills they needed to inspire their teams.

Managing in Turbulent Times

Financial constraints … complex change … restructuring – it’s a familiar story in local government. VOX helped a large group of managers prepare for testing times by sharpening communication skills on which so much would depend.

Pitch Perfect

An international company needed its IT specialists to be able to pitch business proposals to clients with greater success. VOX’s role was to equip them with practical techniques for engaging audiences – including difficult and critical ones.

Turning to a Trusted Adviser

A senior academic had a range of important communication challenges over the years, including bidding for multimillion-pound grants, giving high-profile media interviews and speaking at international gatherings. VOX supported them at every turn.

Winning Through

How can you do yourself justice when you’re being interviewed for your own job? This was the question facing people in a local authority service area that was undergoing reorganisation. VOX helped them find answers and grow in confidence.