Tim du Pon, Sodexo Prestige

When you feel like life is racing ahead of you, regaining control over the reins is not always an easy feat. So, when Tim Du Pon, then General Manager of Sodexo Prestige at Perth Racecourse, trotted in to Tickety Boo Training’s studio in Dunblane, he had a lot on his mind.

“I’m one of life’s excessive thinkers. There’s so much to think about, at work, at home, so much to be done, so many things not being done. I just couldn’t switch off and it was tying me up in knots. My Line Manager, David Trotter, who had worked with Annie at Tickety Boo Training previously, suggested I spend some time on her coaching for development programme. I didn’t honestly know what to expect when I walked in the door, I had heard positive comments, but I can honestly say it has made a considerable difference to my life.”

Learning to deal with the internal monologue that Tim had got so used to was key to a positive outcome. Tim comments:

“I was having excessive internal thoughts, then expecting people to understand what I had thought about without communicating it clearly. As a natural worrier, I was so used to things just going round and round and round. I’ve really learned how to switch that off, creating a better work/life balance for myself in the process and actively communicate a clear message to those that need direction. I didn’t realise that I wasn’t communicating clearly – I would try to second guess situations, or how people were thinking, then present that to myself as ‘real’ – it didn’t take Annie long to point out that my crystal ball just wasn’t that good!”

Learning to manage a team requires a flexibility in style, so Tim worked with Annie to improve his communication and delegation skills to ensure that there was more clarity and better direction. Tim feels the process has changed him:

“To be able to understand my teams personality profiles enables me to motivate and communicate to the team in a more proactive way. There is better understanding between us, clear direction and a more productive team from this.

It’s a very worthwhile experience and one I genuinely can’t put into a single sentence! I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is managing a team, and wanting to develop themselves and their business. One year down the line and I’ve been promoted to Regional General Manager and I’m now responsible for two Racecourses while direct line managing another team member who has responsibility for 2 football clubs. It’s a role I’ve been driving towards for a long time. It is an achievement I genuinely couldn’t have achieved so quickly or comfortably without Annie and the teams support.”

Tim du Pon worked with Tickety Boo Training on their Coaching for Development programme, a structured series of coaching sessions designed to enhance individual performance at work.