"Ability to listen well"
Ramon is an excellent 'clarifier' for me. His ability to listen well and link specific challenges to clashes … has opened up new vistas of understanding for me. He engages in a way that is naturally optimistic about my abilities to make positive change and progress. He instils hope and practical solutions.
After these conversations I had greater clarity about how some of my challenges related directly to areas of preference and strength. I felt pushed and challenged appropriately to re-frame them and to utilize my abilities to serve me well. I also had new, hopeful criteria for measuring my success as an educator/ leader.
I feel better equipped to approach specific situations at work with skills and an attitude of optimism. I have been encouraged to own the things I can own and change my perception about some things I find difficult.
[As a team]… we have a deeper understanding and appreciation for one another's unique abilities. We have had an opportunity to understand what things bring us life in our workplace and to be able to celebrate those things. I feel more positively disposed to bring my whole self to my work and like I have permission to be me.
Miriam (Education Lecturer)
Ramon helped me see my strengths with fresh eyes … that my strengths were a natural reflection of the real me.
He helped me to identify language to best define my strengths. I have become more confident of who I am and what I have to offer ... especially as part of a team.
Gill (Administrator / Student Support)
"I have become more confident of who I am"
"Ramon guided me through my strengths"
It has been illuminating - I am aware of my strengths and now consciously observe how and when I use them. It is fascinating to be aware of which strengths I am using, and recognising similar strengths in others … the ways I work and live, now make more sense to me, and I can understand/see that the ways I work may impact on others in positive and negative ways, depending on their own strengths.
Ramon guided me through my strengths, as identified by the Clifton Strengths questionnaire, identifying how they contribute to the way I work, what I need, and how they can be overused. As a result of talking through my strengths, I have been able to much better understand, not only what I need and how I work best, but also how to get the best out of others.
The insights I now have, have really been far-reaching, not only in the workplace, but also in terms of the ways I interact with my family and friends.
Helen Rutter (Business Unit Manager)
"That is so us"
Ramon helped to facilitate an informed conversation between myself and my fiancé about our respective strengths. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Throughout the conversation, Ramon perceptively anticipated the ways in which our strengths might work well together or clash. It was great fun to look across the table at my fiancé and get the "that is so us" moment again and again; we felt seen and validated.
Jess (Artist)
"I'm in the right job!"
Connecting with just a few is equally as important as connecting with many. I work best both personally and professionally when relating one on one, and that is absolutely fine!
I'm in the right job! My strengths highlighted my ability to deeply empathise, connect with, and enable clients to see their amazing strengths and contribution.
Sarah Deering (Counsellor)
"Relaxed, knowledgeable, inclusive and encouraging "
Ramon facilitated a couple of Strengths Finder sessions. His relaxed, knowledgeable, inclusive and encouraging facilitation approach assisted our team to better understand our individual and collective strengths.
I am able to draw upon the strengths, skills and motivations of others. The overall organisational contribution has improved with a better understanding of differences amongst the team.
Arron Perriam (Chief Executive)
I am a much more confident leader because I know how to have my team’s best interests at heart, even when they are working under stress or not working to their full potential. Our team culture is now really good, and it wasn't always that way!
I found it really useful to be able to understand where other team members were coming from, especially those who think differently to me. Ramon was able to support us through any workplace conflict and get really good outcomes due to the groundwork he had done with our team.
I know what special traits I bring to a team and equally where my blind spots are. I also know what special traits other people bring to the team, which makes me all the more grateful for my colleagues.
Josephine Sutton (Nutrition & Life, Managing Director)
"Our team culture is now really good"
"The more you learn, the better you become"
I have had the pleasure of working with Ramon over many years, and across many organisations. Ramon has assisted me with a deeper understanding of myself and teams I have been part of. What I am able to contribute brings strength to myself and my organisation. Understanding this has led to new opportunities and other people understanding what I can bring to the table.
The leadership tools that Ramon teaches, helps establish a more understanding environment and engagement with members of various teams. They push you outside of your comfort zone with the end goal of growth in mind. The more you learn, the better you become at applying this to personal and work situations.
The insights you gain are in the challenges that you face whilst working with others. A deeper understanding of what motivates and demotivates individuals, yourself included.
Understanding what the needs of another individual is, helps bring the right information or the right explanation to the team. Emotional intelligence and non-violent communication are what helps the team stay there.
Danicia (Executive Assistant)
Ramon has helped me improve my communication with Leaders and the Youth. My time with Ramon has taught me to stop and think, to slow down and not react out of emotion to the situation. I enjoy the active role-playing of scenarios we do to practice good communication and recognize bad. I believe I have been able to create a culture of open clear communication within my team, thanks to Ramon's help.
My strengths of 'Communication' and 'Woo' make me naturally an ok communicator, but Ramon has taught me to craft my communication prior to a meeting. This hopefully makes me not just a good communicator but a great one.
Callum Swarbrick (Youth Worker)
"A culture of open clear communication within my team"
"Listen, learn and implement"
Some of the important things I learnt:
- Have faith and trust in your colleagues - developing trust and listening skills are important.
- Letting others come up with plans. Listen to other people’s needs and utilise their strengths to help achieve your goals, while also developing their skills.
- Don’t put people into boxes - what you think suits them might be totally wrong; listen, learn and implement.
- I don’t have to do everything myself; it is okay to trust others. Life doesn't have to be hectic; it is okay to step back and relax
- It’s okay to fail
Craig Fellowes (Dairy Farm Manager and Learner!)
"I have recommended his services to several of my clients"
Being guided through a process of interpreting CliftonStrengths was fascinating, informative and engrossing. Ramon’s gentle and respectful approach to client work, as well his interpretation, has given me insights into why I am the way I am. The whole process was a great experience, enhanced because I was working with a friendly but excellent strengths coach.
So, would I recommend Ramon? I do so already, for I have recommended his services to several of my clients.
Peter Brunt (Counsellor)
"Better understanding of each person in my team"
Learning about my team’s individual strengths has helped me to have a better understanding of each person in my team and to change the way that I approach matters with each one depending on the situation and their strengths; whether it’s taking a different communication approach, or deciding who to delegate different tasks to.
Janine Rahui (ECE Head Teacher)
Great leadership is not intuitive; it is counter-intuitive. Ramon worked with me one-on-one to build my leadership skills. I was open to change, and I think that this, coupled with Ramon’s skills in working with people, has created an open and honest workplace.
I listen to my other business friends talk about their staff, their workers, their employees; as if there is always a mistrust. But that really does not exist at Big Boy Websites anymore. I no longer have to control, manipulate, yell, or be constantly checking on my team. We have a truly collaborative workplace where they are included in the direction of the company … I have found that this has helped the team become more invested, not only in the business but in their own personal journeys within the business.
He worked with me on several very tricky internal negotiations with my team that could have been very expensive and time-consuming. We managed to quell any challenges very quickly and in a very powerful way, leaving nobody offended and nobody feeling weak. This was truly amazing.
I really enjoyed the team workshops with Ramon as he was able to really bring the team onto the same page in an enjoyable way that suited the many different personalities in the organisation.
Alex Mann (Managing Director)
"A truly collaborative workplace"
"A common vocabulary and understanding"
Ramon affirmed some of what I already knew and gave me a language for other strengths that I could not have so easily articulated, but which I recognised as soon as they “surfaced” as a strength.
Strengths has provided my wife and myself a common vocabulary and understanding in our conversations together about our marriage; it is really helpful in both expressing what we appreciate about each other, and naming some of the challenges we encounter in our relationship.
Chris (Director)
Having someone to help me to learn a language that gives me security in my identity and in knowing who I am has been incredibly beneficial in my work ethic, mental health and in social situations. Ramon helped me unpack areas of my thinking, both healthy and unhealthy, to see where I can apply my strengths well in those areas.
I have growing confidence in myself, that I can apply my strengths to the best of my ability while also creating room and space for other people's strengths, even if they are different to mine.
Knowing my strengths means I know what tools to apply when I'm feeling restless, low or irritated. I know what energises me, so I make sure to do things that regularly give me the energy I need to thrive - including checklists, achieving small jobs regularly and visualising my plans using art.
Joel Tempero (Videographer)
"Incredibly beneficial in my work ethic"
"It’s been revolutionary"
"Ramon’s ongoing and expert guidance about the CliftonStrengths paradigm has helped me understand the positive motivations and intentions that underpin the work I do. Just as importantly, the ideas and concepts help me to understand the positive intentions and motivations of others. It’s been revolutionary.
I’m much more aware of the differences in each of our styles and this helps me to better understand my needs, and those of others, in the context of the diverse work we do. We’re more effective as a result; able to make more intuitive, inclusive decisions.
I continue to enjoy Ramon’s consistent passion and energy for this unique and valuable way of seeing the world, myself and those that I interact with; both in business and within a number of organisations that I’m involved in.
Chris (Director)
Ramon was a great facilitator. He easily connected with our team, and there was a high level of trust in the room.
He led our staff team through collective strengths coaching, and while several staff had done it individually, doing it as a team and learning more about each other was very helpful. It's helped us understand each other more, and value what each staff member brings to the team
Our team learnt from each other how we each 'tick.' We saw how we can leverage off each other’s strengths and also how our individual strengths can become weaknesses. We had opportunities to share these insights with each other in a way in which we each felt heard and valued.
Rosie (NGO Director)
"Ramon was a great facilitator"
"Incredibly freeing"
CliftonStrengths has helped to explain myself to me and to my team. It’s helped us to see the things that we do from a positive place rather than a negative. It’s incredibly freeing once you know each other’s ‘normal’.
Kendra (Learning Leader)
"Helped our team communicate and understand each other"
A strengths focus has helped our team communicate and understand each other - it gives us a common language. Things that used to irritate, we now see as strengths, and we intentionally encourage the use of strengths within the team and wider school setting.
Mandy (Learning Leader)
"Kept us engaged and productive"
Based on the strengths and natural inclinations/talents of the team, we’ve been given responsibilities which have kept us engaged and productive and empowered to accomplish our team/individual goals. We have learnt to appreciate people’s personalities and avoid being judgmental so that we don’t miss out on incredible relationships because of preconceived ideas.
R.S. (ECE Head Teacher)
" Light-hearted when necessary"
We walked through the different themes in our team, and how we operate out of them. Learning about our themes shed light on how we operate and some of the friction points that arose from our different themes.
Ramon's stories and explanations of how the themes express themselves really helped us understand how we operate. The sessions were light-hearted when necessary, which helped with the deep thinking and reflections during the sessions.
Understanding my themes and my co-worker’s themes has been hugely beneficial in seeing how we can team together. Our themes are quite complementary which brings large benefits to how we now work together. I didn't realise I was primarily in the relationship building domain which helped explain some of the challenges I face when leading or managing large groups, but also the ease with which I work on a personal level.
When we now meet to discuss or team together, the language of our themes really helps us express ourselves and work out of our areas of strength.
Prakash (Graduates Mentor)
