nice things people say about us

We wanted a programme that treated people as adults with individual needs and caused them to think for themselves as opposed to just giving them a set of tools.

The outcome exceeded our expectations. Just look at a selection of comments provided by the delegates below.

“Group dynamic was fantastic. Video and the challenge to bring own issues made it completely different to anything else I'd done. Would recommend it; really worthwhile and practical.”

“Really useful. Never been on anything like this before and think it's probably the best event of its kind that I've ever attended. There are a couple of managers in my office who want to go on it now too. It was well planned, presentation was excellent and the contribution made by everyone was very good”

“Just a short e-mail to thank you for the incredible training this week. I fear that the feedback session at the end yesterday did not reflect adequately the quality and usefulness of the course. I think I was most impressed by the way that you both had clearly spent quite some time engaging with the scenarios that your delegates presented, creating what became effectively a bespoke course for each of us.”

And this was a challenging course - little opportunity for sitting back; lots of activity, continuous feedback and learning from each other. Various techniques including storytelling, video-work and coaching were blended together into a powerful mix. The style of the facilitators worked well too - engaging, caring and intelligent. So what would I change? Not a lot!

The TTA commissioned Karen Drury Consulting to train 100 sub-contractors in the key skills required for them to deliver the TTA's priorities over an eighteen month period.

Specifically, Karen delivered training in project management change management and creative problem solving to school recruitment managers in local education authorities (LEAs).

Karen was responsible for all elements of this training, from designing course content to organising training at suitable locations and delivering the training. Karen won the contract by thoroughly researching the needs of the TTA, LEAs and other stakeholders in education. Her skills include:

Communication Karen used a variety of styles to suit her audiences. Her courses were well designed to appeal to a variety of learning styles, and included a mixture of theory, application, self assessment and role play. She showed strengths in facilitating feedback from group discussions and summarising key messages. Karen herself has a confident and friendly disposition.

Reliability and sound organisation She met all the requirements of these contracts, including submitting timely reports and invoices. She built in contingency plans to her course delivery, such as ensuring she had copies of presentation in at least two formats.

Political astuteness She recognised the range of demands on each manager by their LEA.

Flexibility Karen was able to respond positively to her delivery and course design to meet the changing demands of the TTA.

Karen performance merited an extension of contract to deliver additional training courses and made a positive contribution to the impact of the TTA's schools recruitment programme. She was placed on the TTA's register of recommended contractors and I would not hesitate to recommend her to other organisations.

fe₃ made a big difference to the work we had been doing on organisational values. Their wide experience of developing and promoting organisational values helped us to develop our own clarity and focus in what we were trying to achieve. Our working relationship with them was constructive and positive, and gave us a strong sense of momentum.

Working with fe₃ is an unusual experience in the exciting, innovative sense of the word. Unlike the experience with many consultants the process may be tough, may be painful, but it is also fun. They function as an integral part of the team while maintaining sufficient external perspective. Since embarking on the process the whole company has taken on a different feel and staff feel involved in a way they have never before experienced.

Westminster Children’s Society is going through a huge amount of change. We wanted to equip our employees to deal with the personal impact of the change without raising anxiety levels. fe3 ran a day-long event for us which combined personal reflection, fun, creativity and team work.

The feedback has been excellent, with many employees saying that they enjoyed the day, but more importantly, they feel that we went back to our core values and are strengthened because of it.

The process was fun to do, expertly and enthusiastically delivered, and the preparation pack for our team leaders was excellent – clear and pragmatic. I recommend fe₃ highly.

Karen joined us during a very difficult and challenging period in NUS’ history – the first time that serious attempts to restructure the organisation have been carried out.

She was with us to help prepare for the internal and external announcements, manage the communications unit, be part of the senior management team and, after the restructure, to ensure that communication function worked effectively.

Her passion and commitment to the organisation was unmistakable, and as well as dealing with the difficult decisions, Karen began a number of projects that will contribute significantly to our communication strategy, investigating external and membership views of our performance, strengthening relationships with key supporters and developing a national awards event.

In addition, she revised our web contracts to save us around £30,000 and was instrumental in the development of a brief for a new website.

She’s wholehearted and enthusiastic, good to work with and I would hire her again tomorrow.

I have worked with Karen Drury to initiate two separate communication programmes.

The first was a tiered programme starting with the basic internal communication of a new organisation’s rationale and working towards the external communication (customer and media) of the organisation’s critical messages, ranging from its customer offer and competitive differentiators to its strategy and vision.

The second was a corporate marketing strategy for a diversified industrial PLC’s corporate brand which was focused around those elements of its brand essence which were most appropriate to the PLC’s core businesses in added value packaging. This strategy was targeted as much at “the man on the street” as at the customer and had to encompass themes which the individual divisions would be able to develop in their own communication programmes. Karen has brought to each project the ability to combine an incisive, lateral creativity with a realistic business (as opposed to a kite-flying consultancy) understanding of what is actually achievable.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Karen on almost any communication brief; she may have a particular expertise in internal communications but she would bring considerable value as a team member or manager of any communication project.

I am writing to thank you for the inspiring and very effective session you led at the Mental Health Foundation’s all-staff away-day in May 2009. We had been struggling to identify an exercise that was inclusive, confidence and morale-building, that would also have a positive impact on people’s ability to do their day-to-day work using new or sharpened skills.

Your story-telling workshop really fit the bill. While it was a highly practical exercise it gave the day a lift, and helped staff engage on a very personal level with the mission and life of the organisation. Staff said they enjoyed and valued the session and it set the tone for an excellent away-day.

Karen worked with me to deliver a business critical decision making workshop. This set out to look at the attractiveness of a specific market segment the company was considering investing in. Karen facilitated a multi-stakeholder discussion including doctors, scientists and marketing professionals – not an easy task! – enabling the group to deliver a well-reasoned, evidence based recommendation, that when presented to senior management, was accepted and won the team plaudits for its thoroughness and sound business judgement. Each and every time I work with her, she is highly professional, with a friendly manner coupled with rock solid processes & methodologies. Karen is someone who really understands what it means to be a business partner while operating as a consultant.

Karen coached me through a difficult part in my career over six months from late 2011 to May 2012.

I met Karen for an initial chemistry meeting at a point where I was feeling under-confident, exhausted and considering leaving my job. After an hour drinking coffee and getting some very helpful (and free) coaching from Karen, I signed up for three more sessions and Karen's coaching has been genuinely life-changing for me.

Karen has a friendly, positive, upbeat manner combined with an assertive approach which does not let you get away with anything. I really needed both supporting and pushing, and Karen delivered this in spades. The first couple of sessions were really tough, but really made me see that there were some patterns and behaviours that I need to change.

Karen listens, asks powerful questions, offers alternative ways of seeing situations and makes the coachee responsible for their own career. She also records conversations and sends you incredibly helpful and eye-opening summaries of what you said and what this might mean, which really highlight where you might be stuck.

Having worked with Karen for six months, I feel so much more confident. I have my work-life balance in check, I am much more assertive, I am really enjoying my job and people keep telling me how great I look! I'd highly recommend Karen as a coach.

I just wanted to say thank you again for all your time, research and advice and for the wealth of experience and insight which you brought to our meetings.

With your help I found that I was able to stand back, probably for the first time, and take a long, hard objective look at my activities and behaviour in my business and also how they impact on my personal life and aspirations – and vice versa. In the relatively short time we were together we were, I feel, able to explore a surprisingly broad range of topics, from my to-do list and briefcase contents to how my private life affects the whole business and the people working for me – an impressive achievement!

Throughout, I thought you struck the perfect balance of coaching style, managing to ‘extract’ a great deal of information from me, while not pressurising me in any way; you were always so careful to let me protect anything that I may have felt uncomfortable to relay in explicit detail. I found the sessions relaxing and easy…

The end result has been that I have a clearer picture of myself in terms of the company and, most importantly, the more critical activities (and ‘conversations’) that need to take place in order that my, and the company’s future are directed in the best and most satisfying way possible in a timely framework.

So, thank you again, for all your help Karen. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to anyone.

I'd like to thank you for all your help and advice which have enabled me to move out of a position where I felt stuck into one where I feel much better equipped to move forward.