Testimonials

"After gaining trainer accreditation with GRA I have run three courses and am about to run our first Influencer course at the University of Reading's Facilities Management Directorate.

Our managers and staff have found CC very powerful and someone has even mentioned it as being 'life changing'. The skills learned alter the quality of interactions and the results speak for themselves.

We are about to run an Influencer pilot as we, along with all other Higher Education institutions, are facing many changes and we need to give our managers a systematic, pragmatic and workable model for changing behaviour in order to improve results.

I have worked with GRA since 2008 and have found them professional, supportive and they deliver a quality product that our managers can use practically to solve work based problems. There are many concepts involved, but the tools are such that real working relationships and results improve."

Anne Gallagher - Head of Training and Development, Facilities Management Directorate

"Over the past 10 years NAAFI has worked with Grahame Robb and the GRA team on various development programmes, including team building events, coaching skills for delivering 360 feedback, Belbin Accreditation, Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations.

More recently Grahame and his team have delivered a bespoke Management Development Programme. This long running programme is currently in its 3rd year of delivery with 60 Senior and Middle management delegates having attended a week long intensive programme held in Sandbanks. The programme delivered by GRA provides individuals with a safe environment to critically evaluate themselves and discover who they are and where they can add value to the NAAFI team.

The tools delivered in the programme have provided delegates the ability to identify their own personal leadership and coaching style as well as their Belbin strengths and weaknesses. The programme allows individuals to understand how they use these skills to engage and enhance their own teams. There has been nothing but positive reaction from attendees and we believe that our investment in this programme has been a key element behind NAAFI achieving IIP accreditation throughout all areas of our business in 2010.

Grahame Robb and his team are an amazing group of people who are the utmost professionals; they are highly inspirational and motivational. They create an environment which allows individuals to believe they can and are able to achieve anything they wish to set their minds to!

What we believe is unique about working with GRA is that they have taken the time to get under the skin of our business and really show they are truly passionate about NAAFI and everything we stand for. This is a special quality and is what drives NAAFI to work with GRA time and time again."

Liz Walker - Senior HR Business Partner, Germany Division

"For the past decade GRA has been a tremendous partner in helping GE Healthcare build and sustain global leaders. We leverage the offerings from GRA to enhance our team based training in our executive level programs and add some playfulness & humor to our training curriculum which has a positive correlation to greater idea generation. GRA is a "plug & play" partner who constantly provides thought provoking expertise to our leadership development programs."

Bob Cancalosi - Chief Learning Officer

"I have used GRA on a couple of occasions. The most memorable was a 2 day event for my 40 strong sales team down in the Poole area. I wanted to do something that would be fun, challenge the individuals and build teams. GRA took my brief and designed the best event I have ever experienced. The event involved numerous mental and physical challenges, overnight under canvass, cycling and raft building to name a few. The organisation and imagination was excellent, the staff incredibly thorough, good fun but very safe. From start to finish the attention to detail was superb, everything was organised and the feedback was outstanding. I would recommend GRA to any organisation."

Neil Thubron, Sales Director

"GRA have worked with Skandia for over 8 years as a partnership company and preferred supplier in respect of our leadership programme and a range of development workshops. During this time they have worked closely with the Executive team and the majority of our senior managers providing focused and high quality development and consultancy. They are very adept at assimilating the culture and strategy of the business and ensuring that the style and approach they take is supportive of this. One of the benefits of working with GRA has been their ability to bring an external perspective and maturity which challenges managers at every level to re-evaluate their individual, team and divisional vision. The GRA team work closely with the Skandia Learning and Development team to ensure synergy and ongoing return on the investment made. GRA are highly regarded throughout our business and respected for the valuable and influential interventions whether through a formal programme of development, team build or one to one coaching."

Ann-Louise Hancock, Head of People Division

"There had been a lot of changes over the preceding months, and the GRA event was the first time we all came together as a team - tackling issues that were not the norm, and interacting with each other away from the usual office pressures. It was a hugely challenging, enjoyable and fun programme, which has helped the team enormously to prepare for, and overcome, the challenges that will face GAME over the coming months and years."

Martin Long, Group CEO

"The programme has been like a good book that you cannot put down... apart from it does not end on page 271. I have personally benefited enormously from the programme, and know that the team has grown in confidence, self esteem and their focus."

Harry Hall, Managing Partner

"We have worked as an organisation with GRA for a number of years - using them exclusively for all of our management development needs. This has involved working with us to plan and deliver senior and middle management development programmes tailored for our individual and collective needs, as well as working with elected councillors to develop strategic priorities. At all times we have found GRA to be professional and competent in their approach - with strong interpersonal skills throughout their entire team. They understand the needs of the organisation and have the right approach to tackle difficult subjects with us - in a constructive manner which sets even the most reluctant participants to engage.

The knowledge and expertise which GRA has brought to our development sessions has been invaluable. We have seen a real change in many individuals who have benefited from the programmes - from improved understanding and self awareness of their own management style - to more specific skills uplifting. Furthermore, we are very conscious of the impact the programmes are having on the culture of the organisation. Our IIP inspector's report said 'the outcome (of the Management Development programme for Senior Managers) is a more focused authority being led by a team working together in harmony with a consistent approach to the creation of a common culture where people really are important'."

Julia Beckett, Strategic Director

"I would like to express my thanks to the team at Grahame Robb Associates for designing and delivering an excellent team-building event. The day was structured in a way that maximised participation for all team members and several have commented that it was the best event they have attended in the course of their careers. Some of these comments were made by members of the team with a background in learning and development, so I am sure you will agree that this is an accolade indeed!

I was particularly impressed with the level of commitment and passion amongst your team of trainers. They actively listened to my needs as a customer and the event exceeded expectations in all aspects."

Maxine Jones, Director of Human Resources