Don’t take our word for it, check out what our happy clients have said about us!
Team Coaching
Catriona Bryden
Phoenix were excellent! They really took time out to understand the nuances of what we were trying to achieve, and produced a workshop that met our objectives exactly. The trainer was highly knowledgeable and made the session interactive and fun – most importantly the team learned new relationship building and communication skills that they are applying to their work on a daily basis. Catriona Bryden
Team awayday development“
I couldn’t be more pleased with the session Jo ran with the team.
From our first discussions through to the end of the session, it really felt that Jo understood what I wanted to achieve with the team and created a bespoke session to facilitate this.
I was anxious that, in advance of a particularly busy time for the team and having had a few personnel additions, we engaged with the vital components of a high performing team by building trust, understanding how we (as individuals) work under pressure and encouraging feedback to create a stronger, more open team.
Since the session, the feedback I have had from the team has been very positive. We all agree that the exercises were constructed in an imaginative and fun way, with the day structured in a way that meant the more ‘difficult’ activities took place once an open and supportive atmosphere had been created.
I can’t thank Jo enough for her time and effort in creating such a worthwhile day, alongside her infectious and motivating energy while she was with us. We are already putting what we’ve learnt into practice and I am excited to see how the results benefit our team in the coming months.”
Michelle Audette, Global Category Director, Britvic Soft Drinks
We were running a first team day for the newly formed Strategic Marketing team, so asked Phoenix to run a 90 minute team building session using Insights discovery. They delivered a fast paced, fun session which helped us appreciate the different colour energies, and understand the impact we can have on others. We realised the importance of adapting our behaviours to improve communication and team effectiveness. Each colour energy came up with ways they could help the group be “One Team.” Those with dominant Red or Yellow energy really noticed how they need to listen more to their dominant Green and Blue energy colleagues. It has given us a language we can use back at the office. A great way to kick off our team journey.
Melanie Allen
Jo was recommended to me by a member of staff she had mentored, and from the first time I met her I was bowled over by her energy and purpose. We began to collaborate on some of our staff development needs, and that is the best thing about working with Jo, she collaborates with you to define what your business need is as much as the development solution. At Comic Relief we used Jo on several big projects, most notably our Line Manager Development programme. Jo understood our culture, so the programme we designed was a really tailored solution. Then the real magic happens in the workshops where our staff LOVED Jo; it’s her energy again and also the coaching style she uses with people, so that their own self efficacy increases. The benefits the individuals and groups who worked with Jo experienced were evidenced in their evaluations, and performance, and the initiative they took to continue applying what they had learned. I should also say that Jo flexes her personal style to make sure that your working relationships with her is easy and flowing. For me this was invaluable because Jo was a vital partner in our development plan throughout the year. I have left Comic Relief now but Jo is sitll very much a part of the development team there.
One to One Coaching
Team, event and business facilitation
I have worked with Phoenix over the last 2 years on 3 separate occasions with 3 very different briefs: Team & Business facilitation; Event Facilitation and Team Development.
They have consistently exceeded expectations helping to shape the brief, challenge the individuals involved in a productive manner and provided a constructive and effective environment that delivered the desired results. They are also a pleasure to work with! I would recommend them for any type of event design and facilitation that you need to do.
Multiple partner organisations reflective session
We brought Jo in to run a session between four partners delivering a major lottery funded programme. Each partner comes from different backgrounds, skillsets, and cultures, and have varying expectations and visions for the programme. As such, it was never going to be a straight forward session to run.
Jo was brilliant from day one. Her thoughtful and methodological approach in engaging with each partner prior to the session was invaluable in the formation of the day.
The day itself was run with the right balance between collaboration and ensuring each partner was able to speak openly and honestly about the challenges they face. At the heart of this was the session that enabled each partner to reflect on the programme from each other’s perspective. There are clear actions that have come from the day and I believe the partnership is in a far better position as a result.
Team 3 day retreat
I hired Jo to facilitate a three day retreat for our team focused on team and trust building.
In the run up to the retreat, I found Jo efficient and responsive in her design of the agenda and enjoyed working with her to ensure it was relevant for all participants. Over the course of the three days, Jo demonstrated expert facilitation skills, adapting quickly to the needs of the group (and some adverse weather conditions).
Since the retreat, I have already seen the team using the frameworks and tools shared by Jo as well as actively considering theirs and others’ working styles. I would definitely recommend Jo.
Team coaching and capability development
I invited Jo to support my efforts to improve my team’s ways of working as part of our transformation journey into a high performing team. one. Jo came in initially and explored what the end outcome would look like. She processed this information into a program which met my needs and was endorsed by the team. Working with Jo has been great as she’s taken a coaching style to draw out the best in all of us through out the program. She’s provided some stretch tasks and have the ability to help you develop your own solutions rather than text book type ones. Jo took a holistic approach to addressing our needs and was flexible with the plan – really ensuring in was customized to address our concerns. Jo is great facilitator, coach and trainer all packaged in one.
Team dynamics
Jo recently facilitated a session for the Learning & Engagement team at Sadler’s Wells, exploring team dynamics as well as looking at tools for managing time and pressure at work.
The whole experience of working with Jo has been incredibly positive, from the first conversation discussing ideas for the session through to her expert facilitation on the day.
The session has led to a better understanding of the working styles across the team and we have already adopted some of the tools for time management that were looked at during the session.
Coaching success
I found Jo through recommendation – I was looking for a coach to accompany a trainee in my organisation to find more focus and perspective on the work he does with us. Jo was great to work with, very approachable, I could speak frankly with her about the context and the employee in question, and completely trusted her when I handed over the conversation to remain with the person she was coaching.
We had agreed on doing a minimum of 3 sessions, followed by 2 more if needed, but Jo’s coaching combined with my colleague’s motivation and astuteness meant we reached results faster than expected so only 3 sessions were needed.
Jo has a really good personal understanding of people, and an effective way of guiding them through learning which can then be applied in the workplace. She has a great professional approach and it was a pleasure to work with her – I hope to do so again!
High Performing Teams: Exec Team Coaching
Both Jo and Isabel were brilliant throughout – understanding our needs and aspirations, keeping in close contact with me – including guiding and flexing plans as needed. They provided outstanding design, facilitation and support. They offered a depth and range of expertise and tools that have enabled us to flow with whatever was most needed at each particular phase of our development and progress as we sought to become a high performing team. They held our feet to the fire and kept us honest on process, content and values.
Jo and Isabel celebrated with us and inspired us – as well as enabling us to fully appreciate each other. Jo is truly a master of her art.
Team coaching - Senior management team
Save the Children UK’s Global Programmes Management Team (responsible for £300m of annual programming) spent six months working closely with Phoenix to improve our team working, communications and mutual accountability. We benefited greatly from having two well matched facilitators who took us through a structured but flexible journey of self-analysis, trust and risk taking. The positive feedback from the wider senior leadership team is testament to the distance we have travelled and the strengthened relationships we have to go even further. Many thanks Phoenix!
Coaching for professional dancers with the DCD
Testimonials from my dancer clients, working the DCD:
“My session with Jo was life changing. It helped me in my development but also helped find a new enjoyment in dancing.” Scotland
“Had a fantastic coaching session with Jo Wright from DCD Dancers at BRB this week.” Birmingham
Senior Leadership team development
Phoenix helped us translate a number of areas we wanted to explore as a senior team, into a focused agenda. They helped create and shape an agenda that gave us the time and space to focus on us as a team, to have open and honest discussions about key topics, and provide creative solutions and activities to help move us forward as a team as part of a 2 day team development session. This led to us having a series of open, honest and engaging conversations where we collectively reached alignment on a number of things which we solved / resolved in the team development session, or gave us the space and stimulus to move things forward back in the office environment.
For our size of group, we really benefited from having 2 facilitators, both of which brought different things to the group dynamic. Having independent facilitators also meant they could push us where they felt we were holding back, and offer suggestions from their breadth of experiences.
We found the session hugely beneficial and would highly recommend Jo and her colleagues.
Facilitation
Team communication, motivation and time managementThe trainin
g Jo provided was expertly tailored to meet the team’s requirements. I particularly appreciated the time she invested before the day to thoroughly understand the motivation for holding the training and what we needed to achieve from the day, both as a team and on an individual basis. The resulting session was dynamic, highly relevant and engaging, giving everyone a far greater understanding of how to work with colleagues with differing work styles. The open and relaxed style of the training ensured everyone felt comfortable and it encouraged full participation and honest engagement, something that can be difficult to achieve in a large group. We have left with clear immediate actions and longer-term ideas which the team are looking forward to exploring further.
International girls' education seminar planning & facilitation
Board of Trustees effective communication
I am confident that our investment in Jo and Insights will reap rewards in how we communicate with each other better, consider more fully the needs of other team members and give due consideration to how each of us can improve our impact by understanding better the communication preferences of others.
I’m very happy to highly recommend Jo and the Insights methodology.
Insights Discovery workshop
“Jo ran an Insights Discovery workshop for a group of new senior managers recently. The event was fantastic. All attendees have commented afterwards how great it was and how much they have learnt and are already putting it into practice.
Its always such a pleasure working with Jo. Thank you”
Team awayday with Insights Discovery
Jo worked to this brief and facilitated a four hour workshop that was fun, active and highly productive. She used a mixture of Jung’s analytical psychology, emotional intelligence and her wealth of experience to help us understand basic differences in working and communication styles; how to build trust and work in an open and honest way and how to develop strategies to build a creative, high performing team.
Jo quickly gained the confidence and trust of the group and encouraged equal participation throughout the workshop. She encouraged self-awareness through discovering individual strengths and weaknesses and how both opposite and complementing traits can be made to work in a group with shared objectives. As the workshop progressed, so did the group’s co-operation, participation and understanding.
There is no doubt the team came away motivated, purposeful and determined to perform both individually and as a collective. They felt positive in their own personal development and in the commitment of the business to help them perform to their best ability.
Technology team development - awayday
On the day Jo worked with Adrian and Isabel to facilitate an energising and thought provoking session. They worked hard to ensure all my staff remained engaged, focused and importantly had fun. There was a palpable buzz during the session which remained when we returned to the office.The day was extremely successful with many of the team telling me how it changed the way they thought not only about the way they worked together as a team but also how to be more effective in their communication with their stakeholders. I could not have asked for more and the ideas and areas of focus that we concentrated on during the session are still being referenced by members of my team.In conclusion I would heartily recommend Jo and her team.
Mark Hoult-Allen
Feedback from the team, after the session, has been very positive and team members have been actively using their understanding of insights to engage with colleagues in a different way – and this has already delivered benefits. We are committed to placing our Insights understanding at the heart of how we engage with others (both internal and external) to ensure that we get the best from our interactions.
Jo Wright, our facilitator, was excellent and delivered a well devised session that enabled the Grants Operations Team to engage and feel comfortable throughout. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jo (as a facilitator) of Insights to another organisation.
Team development
Macmillan Cancer Support
Our team really enjoyed taking part in the session prepared and delivered by Jo around individual behavioural preferences and their impact in the workplace. It was highly interactive, engaging and thought-provoking. Jo’s enthusiasm and facilitation style helped everyone feel relaxed and open up.
N Dickinson
Jo ran a dynamic, interactive and practical ‘Insights’ training session for FOCUS. Her enthusiasm and skill at dealing with multiple personality types with varying cultural backgrounds was superb. We were each left with a better understanding of our own working style and preferences as well as that of our colleagues. With this understanding Jo taught us how we can recognise when to adapt our style and therefore work more effectively both individually and as a team. I would highly recommend this ‘Insights’ workshop to any team.