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We are immensely proud of the work we do with our clients. In many ways, the businesses are looking for tangible business results, and our solutions have sophisticated measurement processes to try to show the cause and effect of our work. This then shows the results from improved relationships. However, we are always struck by how impactful our work is at a personal level. Here are some examples of typical feedback, literally pasted from emails, sent in unsolicited by the attendees of a variety of Leader-Manager courses, coaching assignments and consultancy projects. We have hundreds to share (Optima are 13 years old after all). These are from the last 12 months.

Feedback About Our Work

I wanted to email you with my thoughts on how fantastic I think the programme has been for me.. The design of the programme has been great and the tools that we have been "taught" for want of a better word have been excellent. I am putting lots of them to use and already seeing changes both in me and the people i work with as a result of it. Perhaps more important than all this though has been the relationships I have established through the programme both with my colleagues and with you and Mike. My coaching sessions with you have been especially important to me and have really made me feel valued and whilst in part that is because of the design of the programme, i feel it is mostly down to you as a person.
Thanks for everything and I'll be keeping in touch.

It has been the best development I have been on in over 20 years I have been with the business.

I think the biggest thing I have gained is starting to create my Personal Vision, I was unable to visualise where I wanted to be in the future. I constantly give myself short term goals but never look further ahead to where I want to be so I get the best out of myself and also I do the work I really enjoy. For the business, it has made me focus on myself more and give me confidence to make decisions however difficult or easy. I am prepared to do the right thing according to my values rather than either tolerate decisions or ignore them, this can only benefit the business.

What I have gained from The programme:
Established 8 year career plan - clear direction & increased motivation
Remaining assertive, increasing warmth; Feedback sessions
Reviewing and pre-empting behaviour; positive changes noted by others
Building bridges through common interests
Cascading to team to create 2-way development and understanding
Discussing programme with others - sharing knowledge/ideas
Continuing to remain focused on delivery of results while valuing the synergies created through improved relationships

My reflections so far are that I have made such a difference. I am sharing things with my colleagues and managers and my immediate team. My confidence and self-belief is growing and I am taking responsibility for helping others, dealing with pressure and having difficult conversations. Thank you.

I am already motivating my reports to move onwards and upwards where the ability and desire is there. They need to acquire People Management skills and find out what they want to achieve. I have added two direct reports to MDP pool and set to attend a Managing and Developing People course in the New Year. The MDP will help to them to reflect and focus what career progression they want and for me to find out what that is.

I am:
Volunteering for assignments that go beyond my normal job responsibilities.
Exploring opportunities that will allow me to take on some risk but also reward me for my accomplishments
Getting involved in company-wide activities that are non-work related, such as community charities
Fostering friendships
Starting to develop a rapport by discussing things such as my needs on the job, the work environment, and new ideas.
Giving my opinion about the business.
Teaming up with different departments to pool resources, which will save the company money

I am focusing on:
A clearer career path - need to stop muddling through and have key objectives.
I want a business lead - a position of influence.
Want to be respected by those around me and across the business.
Want to continue to learn and develop, also want to develop my people - influence their careers and give them clear messages.
Be stronger in terms of communication - be clearer and to the point.
Increase confidence when dealing with difficult people - push for delivery (don't negotiate - deliver!)

The programme has been successful at re-motivating me to be the best manager I can be. Learning new skills and rediscovering old ones. I am more confident in my dealings with others and this is making me proactive at getting things done. I think my team are seeing me as being more demanding but I am linking this to their development.

With regards to personal feedback, I can only speak from my experience of working with Lucy & yourself, (CATHERINE) but what I can say is that the delivery of the training & the supportive coaching is certainly the best that I have received in my career. You both maintained a high degree of professionalism throughout the programme & have encouraged all participants with genuine enthusiasm at all times.

What I personally have gained from the programme so far is an increased feeling of self belief in my own management ability by using the skills & techniques discussed in the programme.
This in turn has increased my level of confidence in introducing changes in the way I manage my direct reports such as increasing the frequency of 1-1 meetings with my direct reports & encouraging them to become more involved in the decision making process.
I can already see significant changes in some of my direct reports particularly their increased levels of motivation & workload, which is a direct result of having more freedom to make decisions (their words not mine).

There is still some way to go to where I would like things to be but the first steps are encouraging & it takes time to change & adapt to change. In conclusion, I feel I have benefited a great deal from my involvement in the programme & look forward to the final workshop in February.

Key for me was the motivational effect of being invited to participate in such a professional training environment. The business is clearly making a significant investment in its managers. That was recognised and appreciated by all those that I spoke to. The networking opportunity and reward from the course should also be remembered. I have made several new contacts that I do now interact with on a day to day basis. Whilst we could have 'done our jobs' without working together, the end result of our collaborations is significantly better than us working in isolation.

Personally the realisation that 'delivery through others' is so much better than trying to do it all yourself ... and exploring the tools that will allow me to do that ... was significant. Equally, understanding 'how the money goes round' has been an eye opener that allows me to better perform my role every day.

My conclusion is that there is a 'synergy' to the course ... it is more than the sum of its parts. Each element of the course is valuable in it's own right, but what each individual gets out of it is greater than the combined benefit of going on a couple of training days. Not sure how much sense that makes ... but then I am a 'Random Sequential' individual.

Many thanks to all at Optima that were involved; particularly to Lucy and Ben for making cohort B so enjoyable.

The course has given me:
A self awareness that I have never had before and therefore an opportunity to improve certain "neglected" elements.
People management tools (in particular the IDEA model) to help me deliver through my reports.
Business knowledge and an understanding of the many complex linkages.
A network of contacts that will help me deliver against my goals.
Lucy (supported by Catherine in the People module) has been an excellent coach throughout in my opinion.

Just thought I would drop you a quick line to let you know how much I enjoyed last weeks People Workshop. I gained an awful lot from the the 3 days which started for me at least to make a bit more sense of the Myself Workshop. I have started to put some things into practice and have put time aside to reflect. This week I have written a personal misson statement and 5 year plan and as a result feel a lot more positive and focused regarding my personal goals and values.

On a business front I have started a 5 year departmental plan and am actively using the Tyranny of Urgency model to help plan my time more effectively. Today I am going to use the 5 step delegation model. As you can probably tell I am now a convert and am really enthused about using some of my new knowledge and skills.

Firstly while you're in one of the workshops or having a coaching session and you realise the quality of the delivery it makes you understand the level of investment the company are putting into developing you as an individual and an the business manager and I certainly felt valued. The time for reflection and the self managed learning was probably as useful for me than the theory part of it - The programme both helped me understand 'what it was that I did not know' and helped me with going about learning it, and most crucially, embedding it in my behaviours and plans.

My time is better spent - less firefighting and more planning and working on the most important tasks. My team are happier and more motivated. They are working more efficiently through better delegation. My plans for change are achieving less resistance and more buy in.

I have to say that initially I was pretty skeptical about the whole thing, but on reflection, the course has been very really useful for a number of reasons, which I will discuss below. I would go further to say that our 1-2-1's have actually been the most practically beneficial aspect of the course. I will be picking up this point in my presentation tomorrow.

I have altered some of my more robust behavioural traits, which has been surprisingly easy. Through our conversations about how to approach various difficult subjects, it is clear that more or less the same approach can be used in most circumstances and I will ensure that I continue to use this framework. On that subject, the talk with Ian went really well - he was blissfully unaware of how much he was affecting people. However, needless to say, Ian is still Ian, albeit a more aware version!

I will also permanently remember how your approach also enabled me to effectively demote a member of staff, whilst keeping them motivated, which to this day I find amazing. I have also had feedback from other team members that the member of staff in question has said how much they respect and like me as a manager, so not the fact that they are still here is not just window dressing.

In terms of the modules, I think that it was a great way to develop middle management into talking (o at least understanding) a single and consistent language of management. I have worked in a number of organisations over the years where this would have been very useful, but frequently this type of training is not rolled out to the masses and so the majority of middle management is left to fester unchecked. Without trying to sound big-headed (difficult via email), it also affirmed to me that I am largely doing the right things already in terms of my team. That said, I have taken time out to consider the wider needs of my team and have further progressed their development to levels beyond my peer group. As a result, "time" is a key feature in our group presentation. I was going through a rough patch at the business module, so did not really get the benefit here that I could have, but it was still interesting when my mind was on the job!

Sorry - a bit of a mish mash email! I could keep going, but need to get other things done too. Maybe pick up tomorrow. Have a good night. Thanks again for your support over the last few months. It has genuinely been a pleasure working with you.

The programme has been very enjoyable and at times quite challenging in that it not always easy to step off the treadmill and just think about the meaning of it all. I have probably gained most from doing just this, those moments of reflection and I have to say the ability to talk through some of those thoughts / aspirations with yourself in coaching have probably been the most beneficial to me, not only in developing further my thoughts, but also in turning intention into action.

I believe that the programme has given me a mechanism and an attitude to change from managing the daily task, to one of managing people. Still need to consider task, but more and more I look for ways to enable the team to do this for themselves. I am gradually letting go of the how...
It's been a great course, run by great people... Thanks again

I suppose in summary I can say I have got a great deal from the the programme course and I have really enjoyed participating on it. As you will see when I do my presentation on Friday the key things that I have got from it are about relationships with people. The myself workshop was a really good place to start and helped me think about what drives and motivates me, as well as the way my mind works differently from, or the same as, others. The People workshop then gave me a chance to understand and think about other people and how I can interact more effectively with them... and I have already used a lot of the concepts and if nothing else it has made me think about my approach to others more, rather than just going with my instinct.

As we discussed at our last session the business I found the business module extremely useful and it definitely showed, in simple terms, just how complicated the business is and how team work and communication was key to success. Also Robert is an extremely inspirational person and fascinating to talk to. I do think, and I am not being sycophantic, that I have got the most out of the coaching... working with you really helped me to consolidate my learning and apply the ideas and concepts that we talked about in the sessions to make them relevant for me specifically.

I feel this course has come about at a really good time in my career and that it has given me strong foundations to build upon. Thanks for all your help and support.

I think you know that I have really enjoyed the journey on this one - yes I started out VERY sceptical about the whole "learner led" stuff, and I have been on so many management courses I really didn't think that I could learn anything else. This course has taught me a valuable lesson, in that we can always continue to learn and take something away from the networks that we have managed to form throughout the duration of the course.

The material was so well put together and the interaction was brilliant - Yes the learner led approach was the right one, much better than been taught to or lectured at!

I have learnt loads, but really taken to heart the concept of a Self Managed Team - and by using the techniques from the workshops managed to get my team to really focus on what we need to achieve, and right now are focussed on our vision, values, behaviours, rules and expectations. This is highlighted by the fact that I could leave them and be pretty confident that they will continue to deliver what's needed, supporting each other along the way. I loved all the workshops, as discussed I would have liked the Business Workshop to have been an extra day so that I could have got more involved in the financial aspect.

The coaching sessions were BRILLIANT, really enjoyed them and got a lot out of them - thanks. Everyone word sunk in, your examples were informative and useful. SMLS - not so pleased about these - to be fair I only managed to catch one of them, but found the format not as dynamic as they could be (maybe the teams were too big!) - it would be really worth looking at these as its a good resource for people on the programme as it gives us time with a coach and network. I'm looking forward to what comes next for me, I have a life changing event in the new year, so my personal future is unclear, and so will impact on my professional future.

But rest assured what I have learnt on the programme will stay with me and benefit me where ever I am, and where ever I find myself!

I think the MDP course has been a real journey for me. It has allowed me (for the first time ever) to really think about myself, what I want out of life and how I can change what I do to achieve my goals. Our coaching sessions have touched on some quite deep issues at times and have resulted in me being much more aware of what I need to work on going forward. However, you do need to 'open up' to get the best out of these sessions (which some people may not feel comfortable doing).

The course material was also very good. I have used the tent cards on a few occasions with my staff. The only comment I would make is that the courses (Myself, People, Business) do not reference all of the material, so at times I was a little unsure which bits of the book I should complete.

I also think my team has benefited from my involvement - we now have a clear vision, strategy and constitution to work towards. I am also clearer on the importance of 'team' and how I can work towards a self managed effective team.

I will certainly pursue the continued coaching sessions with Becky and hopefully get something in the diary for next year. I also think it would be a very good idea for all delegates to attend a 'where are you 12 months on' session to review our progress against our envisioned future. Is this a possibility?

Absolutely great, has blown my mind, particularly the Myself workshop. I now look at the bigger picture and not just the day to day. Has been really useful to meet others in the group and hear others experiences. I have enjoyed both the reflection and talking time. The pauses in between the sessions have been good.

As far as what I have taken from the The programme course, here are some initial thoughts:
A better understanding of how my core beliefs and values impact my work (I'd never really thought about it before)
More awareness of how my behaviour affects others (behaviour as a gift)
A practical, structured way of assessing how to deal with other people using the Dolphin Model to match dominance/increase warmth
Greater understanding of strategies from the Masterclasses
I've developed a wider network of contacts around the business that I know will be useful for working together across divisional boundaries in the future
From the coaching sessions I've listened and understood the approach the Coach has taken and now try to coach myself when faced with a problem

This program, more than anything else has taught me about the size of the business and the differing variation of cultures that exist across the business. The most inspirational part of the program was the Myself Workshop where I got the opportunity to sit back and really think about me. My skills, my weakness & strengths, my drivers and how I invariably react to differing work challenges and situations. The course has had a positive effect on me in a more general than specific way. I have improved some skills such as listening and questioning and discovered some cleverly designed tools that will help me carry out my role as a leader and a manager within the organisation.

In general terms, the The programme course has helped me gain greater understanding and appreciation of the way the business works as a business and that decisions made in isolation are not usually the right ones. I've learnt to adapt my approach depending upon who I am dealing with, to help me get the result I'm looking for. I've also learnt to handle colleagues if an effective manner who have different objectives to my own. Oh and it's been engaging and overall, fun. It's helped my establish a better network of support from around the business, in areas I previously wouldn't have had access to.

In a nutshell, the programme has changed my life, both personally and professionally. It's immensely thought provoking and constantly challenges how you think, interact with people and perform, not just as a manager, but also as a human being. The whole thing has been life changing. An amazing journey. Usually I find that sort of thing a bit difficult to say but that is what it feels like. By far the most powerful thing i've ever done. It has transformed how i approach all my relationships and my relationship at home in particular has gone from strength to strength as I consider my impact on others. I've started the journey from being a well rounded manager to being able to recognise and utilise my strengths as a leader, whilst developing other skills to help me lead more effectively. I've found the coaching sessions of immense benefit, as I've been encouraged to look for conclusions myself, rather than just being told what I should do differently - in fact I think Michael was more my psychologist than coach!

During these sessions I've realised that my values outside of work should be the same as my work values, and I've worked hard over the last few months to align these. Just recently, we held a workshop with my team of managers and their managers. This covered various modules and exercises from the program, and we've fed the results into their Personal Development Plans. The feedback I've received from this workshop has been extremely positive and it's enabled the management team to be more self aware and understand how their behaviour can have an impact on others.

Going forward, we will continue with these workshops on a quarterly basis and we will be rolling it out to our advisers in the coming year. Quite simply, it's been the best development/learning opportunity I've experienced in my career, and I've recommended that all my lead team share the the programme experience.

The program has caused a significant change in my behaviours. I saw it initially as personal development around stuff I already knew. But having reflected further on the People program I have found it very powerful indeed because I have now realised it is not just about me but how I can use what i am learning to develop others. I hadn't seen personal development in that way at all before. How was I before MDP? At the beginning of the course, I would probably say I was a very focused individual who saw my work life completely separate from my personality and home life.

I guess I thought that when I came to work, I was a different person from who I was at home. I saw it that I was there to deliver what I was asked to and the way I could be successful was to achieve and exceed these targets. For people that worked for me, I gave very clear and simple deliverables and they were either capable or not capable of doing these. I have also always been the sort of person who does not "Need a hug at work".

What I mean by this is someone who probably does not buy into a lot of the Comms and cultural stuff as its always been very simple for me, do a good job and you will do well, do a bad job and you wont. I guess as I did not buy into these I never really understood why other people did ? How am I after MDP? I believe I am still very focused and maybe in some ways even more so now, however, I now appreciate and understand that my personality at home play a big part in who and how I am at work. I think acknowledging this has been a good leaning point as it has probably helped me to interact with the people I work with better. I still see my own deliverables in the same way and do not believe this is part of myself that I need to change but what I have done is started to understand that things are not always as black and white and that I need to work with my staff and treat everyone as an individual to ensure I maximise the most of the talent within the team.

Probably for me the biggest learning point for me has been that although I do not "Need a hug at work" I now appreciate that some people do ....If this is what helps to get the best out of them then it is something I need to embrace and be aware of. If people are doing a bad job or not performing it may be a trivial issue that can be resolved without any hassle that will make an individuals time at work much more enjoyable and help them to get their targets back on track. Basically I need to be aware of the impact my personality and management style has on others and make sure I change myself accordingly.

Overall I have found the course very eye opening and there are a lot of the tools that I will take into my BAU work and try to implement. As with a course of this type I think I will take the bits that work for me and put them in place rather than trying to implement everything and risk the danger of just becoming a nice cuddly guy who doesn't actually deliver anything.