"ECC executive coaching has helped me ask tough and difficult questions - prompting me to realize more probing was required before a decision could be made."

I am now more critical in interrogating myself as a result of coaching. Whilst self-confrontation is difficult or even painful at times I feel better prepared afterwards and am more effective.

Simon Walsh
Managing Director
Computacenter Services plc

“Benefit to me, my Team and the business”

Through working with Tony Chapman I have gained a better understanding of myself including my strengths, key development needs, an understanding of others, and the consequences of my behaviours.

Coaching has helped start, positively and materially, to change others’ perceptions and profile of me in the business. It has helped me to become a better leader of my team in terms of people development, teamwork, coaching and strategic thinking.

As a result of coaching I have found it easier to work within a rapidly changing business
environment as well as to act as an agent of change.

For my Team:
By implementing a feedback culture within the team we have gained trust and confidence in each other, which has led to a more effective performing team. Communications and collaboration within the team and with other business teams have improved significantly.
By coaching in the workplace, key team members have stepped up in their roles, allowing me to lead more effectively.

For the Business:
By creating a performing team we have exceeded our targets this year and built a strategy for growth into 20005/06. It has helped Computacenter to deliver a strategic new business plan for 2005/06 and beyond.
The business now enjoys better value for money from key employees who are now working closer to their potential.

Andy Kelly
Client Unit Director
Corporate Business Development
Computacenter plc

“As President and CEO of three USA and one UK telecommunications companies, I have greatly relied upon my executive coaches (one in the USA and Tony Chapman in the UK)”

They have always provided an honest appraisal of my performance, challenging my personal practice and goals, revealing to me my inner self. They needed to be great listeners, available as a reflector for my self-doubts and fears, and to assist me to very clearly communicate my vision for the business. Each executive coach provided unique assistance to me through effective evaluation of me and my executive management teams. The ultimate value of an executive coach can be demonstrated through my growth as a more effective executive as shown by positive trends in each successive executive position.

David Van Valkenburg
Chairman
Balfour Associates Inc

“It is always a pleasure to see how Tony supports the development of Senior Management of UBS Investment Bank with training, coaching and team development”

We experience Tony Chapman as highly qualified, experienced and committed. We can highly recommend Tony Chapman and his services.

Irene Ricklin/Ulrich Aschoff
Global Talent Learning & Development
UBS Investment Bank, Zurich

“ECC put together a programme which forced the leadership team to confront some difficult issues and helped us build a firm base for our business growth plans”

In April 2004, I was appointed Managing Director (of a division of a large British Engineering Company). The business faced a significant business challenge as successive changes in ownership and internal restructuring had left the business without a clear sense of identity or purpose.

I had experience of the ECC team from my previous coaching relationship with them and engaged them to help me create a leadership team. This leadership team had to be able to deal with simultaneous change and restructuring which cut deep into the existing business. In my case the need for change was so pressing that we were unable to allow much time for natural development of the team. ECC put together a programme which forced the leadership team to confront some difficult issues and helped us build a firm base for our business growth plans. Their programme forced our development at a much faster pace than otherwise might have been achievable.

The programme is not easy but now some 15 months after it started we have a team who are able to build on our individual and collective strengths, and a business that faces the challenge of growth rather than shrinkage. We have now moved from "Stabilize the business" to "Transform and Grow the business"

I found this programme personally challenging and it caused me to reconsider many of the management tools and processes I had used to get me here. I had to learn what is a strength in a business development director may be a profound weakness in a managing director. If you are sure you already know all of the answers ECC are unlikely to be able to help you. If, however, you know some of the answers but need help in building a leadership team to create, own and deliver the complete solution ECC may be able to help you.

John Nicholson
Divisional Managing Director of a Global Aerospace Engineering Company

“Working with ECC over many years has proved to be a highly challenging and rewarding experience”

Challenging in terms of making all of us look at ourselves, our teams and our organisations and ask the tough questions: What do we need to change/keep the same/do more of, in order to continue to be successful?

Rewarding from the perspective that each programme or individual intervention has been hugely successful, from a senior coaching assignment to culture change programmes. One example would be a part of a culture change programme that ECC heavily supported. We conducted a survey one year on from the last ‘event’ within that programme, to gauge feedback on effectiveness to self, team and organisation, 99% stated all of these had been benefited or strongly benefited, in addition they all stated that they would recommend the programme for others.

Karen Taylor
HR Director
Computacenter plc

“I have now worked with the team at ECC twice and continue to be delighted with the transformation of teams that have had the experience of working with them”

The ECC collaboration has greatly assisted in both the transition and transformation of my management group to a high performing team. The business impact has been dramatic in terms of revenue and profit growth. However, the change in attitude and behaviour as a team has been the critical factor in achieving better business results. This is attributable to the ECC experience.

If you are a business that needs help in transforming culture, behaviour or attitudes for business improvement you can't go wrong with ECC as part of your team.

Rob Coyne
Former MD of 3Com (UK)

“ECC contributed very actively to our success … by team building and management coaching sessions”

When Tech Data in the Nordic Countries and especially Sweden changed the business model, we had to change our management team and the way we worked together. ECC contributed very actively to make a success to all those changes by team building and management coaching sessions. After two years of implementing all those changes Tech Data changed from being a challenger to become the clear leader in the industry in terms of turnover and profitability.

Lorenzo Garcia
Regional Vice-President
Tech Data Nordics

“You get on board, then you begin to question how you work, and manage, because you have more responsibility, larger billings and more people than ever before”

One comment from a participant on IPA (Stage 6) – People Management for Board Directors was developed back in 1994 by Dr Tony Chapman and has been continually fine-tuned each year to reflect the changing demands of the advertising industry.

The programme is highly interactive, with hands-on opportunities to explore new strategies, techniques and behaviour. The course is residential and runs over 3½ days. It allows individuals to understand themselves and their impact on others and thereby increase their effectiveness. It also explores and refines leadership style, identifies strengths and development issues using work-based 360 degree feedback.

The programme has been designed to enable delegates to understand the basic fundamentals of strategy and motivation in team building. Delegates will benefit by learning tips and techniques that will increase their competence and confidence when managing, influencing and leading teams and individuals.

Just one of the verbatim feedback comments gathered at the end of the programme:

“You get on board, then you begin to question how you work, and manage, because you have more responsibility, larger billings and more people than ever before. IPA 6 was a brilliant review of myself. 360 degree feedback from 10 colleagues and an honest self-appraisal provided the basis for really understanding my future and how best to progress”.

The programme has proved very valuable to those at board level in agencies and media specialists within the marketing communications industry that want to add people management skills to their existing job-functional skills.

Kerry Walsh
Head of Training Courses
Institute for Practitioners in Advertising

“I have worked with Tony (formally and informally) for over seven years. During this time he has significantly contributed to my development (and success) as a leader and as a person”

In particular I would highlight:

- ECC's role in developing "open" and more effective management teams. I have, with Tony and the team's support, seen hidden agendas being broken down and issues being resolved more quickly.
- Tony's questions have opened up my thinking in new and different ways.
- And, his direct feedback has, on occasion, stopped me in my tracks and triggered a positive step change in my outlook and impact.

Karen Oddey
Managing Director
Land & Joint Systems UK, Thales Group

“Sophos appointed ECC to deliver its management programme in 2004. The programme provided an excellent foundation for those new to management as well as building on the existing skill sets of established managers”

The programme focused on individual development, which it achieved, but it also provided additional benefit through the formation of strong coaching and support teams across the management population."

Rob Maddalena
Management Development Manager
Sophos

“ECC have provided a level of insight, challenge and feedback on the Leadership Module of the Competing to Win Programme that has always been excellent and has on several occasions been outstanding. It has left a positive and an indelible impression on the Programme Participants' behaviours. We intend to work with ECC again.”

Chris Mead
Commercial Director
QinetiQ EMEA

“Unit cohesion and the level of effective co-operation between staff improved markedly following the programme”

ECC designed and executed a programme of team building and personal development events for us. The response from staff at the time was extremely positive. Unit cohesion and the level of effective co-operation between staff improved markedly following the programme.

Two years on we are still reaping benefits from the work done. The investment in ECC was in reality an investment in our staff, from which we have derived tremendous enduring value."

Allan Barr
Director of Solutions
Barclays Bank

“The team development and learning work, which ECC undertook with us, represented a watershed; a point at which things turned around”

We asked ECC to help us create a strong and unified management team for an exciting new and high profile Internal Consultancy Business within Barclays Group.

We were merging teams from three different parts of the Barclays’ group each with their own culture and outlook. Each of these cultures conflicted with the others.

The leadership team did not recognise itself as such and a mix of new entrants to the Company also added to a confusing picture. Yet we faced a major programme of changing skill sets, driving income as well as reducing costs and we desperately needed to work together cohesively to achieve the very challenging goals we had set ourselves.

The team development and learning work, which ECC undertook with us, represented a watershed; a point at which things turned around.

They helped us create a platform for a better understanding of what a leadership team was and within that a deeper and more constructive interpretation of each others contributions and viewpoint.

All of a sudden we were pulling together not just existing together. Debilitating rumour and gossip, which gets in the way, simply disappeared overnight not only in the leadership team but in the wider team too.

It was the point at which the old baggage was left behind and we went forward into the future.

This work couldn’t and didn’t solve all our leadership challenges but it gave us the platform upon which we had a chance to do this.

We did not lose that opportunity and would thoroughly recommend ECC to anyone with such challenges. Their help insight and commitment were invaluable to us.

T Broome
Director of Purchasing
Barclays Bank plc

“Their formula is both clever and inspiring but most importantly, effective”

As a seasoned IT Director I understand how important change management is in the corporate environment and in particular the business of challenging and then changing culture. I have worked extremely successfully now on three assignments with Doug and his colleagues and the results have always been worth every last penny. Their formula is both clever and inspiring but most importantly, effective. Myself and my teams have always come out of the process with a spring in our steps, re-energised and ready to face our challenges through personal action.

I will certainly be working with Doug and his team on future occasions.

Diane McWade
IT Director
Hitachi Capital plc

“ECC helped my organisation survive a real crisis”

We were in conflict as senior managers. Strong individuals were working against each other. During a very difficult week we faced ourselves as individuals, identified our weaknesses and our strengths, coming out as a group sharing a common purpose and valuing our different perspectives and approaches to work and life. It was a life changing experience which restored our energy and optimism, releasing creativity and creating support networks which are self sustaining. All of this was achieved through simple questions – never expect an answer. This was our business, we know it backwards. What we had ignored was ourselves. What were our aims? What is my contribution? Why am I behaving this way? Why do you say that, what do you believe? It was coaching of intensity which has helped all of us improve, particularly as coaches.

Richard Gregg
HR Director/Business Change Manager
Rural Payments Agency