Izaskun Barquin
“This programme opened our minds to new ways of resolving situations and better project ourselves from a professional and personal perspective, to be open, listen, appreciate we don’t always know best and that there are views from other people that can help us find better solutions. Personally, it’s given me a new way of doing things – I’m more open to people and have a better balance between my natural happy go lucky person and when I need to be serious.”
“…even the customer has said “wow, there’s something different about you lately”.
“Result is that I’ve grown my account a further 23% this year in terms of overall performance. I now see beyond the RFQ and my immediate counterpart, I work with and influence my own team and the customer at different levels within their organisation. With my new way of projecting myself, the way I listen and confirm I have understood requirements and needs from my colleagues and customers; even the customer has said “wow, there’s something different about you lately”.”
“The programme was quite an experience. I had never been on a programme like this before. This was more of an inquiry and having things emerge, rather than teaching people a theory or a way of working. We inquired into ourselves, at the business we are in, our role, the future, what we want, and then we used all of these insights and all of a sudden it all just came together like a puzzle.”
“FirstHuman were very provocative and energetic in the way you presented and made us think. Your facilitators were challenging in the way that you engaged us and I think that that’s necessary in a programme like this, because you need to probe and to be provocative. It was a different approach to things that was very balanced, knowledgeable and thoughtful. We need people like this to make us think and take us out of that comfort zone that we’re in.”
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Leigh Pomlett
“It is unusual that I, as a board member of a 7 billion company, spend effectively a quarter of my time working on a leadership development programme. I do this because this is probably number one in terms of the thing I do that will have an impact on CEVA’s sustainably going forward.”
“This programme is different in that it affects you both as a leader and as a human being.”
“This Leadership Development Programme fits neatly in to the strategy of improving CEVA’s overall performance as a company. Retention is a key issue for CEVA and we need to develop our management team at a pace, so we measure the value very simply in terms of whom of our senior leaders that have been through programme have moved roles and been promoted, and who are still here. The attrition rate of programme participants is less, and the rate of promotion much higher, than outside of this group.”
“This programme is different in that it affects you both as a leader and as a human being. Our senior leaders become more effective and have an increased impact on others and the overall performance of the businesses they’re responsible for. This new level of effectiveness causes a surge of enthusiasm about themselves and about the company as consequence of the programme and this leads to better retention. I was talking to a participant on Friday and he’s now got his room decorated in messages as a result of the programme and people work with him experience the difference. A fundamental shift in his style of leadership style has happened as a result of the programme.”
“If this training had been available to me 25 years ago I’d be a better leader than what I turned out to be.”
“This programme is a practice that we, as an organisation, know is worth repeating and repeating and repeating. The programme guides you inwardly at the way that you are as a human being and I think that is new. It’s teaching you to think about yourself and the way that you are, rather than filling you with loads of facts that you need to know. This programme is more mentally challenging than any other training most people have been on. A lot of training has an afterglow which might last a week or two or a month or two, but I want something that has a sustainable impact and we now have that.”
“We see that the FirstHuman team really cares about the CEVA people. You form a human relationship with each of the participants and you actually care about whether they are going to be successful and that they get value from participating in the programme. That’s a differentiator from anything I’ve seen before. It’s an important aspect of this relationship that we see you care.”
“The business partnership between CEVA and FirstHuman is a very good and honest relationship. It is the sort of partnership where we meet, discuss how we can improve what we do and how we will make it even better than it is already. This collaborative relationship is certainly important to us and it’s important to the participants.”
“I genuinely mean what I say when I open the sessions up were wherever I am in the world: if this training has been available to me 25 years ago I’d be a better leader than what I turned out to be. It’s a fact. It’s impacted me much in the same way it has impacted the people that have been on the programme. I’m a better leader now from having been associated with FirstHuman than I would have been otherwise.”
“We would not extend anything for another year if it wasn’t a success.”
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Do Young Kim
“This programme opened a second eye. I was in the middle of a very difficult trade-union negotiation one year after the union last went on a strike. Being in this programme opened my mind to consider new and different options for reaching a win-win deal. After being in the programme, I managed to move from being defensive to listening to them, take their view into account and being open to new options for settling the negotiations. In the end we got a new workable agreement with the unions.”
“Being in this programme opened my mind to consider new and different options for reaching a win-win deal.”
“This programme basically helped me to find a new version of myself. A new way to lead the old me and at the same time finding a new me.”
“Closing the union deal was only the start of my story. I was offered a bigger role after the programme and I didn’t hesitate to take it. I now knew I could bring a different perspective. We now have clearer direction for these countries. Previously it was only one-way direction communication from HQ – now I take time every week to talk to my country peers to foster and grow a culture of open two-way communication.”
“This was not a normal leadership programme like my MBA and other leadership programmes I’ve done before. Initially I thought what you brought up was not new – but in this programme we talked about the ‘real’ issues relating to our business and our people. FirstHuman were facilitators that enabled people to think about things in new ways – think about our motivations, the way we see the world and what drives our thinking. You were not like consultants – more like mentors and advisors. It was a really intensive programme.”
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Sonja Vinken
“From an HR perspective the purpose of the programme is to better connect with our most senior global talent and help them develop in line with the goals of the business. It is where senior leadership talent and the organisation meet each other.”
“It’s not just one group or a few people that had a great experience, it is consistent feedback over time.”
“The Executive Board decided to continue with the programme based on the return on investment that we get. This is evidenced by the number of promotions participants get following the programme, as well as very positive consistent feedback on both the content and experience from the participants and their executives. It’s not just one group or a few people that had a great experience, it is consistent feedback over time.”
“The programme came at a perfect point in my life and had a very big impact on me. It enabled me to take time to really think through where I stand and what it is I want to achieve. It made me confront and deal with that it is all down to me to make things happen – I am fully responsible for what happens next in my life and at work. Being in the programme was very hard work but in a really safe, challenging and stretching environment.”
“FirstHuman’s people are very authentic, bring very high energy – “impactful” is definitely the word I would use to describe FirstHuman. It is the balance between business reality and focusing on the belonging of the individual and how to get the best out them. FirstHuman brings very different ways of working and a new chemistry which feels efficient and very thought through with a lot of substance and content.”
“Impactful is definitely the word I would use to describe FirstHuman.”
“The partnership between FirstHuman and CEVA is a real partnership. You guide us through this work and are driven by your deep passion. You stand for our success and you make sure my business life is easy when organising these programs as well as continue to question where we are going as a company to stay timely and relevant in all you do. It’s a very transparent and open partnering relationship in the real sense of the word and I think that is true partnering from my perspective.”
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Oscar Garcia
“Being on this programme was a life changing experience for me. I got to be with people from different countries and different positions, seeing how they structure their thoughts, their ideas and the way of conducting themselves within the company. With CEVA changing the way we do business worldwide by focusing on the human approach to improve our communication with the customer, our sense of urgency and everything we do, this programme enables CEVA to identify and develop the leaders we need for this – it gets the best out of each of the participants and they in turn influence the wider company.”
“this programme is the perfect example and a perfect tool to link different clusters, people,culture and also builds a network to support the business.”
“I strongly suggest the board to keep this programme running on a regular basis because we are a global company and this programme is the perfect example and a perfect tool to link different clusters, people, culture and also builds a network to support the business – it helped me a lot to reach my goals. My breakthrough project focused on improvements not only in processes but also financially, and this alone provides a return of investment.”
“FirstHuman are a great group of human beings who are committed, motivated and have everything under control to ensure the programme accomplishes what it is there for. They manage the subjects in a very professional way and are flexible to ensure we also have fun – it was great. They challenge you to achieve your best and I think that their personalities are exactly what is required for this programme to be as exciting as it was.”
“It was one of the best experiences in my life – this is a ‘must-keep’ programme.”
“People in the company are now trying to find out what they need to do to become part of this programme and it’s creating a lot of positive noise internally. It was one of the best experiences in my life – this is a must keep programme.”
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Antony Bennan
“CEVA is a big logistics business with a lot of interactions taking place and getting the best out of people is critical. This programme helps us become a better performing person-oriented organisation.”
“After having been on the programme, my colleagues, my wife and my daughter say that I am now much better listener.”
“Being on the programme helped me to develop internally and it is having an external impact in terms of my planning and my job. The impact can be seen in positive results and the way I present myself. I’m now more collaborative, challenge certain things more readily, get input from others and we help each other so that we have a positive impact.”
“After having been on the programme, my colleagues, my wife and my daughter say that I am now much better listener. Rather than just cutting them off and putting my views across I now listen to them. I no longer rush my thoughts, allowing me to think an extra second and then effectively communicate. I am also able to prioritise things. I am able to say no to certain things and plan so I get maximum value of the time I spend on certain things and I think I am doing a better job on what I do.”
“…huge impact as you deliver based on your experiences, your knowledge and your proven track record.”
“The breakthrough project was an important part and I am glad to say that it is having an impact. Following roadshows in Europe and U.S. we have now get calls from Business Development folks telling us about new customer developments.”
“FirstHuman are seasoned practitioners of what you teach and that had a huge impact as you deliver based on your experiences, your knowledge and your proven track record.”
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FirstHuman
FirstHuman