Don’t take our word for it, check out what our happy clients have said about us!
Team 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.
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!
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.
High Performing Teams - Executive Board
UnLtd is the foundation for social entrepreneurs, finding and supporting the best talent in the UK to tackle the most pressing social challenges in the country and doing so in ways which are sustainable and impactful. We are a highly ambitious organisation, innovating new models, and building an ecosystem of support capable of tapping the full potential of social entrepreneurs.
Our top team has worked brilliantly on their individual functions. But we wanted to go further, with fluid teamwork, bringing all the skills and styles to bear on the whole of our mission.
Jo and Isabel from Phoenix Training and Coaching had an immediate grasp of our challenge, asking the acute questions which got to the heart of our starting point and goals. Their session design rapidly built from the fundamentals of personal communication styles, to trust building, and on to using specific, real projects to identify the behaviours and approaches that would work for us.
Many team development approaches feel great on the day but rapidly lose impact afterwards. Phoenix were different – they changed our “normal”. They left us with commitments, tools and gut level understanding to make our team truly high performing. If you want real, lasting results, I thoroughly recommend them.
Team Development and flexibility
I’ve been delighted to work with Jo over the last couple of years in two very different organisations, with different cultures and priorities.
Her experience, care, insight and flexibility make her an ideal partner to help explore challenges and build a team.
Everyone will come away from a session with Jo having learnt something – about themselves or others – that will stay with them for a long time
One to One Coaching
Team development awayday
Had a wonderful away day for our dept back in Sept – The first in 3 years so no mean feat for Jo to help us really drill down on the objectives and what success looked like.
Jo spent some time with me and really listened to what we wanted to get out of the day and took time to understand the team culture.
The results have been fab with real engagement across the team, and Jo is a joy to work with. Would highly recommend.
Leadership communication coaching
Jo provided one to one coaching remotely to a member of my team focused on leadership communications skills.
My colleague has has really benefited. She wanted to focus on increasing her confidence and communication in a range of complex settings and better dealing with challenges working relationships.
Jo equipped my team member with really concrete tools to apply in challenging professional situations which have given her the confidence to effectively navigate challenging situations and working relationships. Different tactics suggested and explored with Jo have also enabled my colleague to increase her self-confidence to more actively contribute in group settings. So pleased to see an excellent team member really building her confidence to contribute even more effectively. Thanks again!
New team development
As a new team, which has been brought together during a pandemic, we saw the value in investing in development. Our aim is to create a highly effective, happy and authentic team so we reached out to Jo to help us on that journey.
We were genuinely included in the development of the day, through scoping calls and being able to feed in as the focus developed. The day was shaped in a way which was most effective to our organisation. I would say that was one of the things I valued the most; the content wasn’t just put upon us, it felt like it was a collaboration.
On the practical side Jo was across everything, quick to respond and kept the project working at a pace.
The feedback from the team has been universally positive for both their understanding of themselves in the workplace and the effectiveness of the team.
I have no hesitations to recommend Jo and am hopeful we will be working together again in the future.
One to one coaching - Independent dance artist
Over the years as a creative practitioner, I have always been told “I work too much” and encouraged to, “find a work/life balance”. I have a busy job and although there are parts I prefer not to have to do, I actually love being busy – it is part of who I am, I thrive on challenge and deadlines. One of my downfalls has been putting other peoples’ needs before my own and before you know it, you are sorting everyone else’s lives when your own involves juggling 8 different roles.
I had not experienced coaching before and was lucky to have support from the Dancers Career Development team to work with Jo for 3 sessions. First of all, Jo listened and understood how I function, knowing that telling me to stop, slow down or simply just say no, would not work.
Asking questions, Jo helped me create a more manageable vision of an ideal working schedule and helped me understand how to value my time. She allowed me to consider important questions and find my own answers, guiding me through a variety of strategies to change the elements in my life and work that were unproductive.
Jo is a very kind, considerate and funny lady. I loved going to my sessions as not only would I learn and make small but, in hindsight, very important decisions but it was fun! My time there was well spent indeed and has helped me create a better sense of self value, of self and work management. Because of this I am actually more creative, more productive yet feel I have more time and am as a result more relaxed in various aspects of my life.
I would highly recommend Jo to anyone hoping to change something in life, what ever it is. There is no pressure, she helps you want to make the changes as you figure out what was perhaps stopping you in the first place. Jo brings great guidance, successful strategies to grow in your own time and in your own ways (you make the decisions all the way). She is full of empathy yet has a fabulous sense of humour and lots of positive encouragement.
Virtual team development
“It was great working with Jo and Adrian at Phoenix, they came highly recommended and we were able to work collaboratively with them to create a bespoke plan for our team away day over three sessions. This meant we were able to feed into exactly what we wanted to get out of the sessions whilst having their expert knowledge to shape and deliver the programme. Despite being over Zoom we had engaging and insightful sessions which helped form bonds between newer and older team members, recognise and celebrate success as well as plan practical steps of how we can move forward as a high functioning team during uncertain times.
I would definitely recommend and would use again in the future. It was a pleasure working with them.”
Management Development Programme
I originally engaged Jo to provide executive coaching to members of WFD’s leadership team (LT) back in 2019. Jo worked with us to first build an awareness of how coaching can deliver impact for LT and the wider organisation.
Later that year, WFD opened up an external exercise to procure an external partner to develop and deliver a virtually delivered management development programme (MDP) for the organisation. Phoenix’s MDP approach aligned well with WFD’s objectives and we launch the programme with our first cohort of managers in 2020.
Since then we have put 10 cohorts through the programme, and have seen a marked improvement in management standards and skills across the organisation in areas such as objective setting, managing workload, delegation, managing performance and staff development. The MDP provided by Jo and Phoenix has become a core part of our development offer for our managers.
Jo’s approach is extremely collaborative and she and her team have always looked to find practical solutions that work for us. She understands the problems we are trying to solve and offers options for us to address these through learning solutions. Jo always brings great energy to planning discussions and her training delivery. She is a pleasure to work with and always goes the extra mile to make sure that WFD are able to deliver quality learning for our staff.
Having worked with Jo in past roles I immediately thought of her when planning a leadership retreat with my team at IRC.
She last worked with me in November 2022 with the objective of building our team to perform at the highest level, based on renewed trust.
Jo was quick to identify a creative approach to the day and then adapted the plan based on some very astute preparatory calls with each team member. She created an environment that put the whole team at ease and wanting to be open with each other. We began to understood each other better and worked towards a common vision between us.
The day really helped lay foundations for the rest of our retreat and I appreciated Jo’s skill, insight and flexibility as a facilitator, coach and team builder.
Thank you.
Stepping up to senior leadership
Context: Client wanted to step up to a new Leadership role and become fully part of the Senior Management Team, be valued as such and to find her own authentic leadership style. We had just 4 sessions to do this!
What did you most value about the coaching?: Jo drew ideas and solutions from me most skillfully. She kept my focus to the tasks we were exploring together. She gave me confidence in lots of different ways. She had a warm and friendly approach but was direct and clear with me throughout.
What’s the most useful thing your learned about yourself as part of the coaching? That I can manage change and cope when it feels very uncomfortable. That I do have the resources within me to address very challenging situations. That I do have the capacity to be the leader I would like to be and that I can maintain my own personal integrity whilst holding a senior role.
What difference has or will this coaching make to your life? The coaching has already made a significant difference to my life. I feel very much a valued part of the Senior Management Team and I feel that my attitude to my role within that team has altered significantly. My career has and will benefit tremendously from my coaching with Jo.
Other comments: Thank you for such a supportive and engaging experience. You really challenged me and I am so delighted that I met both yours and my expectations of myself.
One to one coaching - Northern Ballet dancer & DCD Ambassador
I approached Jo through the DCD* coaching service and when I had my first session with her I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just knew I felt a little lost and was hoping to understand myself a little better. The moment I started speaking to Jo I knew she was there one hundred percent, she was listening to me and I felt like I could open up and talk as much as I needed to and she wouldn’t have judged me or thought what I was saying was irrelevant. She didn’t suggest what I should do to make myself feel better instead she asked me questions and the answer to those questions led me to understand what was making me feel a certain way and what I needed to do to get myself out of this time of confusion.
After my second session with Jo I felt empowered that I had the skills to do what I wanted, she gave me tools to recognise my triggers and make sure I would act in a mindful manner.Apart from being a wonderful coach, Jo is an incredible person her smile is calming and her words always kind. I will keep going to Jo for my personal development because she’s genuinely helped me turn my life around.*DCD = Dancers Career Development
One to one coaching - Scottish Ballet soloist & DCD Ambassador
Before going to Jo, I wasn’t too sure of what to expect of coaching. Her sessions have helped me tackle challenges without feeling overwhelmed and were delivered with compassion, humour and understanding, all while giving me tools to use, many that I already had but just hadn’t tapped into. Jo has a great way of allowing space to think and explore and I always leave our time together feeling supported and empowered.
Facilitation
Facilitation skills
We approached Jo to provide some presentation/facilitation sessions for Barnardo’s colleagues who are running workshops at a large internal conference on sharing learning. Team coaching for evolution
Twice Jo has played a powerful role in helping my teams evolve. The engagements were different, but with both, we left different, better.
Jo’s power is her 1) wonderful listening skills, 2) ability to adapt to situations and deliver what is needed, and 3) timely infusions of creativity, humor, and compassion.
I have recommended Jo to others and would hire her a third without hesitation.
Team development awayday
Jo spent some time with me and really listened to what we wanted to get out of the day and took time to understand the team culture.
The results have been fab with real engagement across the team, and Jo is a joy to work with. Would highly recommend.
New team development
We were genuinely included in the development of the day, through scoping calls and being able to feed in as the focus developed. The day was shaped in a way which was most effective to our organisation. I would say that was one of the things I valued the most; the content wasn’t just put upon us, it felt like it was a collaboration.
On the practical side Jo was across everything, quick to respond and kept the project working at a pace.
The feedback from the team has been universally positive for both their understanding of themselves in the workplace and the effectiveness of the team.
I have no hesitations to recommend Jo and am hopeful we will be working together again in the future.
Virtual team development
I would definitely recommend and would use again in the future. It was a pleasure working with them.”
Management Development Programme
Later that year, WFD opened up an external exercise to procure an external partner to develop and deliver a virtually delivered management development programme (MDP) for the organisation. Phoenix’s MDP approach aligned well with WFD’s objectives and we launch the programme with our first cohort of managers in 2020.
Since then we have put 10 cohorts through the programme, and have seen a marked improvement in management standards and skills across the organisation in areas such as objective setting, managing workload, delegation, managing performance and staff development. The MDP provided by Jo and Phoenix has become a core part of our development offer for our managers.
Jo’s approach is extremely collaborative and she and her team have always looked to find practical solutions that work for us. She understands the problems we are trying to solve and offers options for us to address these through learning solutions. Jo always brings great energy to planning discussions and her training delivery. She is a pleasure to work with and always goes the extra mile to make sure that WFD are able to deliver quality learning for our staff.
Board strategy facilitation
We’ve worked with Jo a number of times at innocent, inviting her to facilitate our strategy discussions at Board sessions as well as workshops creating our Packaging strategy. Jo takes time to understand the brief, then quickly develops a plan to deliver the outcomes in the time available, aligning key stakeholders on the way. She ‘gets it’ due to her business background, and marries this with her understanding of team dynamics to create workshops that work and deliver the desired outcomes. In facilitation, she brings energy, focus, challenge and appropriate humour to ensure the group is kept on track, yet is flexible if needed to accommodate the needs of the group. She’s skilful at ensuring everyone is heard, and managing the dynamics of a high performing board team. I’d recommend her for similar work any time
Team, event and business facilitation
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
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.