So this was a first for me – a luxury hotel barge experience onboard the fabulous 6* barge Coquelicot (Belmond’s Bateaux Collection). Check out the review here on https://www.french-waterways.com/xx-coquelicot-luxury-barge-expert-review/ and more photos below.
During the first lockdown when I had more time on my hands than usual, I spent a lot of time on CPD, both from a personal and business perspective… something I have always enjoyed but it was all too easy for it to slip down the “to do” list.
Now that we’re getting closer to returning to “normal”, one of the promises I made to myself was to continue to make time for personal development, even when the diary started to fill up.
I’ve done a couple of courses in the last week alone, both insightful in their own ways and lots to take away and reflect on.
#cpd #alwayslearning
I was delighted to be interviewed by Nick Ruddock for his Gymnastics Growth Show podcast recently and to share my knowledge of improving customer satisfaction from the perspective of running Sports Clubs and how to raise the bar in terms of the service provided.
We discuss;
– Whether the customer is the athlete who the coaches are training or the parent who is paying the fees
– How clubs can benchmark and assess their levels of customer satisfaction
– How clubs can effectively communicate to their customers
– Why the coaches should care about the parents’ experience at the club
… and so much more.
You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify by searching for ‘Gymnastics Growth Show’ or by clicking on the links below:
Apple Podcasts > https://apple.co/2I3lYNu
Spotify > https://spoti.fi/2YSdP9P
I’d love to know what you think…
#GymnasticsGrowth #Customer
I know this is a subject that is often raised in relation to recruitment and I’d love to know your thoughts. I’m particularly interested in this question from a Project Management perspective. There are recognised Project Management qualifications that are often listed as pre-requisites for Project Management roles but how does this weigh up vs previous experience in project management? Would you take one without the other? Do you need both?
Whilst I absolutely believe that there is a place for formal qualifications, in my experience (excuse the pun!), I don’t feel that a lack of a specific PM qualification has stopped me successfully delivering large scale programmes of work and projects over the years, involving multiple stakeholders and often complex IT requirements. By consistently following some key principles and governance frameworks and, with the right mindset from both myself and the team, I believe that my experience of previous projects, learning from others and the ability to reflect on the successes and learnings along the way are what has helped hone my Project Management skills.
My top 3 tips for successful project management:
If your organisation is looking for some structure and guidance with regards project delivery and I can help in any way please do get in touch.
As a mentor to a number of young people, nothing makes me prouder than this! One of the Young Leaders from the programme that I run has put together what she believes would make a good Coach. Completely off her own back and, when you take in to account the young lady who has written this is just 13, it gives me a great sense of pride to know that her experiences in our sport, and in our Club, both as an athlete and also as a Young Leader, have influenced her perspective and shaped her own thinking. All great attributes that will ensure she is set for success as a coach of the future.
Now, how about if you change the word “coach” to “leader”, “gymnast” to “employee” or “team member” and change “gymnastics” to “business”? It’s equally relevant to the world of business and so many industries, demonstrating the leadership skills needed to excel. So, not only a coach of the future but, using these same transferable skills, she would make a great Leader of the future, regardless of what her future career plans turn out to be.
To have this level of understanding at such a young age makes me really excited about her future… For me, mentoring these young people is so rewarding and, it’s times like this why it reminds why I love what I do!
I have really enjoyed talking all things “customer” these past couple of weeks, running a series of customer focused workshops to small business owners.
Very often, all it takes is some time out, as business owners, to step away from the day to day and to look at the bigger picture. Understanding who our customers are and using their feedback, not assuming we already know the answers. This is what will truly drive improved customer experience. Customers’ perceptions of our brand and our services are their reality, which, in turn, makes it OUR reality.
Measuring it is one thing but taking action is what will really turn the dial. I can’t wait to see the plans turn into action and improved customer experience. After all, we’re all on a journey…
If I can help you or your business in any way, please do get in touch.
#business
#customerexperience
Great to see a positive article on Travel in the papers this weekend.
Even though we’re not there yet with the current restrictions, there is light at the end of the tunnel and I, for one, can’t wait to get travelling abroad again – not that I don’t appreciate the holidays I’ve experienced in the UK (as some of these have been my best holiday memories) but there’s something special about the buzz of an overseas holiday, especially with young children.
Working in Travel for most of my adult life, I’ll never take these opportunities for granted and, after the best part of a year with no overseas travel, it has certainly got me itching to make the most of it when the time eventually does come… who’s with me??
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ten-reasons-why-travel-will-come-back-stronger-glndmzql7
Happy New Year to you all. I hope you’ve all had the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family, even if it may have been a little different to normal. Whilst the news of a third national lockdown is not what any of us would have wanted, there is much to be optimistic about and let’s make 2021 a positive one.
Over the Christmas break I did something I’ve not done for years…. jigsaws! I must admit there’s something quite relaxing about jigsaws and it did become strangely addictive. Frustrating when you can’t see the wood for the trees (or sky in my case!) yet satisfying when you get to the last few pieces. This year I also tackled a 2020 lockdown jigsaw – half expecting there to be a missing piece which really would have summed up 2020 but, thankfully all was intact!
Very often there’s those pieces that you can stare at for what seems like hours and just can’t get them to fit, no matter which way you try, yet if you take a break and then come back to it, they jump out at you and you can’t work out how you just didn’t see it before. Or, by turning a piece upside down you see a part of a picture that looks totally different the other way up! Maybe it’s someone else coming to give you a hand (my 8 year old daughter in my case!) and finds that last corner you’ve been searching everywhere for…
It struck me that this is similar to the way that a fresh pair of eyes or perspective can add value to an organisation looking to re-define their strategy or identify solutions to a business problem. As an external business consultant, I can bring a fresh perspective to the organisations I work with and also offer an impartial view.
How many times have you heard the expression “can’t see the wood for the trees”? Sometimes, a Leader or business owner can be too close to the detail to fully see the big picture and this is where I come in. By offering an independent view and sharing my insight I can offer a fresh pair of eyes and support the leadership team by asking specifically targeted questions, intended to provoke thought and wider debate, whilst providing a different perspective.
If you are looking to take your organisation to the next level in 2021 and would like an external perspective on your strategy and future plans, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
I was recently taken back to my childhood as an inspirational man to me in my younger years sadly passed away. It struck me that, even though we hadn’t spoken for many years (we reconnected for his 90th birthday which I’m truly thankful for), these memories and the impact stay with us forever. At the time, I’m sure he won’t have realised that he was teaching us life lessons and that we would all still remember him so fondly some 30 years later.
I’m sure we can all remember that certain teacher or coach as we were growing up and then perhaps a line manager later in life that really made an impact on us. Either because it was a really positive experience (which thankfully in my case it was!) or because we remember for all the wrong reasons and what we don’t want to be when we grow up/become a leader ourselves. Whatever the reasons, there are those throughout our life that stand out and whose influence helps shape us.
It really brought home to me the importance of making sure that you’re that “someone” for the right reasons and that has certainly helped influence the way that I approach being a mentor, leader, colleague, friend. Mentoring is something that I continue to be hugely passionate about – get in touch today for a no-obligation chat to see how I can support you and we can work together to achieve your goals…
Who’s influenced you in your lifetime and were they memorable…for the right reasons?
This month, British Gymnastics are exploring creative initiatives to grow your Leadership Academy, supporting the next generation of your workforce and volunteers in your club. Spiral Gymnastics Club recently participated in a case study with Sport England, discussing how to engage with the wider community outside of gymnastics to motivate young people to get involved in our sport. See what Leadership Academy Captain, Julie Berry, said below:
“We’re really proud of our Young Leader programme at Spiral Gymnastics Club and how we’ve seen it grow since we launched in September 2019. We have chosen to take on a new group of Young Leaders each September to ensure an ongoing cycle of personal development opportunities and we didn’t let the pandemic and lockdown get in the way!
This is something I’ve been reflecting on a lot in recent weeks and months as we have all experienced challenging and uncertain times in different ways.
As someone who has often been described as a “dog with a bone” (and I’ll take that as a compliment!), I believe it’s a great life skill to have, especially in the current climate.
As a gymnastics coach, back in March, the thought of spending 2 weeks with the gym doors shut was inconceivable (never mind the 4 months it eventually turned out to be!) So, what did we do? Transitioned to online classes to keep our squad members’ physical conditioning up and keep them motivated. “It’ll never work” they said… but it did!” In fact, some of them have come back stronger than they were before and really appreciated the efforts that we went to in order to keep them engaged over lockdown.
The thought of returning to a sport whilst maintaining social distancing (where physical contact is often required to safely support our athletes) was also unthinkable. But, again, we’ve done it!
We’ve had to reshape our thinking and in actual fact, it’s been great fun to get creative and come up with new ideas that can be put to the test – some work, some may not but we are making progress and it’s all part of the journey. Arguably, it’s even more rewarding to see their progress when it has been achieved in this way and the looks on their faces when they achieve something they didn’t dream possible, without the (physical) support of their coach makes it all the more worthwhile.
There’s also been a time recently in my career when I was looking to pivot in a new direction, applying for a role that was outside of my “usual” experience but one that I am hugely passionate about and confident that my transferable skills would add value to my new prospective employer. I was unsuccessful at the first stage due to the volume of candidates, but got some great feedback, so undeterred, I kept in touch with the recruiting Manager and when the opportunity became available, I was next in line… Perseverance paid off!
So, however you refer to it…
Perseverance pays off
Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Dog with a bone
If you want something badly enough, with the right mindset… you’ll get it!
I’d love to know your thoughts – what do you do when you’re told you can’t!?!
PS I’m not sure my dog is particularly good at demonstrating the analogy of “a dog with a bone” as she’s too soft for that, but hopefully the picture caught your attention (and getting a dog was definitely another one of my “you can’t” moments… at least, initially! 😉)
As part of Mental Health Awareness week last week, I took the opportunity to complete a UK Sport Coaching course in Mental Health for Sports Coaches focused on the positive impact and benefits that physical activity can bring. A great course, which, in my mind, is relevant not just for Sports Coaches but a general overview of the importance that physical activity can have on our mental wellbeing.
#mentalhealthawareness #personaldevelopment
Berry Consulting
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