Our Clients

What Our Clients Say

Leaders and Teams

'[Your trainer] is good at getting different members of a team, or potential team, to engage with one

another and to begin to identify themselves as a working unit.'
Nick Wallis, Executive Director, Windhorse Trading

'I now think much more of other professions and roles in Health Care and how they impacts on patient

care; and I learnt the virtues of representing other disciplines.'
– Penny Martin, Superintendent Physiotherapist, Wythenshawe Hospital

This course will effect all areas of my work - my own team, leading other Allied Health Professionals

and representing them.'
– Tina Quinn, AHP Lead, Airdale Acute Trust

'[Your trainer] was not merely presenting techniques, but creating the context to allow participants to

elaborate and develop their own technique…That approach led to a high degree of "ownership" of

methods and techniques, which proved to be more effective than the "off-the-shelf" techniques

presented by other communication consultants...'
– Alethea Adair-Charlton, Human Resources, Agora Professional Services, London UK

Stress Reduction

'The course has increased my capacity to focus on whatever I'm doing and work more efficiently and

with a more sustained and reliable input.'
– Margot Butterworth, Cambridge University Press

Communication

'Interesting and enlightening; a new experience which has positively influenced my communication

skills.'
– Malcolm Timmins, Head of Histopathology Dept., Stepping Hill Hospital

'This group is very heterogenous and demands sophisticated teaching skills – we both found [your

trainer's] approach engaging and innovative, which succeeded in creatively combining theory and

practice. A number of students specifically mentioned these sessions as having altered their views of

research.'
– Professor Jill Preston & Dr Bronwyn Rees, Anglia Polytechnic University

Coaching

‘The quality of coaching was superb, and the commitment of [your trainer] to Agora employees was

above our expectations.'
– Alethea Adair-Charlton, Human Resources, Agora Professional Services, London UK

'The coaching was excellent, very useful – and it followed on from the workshop very nicely.'
– Jonah, Agora Professional Services, London UK

'The quality of the one-to-ones was very good, and allowed individuals to focus on areas for

improvement.'
– Dominic Skey, Manager, Manager Agora Professional Services, London UK

Action Learning

'Enabled me to resolve problems and come up with solutions using new skills.'
–  Stephanie Jenkins, Manager, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

'The Action Learning allowed me to explore and really have the opportunity to get to the bottom of

problems.'
– Penny Martin, AHP Manager, Wythenshawe Hospital

'As a result, I feel more focused and motivated – and generally happier at work.'
– Alison Rush, English Nature

'I learnt how to relax properly for the first time in a long time.'
– Clare Harris, Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living

'I experienced a feeling of calm, and a new direction in transforming my life.'
– Linda Rutland, Manor Community College

'The course had a markedly different approach, including led sessions of relaxation – a very useful

style of presentation.'
– Kate Cowpe, AHP Manager, Royal Bolton Hospital

'Increased confidence and a new approach to dealing with management and personal issues.'
– David Walsh, HCS Lead, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust

Personal Development

'I feel this course has helped me make significant progress in my development.'
– Lucie Anderson-Wood, Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living

'The course benefited me greatly in both my personal and professional life.'
– Dr. J R Mason, Bury St Edmunds Self Development Group

'Your approach has enabled me to become more effective in my role at work.'
– Lesley Nash, Customer Services, John Lewis

'The sessions that your trainers lead seem to have a deep and lasting effect on the participants.'
– Dr Simon Moss, Manager, Cambridge Buddhist Centre

Case Studies

Case Study at Cambridge University Press (CUP)

[Evolution trainers] assist CUP members in developing feedback skills to create a harmonious and effective work environment

I asked your trainer to provide some training in my Department because there were a couple of problems involving people misunderstanding or becoming irritated with one another. On the whole, relationships seemed fine, but in a few cases, people were appealing to me to help sort out problems. I found it difficult to do because each person blamed someone else, but seemed reasonable when I talked to them individually. There was also a general feeling of low morale and I staff grumbling that they felt they were not appreciated.

When I asked the people involved and their close colleagues how I might improve the situation, it was difficult to obtain any concrete suggestions, except that certain people should be made to change and that morale would be helped by promotions to higher grades. However much effort I made to try to help, it was hard to make any progress because everyone seemed to think that it was someone else who needed to change.

Nearly all my Department (about 18 people) attended your workshop and almost everyone enjoyed it. The workshop concentrated on process rather than content, so the approach was different from the one most people were accustomed to. Afterwards, people in my department suggested that it would be helpful to have the same workshop for another department they worked closely with, and I organised it.

The most immediate change was that people started speaking out more. It was not always comfortable for me, since sometimes they criticised management, but they also spoke more openly about their problems with each other. After a few weeks, the worst of the conflicts between people were improved, and gradually over the following months, relationships improved both within the department and with the other department who had similar training.

Now when people join the department they often comment on how friendly and supportive everyone is. People have become more open about how they feel and what they want other people to do. This is usually done in a way that is not simply blaming, but acknowledges the value of other people. The atmosphere is generally more contented.

I am very pleased that I asked Evolution to run the courses. It is all too easy to see what change is required, but much more difficult to make the change happen. These courses work on the deep and basic level of how people think and react, and give tools which help with this, rather than providing superficial techniques that are easily forgotten.

Rosemary Tennison
Director of Education

Case Study at Agora

[Evolution trainer] assists Agora in transforming communication.

Agora Professional Services Ltd commissioned an Evolution trainer to run a series of communications workshops. Agora is a rapidly expanding company which would like to explore ways to develop the way people work together, and to operate more effectively in a busy and demanding work situation.

Prior to designing and proposing a suitable programme, a consultant from Life at Work organised an initial evaluation meeting with Agora, where relevant communications issues were identified. In the light of such evaluation, Evolution tailored a communication training programme for Agora, focusing mainly on essential communication skills.

The communication training programme included:
- Workshops/courses for groups of up to 14 people
- One-to-one coaching sessions following the workshop
- Follow-up workshops

The training workshops led by Evolution catered for all Agora staff (ca. 40 employees). Because the optimal group size is 12-15 people, Agora employees were subsequently split into three groups. Each training workshop was followed by one-to-one sessions with the participants of the group, and concluded with the follow-up workshop.

Training workshops
The training workshops were conducted in an informal way, characterised by a great level of interaction between the participants and the workshop leader. The duration of the workshops was one working day (6 hours, and pauses for lunch and tea breaks) for the initial workshop, and a half day (4 hours) for the concluding workshops.

The material provided in the workshop was clear and kept to a concise and effective size. Participants were also encouraged to add their own thoughts to the material.

One to one sessions

The one-to-one sessions lasted for an average of two hours each. The aim of the sessions seemed to be that of applying to each individual, on a tailored and unique manner, the material discussed in the training workshop. The employees' feedback showed that these sessions were highly successful.

The general feeling in the company was that Evolution was not merely "presenting techniques", but creating the context to allow participants to elaborate and develop their own technique. In that sense, Agora employees were not asked to follow pre-determined rules of good
communication behaviour. Each employee identified, with the assistance of Evolution, their meaningful communication issues and developed their own methods to improve their communication skills. That approach led to a high degree of "ownership" of methods and techniques, which proved to be more effective than the "off-the-shelf" techniques presented by other communication consultants who worked with Agora in the past.

The quality of coaching was superb, and the commitment of Evolution to Agora employees was above our expectations. For example, assistance to participants of the first and second groups was granted even during the third workshop, during lunch breaks and other spare time.

Conclusion

The programme provided by Evolution was the most comprehensive communication training conducted in Agora. Due to the nature of the programme, it is difficult to present an objective and precise result. However, based on our employees' feedback, we are confident that the programme reached its goal of improving our essential communication skills, at an individual level, which in turn benefits the company as a whole.

Courses and programmes planned for the future include the Stress Management workshop, as well as coaching for leaders, dealing with issued such as managing teams and providing constructive feedback.