Interserve International

Case study

Interserve International

It turned me into a better, more rounded, flexible manager

Andy Ford

Operations Manager, Interserve

Every year Interserve International’s 38,000 employees vye for the much-coveted Employee of the Year Award. Andy Ford says the executive coaching he’d received from TWI’s Tom Flatau certainly helped in receiving this prestigious award.

The challenge

Andy cites three critical areas where he was able to transform his performance:

1. Coming up with better solutions

By really listening to others’ opinions and being prepared to change his approach, Andy’s says “ It’s made me more open-minded and flexible – I’ll take a step back and think from different perspectives now, rather than just diving in and doing.”

2. Using emotions more intelligently

“When asked tough questions in meetings, I could sometimes be over-bearing, letting my emotions overrule logic – I have now learnt how to control my emotions in tricky situations and end up with more balanced solutions and better decisions from an elevated perspective.”

3. Becoming a good negotiator

“I always considered that I was a reasonable negotiator,” says Andy, “but I now reckon I’ve really raised my game. Over the past year I’ve managed to get some pretty substantial wins, which would have been doubtful before. I now have the tools to enable me to get those wins, particularly in final account negotiations.”

Our approach

Andy went through extensive executive coaching with Tom Flatau which enabled him to learn the key management skills that has one of the highest returns on investment – ­up to 800% is often reported.

The results

Andy beats 38,000 colleagues to No.1 spot!

In short, says Andy, “coaching has enabled me to improve my relationships with key people throughout the business. It has given me balance and flexibility, to handle situations appropriately and correctly, and to consider the big picture.”

When asked about what advice he’d give to others who were considering coaching, Andy’s reply was unequivocal:

I’d encourage everybody to get on board and give it a go – I’m sure they’d see the same benefits as I did; even after 37 years in the business, I have witnessed a substantial shift in myself

Andy Ford

Operations Manager, Interserve
MORE INFO ON EXECUTIVE COACHING

Related case studies

BBC case study

BBC

TWI helped create cohesion, boost employee engagement and increase productivity at the BBC

Find out more

Siemens case study

Siemens

TWI’s training helped Siemens reduce project losses and increase profit with impressive results

Find out more

HSBC case study

HSBC

TWI programme brings about a dramatic shift in employee engagement levels at HSBC

Find out more