Arden Fine Foods (UK) Ltd is a family of foodies who love great food and have travelled the continent to bring you nibbles that will delight and satisfy. Managing Director, Helen Young, talks about her experiences of working with Growth Plans® for Leadership Development.
“Arden’s values are very much about family, support, credibility and integrity, I believe that Liz, as an experienced coach, brings all of that those values out when developing leadership skills.
I was part of a Management Buy Out and Liz supported us as the new the board to understand how we could communicate more effectively and grow together as leaders.
She gave me and the other members of the board the ability to get to know each other properly – both on a work and a personal level – even though we’d worked together for years. It broke down some of the potential barriers that we didn’t even know were there. And it helped us understand each other’s core strengths, beliefs and weaknesses.
Having experienced that, and seen the benefit of it, I wanted to put the next generation through a similar process, to carry the core values of our business through the next generations of leadership. By giving that same level of foundation to all current, new and upcoming leaders enables us, as a business, to lead with our values.
For many people stepping up to a leadership role, they’ve got the capabilities and the competences, they just need that leadership development and the clarity around what that means. Becoming a leader isn’t just about being analytical; they’ve got to start to think about communication, how they relate to different people, what different personality traits and communication styles can mean. The psychometric profiling facilitated by Liz has been instrumental in the development of a deeper level of understanding.
Growth Plans® approach to board and team dynamics enables people to work together at a very different level, and Liz is a crucial part of the process. Having an external influence has given us a completely different outlook and perspective on what we’re trying to achieve and how we get there.
The best way to learn is to challenge yourself. Working with an experienced coach like Liz brings different perspectives. She will challenge you on all levels, both personally and business-wise, to enable you to challenge yourself.”
Helen Young Managing Director Arden Fine Foods (UK) Ltd
"Arden’s values are very much about family, support, credibility and integrity, I believe that Liz, as an experienced coach, brings all of that those values out when developing leadership skills."
Objectives
Personal and professional development that continues to nurture Arden’s values.
To develop the next generation of leaders so that they are prepared and have strong foundations in place for success.
To understand each other better and break down barriers.
Challenges
Next generation leaders have capabilities and competencies in their role, but need support in leadership development.
The need to develop an understanding of each other’s weaknesses and appreciating that people bring different strengths and skills to the team.
Outcome
The ability to work together with a greater depth of understanding.
Strong foundations laid for the next generation of leaders.
Arden’s core values of the business taken forward with a strong leadership team and clear direction.
Contact Liz Whitfield to see if she is right for you and you are right for Growth Plans®
