Helen Brewster’s coaching expertise has given experienced businessman Peter Jacobs a whole new lease of life, helping to transform his company in the process. Peter has been in business a long time, having co-founded his Coventry data cabling business, Active Communications, in 1989. But he realised impetus was being lost: “Running a small business, you have to do everything. The company needed refreshing and I felt I’d lost direction.”
Helen used her extensive business experience and coaching and mentoring skills to help Peter revitalise the company and his own leadership role. This involved working through a range of issues, including:
• Introducing an HR system and team meetings
• A stronger focus on sales
• Reviving the company’s values and culture for integrity and good service
A key aspect of Helen’s support was reminding Peter just how good he and the business were. Changes introduced have continued, leading to sustainable benefits:
• Renewed confidence and pride in the company
• Growing turnover and a much healthier sales pipeline
• A more engaged workforce
• Peter’s authority reasserted as a leader providing direction
“It’s easy to lose sight of things when you’re in the same routine and busy every day. I really needed an outsider’s view on where we could take the business.
Helen holds you to account and can be quite a strict taskmaster. But we’re working more as a team and I’ve learnt quite a few things about myself. I’m thinking more out of the box, listening and delegating more, so I have more space to think about the business. I can see and feel the difference.”