We have really valued Thrive’s insights and constructive challenge on our Culture and Psychosocial Risk Audit.
We greatly appreciate Thrive’s commitment to our organisation.
I truly believe this work will be a significant catalyst for us and will change the trajectory of the business – thanks in large part to the Thrive team.
C-Suite Executive – Australian Insurance Organisation
The Thrive team conducted interviews, focus groups and surveys to get to the heart of the cultural challenges our business faced. They were able to extract the key themes and drivers of issues and present the data back without attribution to me, as the key client first and then to our entire business in a Town Hall meeting. This created transparency and flushed out where the cultural issues were and how best to address them.
We found partnering with Thrive different to other leadership firms because the team truly invests time upfront to intimately understand the leadership problem we are trying to solve. Furthermore, they have consultants with deep expertise who have the ability to provide valuable insight and open and honest feedback.
Partnering with Thrive was truly effective. Even though parts of the process were confronting for many of our team, the process and outcomes were highly valued. The respect my colleagues and I had for how the Thrive team engaged and built trust was a major factor of the success of our program.
The feedback from our business was very positive. Our team appreciated the balance that Órla and the Thrive team brought. They constructively and appropriately challenged us, but also listened to feedback and provided valuable insight and perspectives.
I would recommend Thrive for any leader, team or organisation dealing with difficult leadership problems, especially those that relate to culture and behaviours.
APAC Chief Executive Officer – Global Professional Services Firm
Right from the first meeting, Órla instantly built rapport and took the time to really understand my background, values, beliefs, strengths and possible derailers. Her psychology background combined with her deep knowledge and research in D&I ensured that Órla truly understood what really motivated me and what may be limiting my ability to perform at my best. Órla was also incredibly effective at giving me feedback, ensuring I was clear about how I could continue to develop and reach my potential but ensuring I felt positive and inspired about my progress and strengths to date.
Given how valuable I found Órla during this program, I asked her to become my Executive Coach. As a coach, Órla was very effective at helping guide and support me to make the right leadership decisions, think through my career choices and establish how I wanted to best progress my career. Órla also undertook individual 360 feedback with my peers, direct reports and my leader, and presented the feedback in a thorough and thoughtful manner that helped me determine what actions I needed to take to ensure I would continue to develop as a leader. During this time I was promoted several times.
I asked Órla to help with Team Building for my new team to ensure we could perform at a high level as quickly as possible. To this end, Órla undertook a team diagnostic, confidentially speaking to each member of the team to understand the key dynamics and areas preventing us from being the best possible team we could be. The team really built a strong trust in Órla, and she was extremely effective at getting us to identify the key issues preventing us from being high-performing. She helped us build a clear plan to improve team connectivity and performance.
Chief Executive Officer – Superannuation Fund
However, having not participated in dedicated executive coaching before, I was not sure what to expect when engaging Thrive.
From the outset, I have found working with Thrive safe, productive and structured. Órla has a very warm and friendly personality, and her experience shows in all aspects of interaction.
We agreed on an approach in terms of speed, delivery of message, and outcomes, which enabled each party to fully understand desired goals. Whilst the program focusses on professional development as well as personal wellbeing, the actual approach is customised to my individual needs.
The program consists of more than the actual sessions, the consultant regularly reaches out to check-in on various aspects, confirming to the participant that there is a real element of care and compassion.
I have found Órla to always be very well prepared for the sessions, enabling me to connect with her and establish a relationship based on trust and understanding.
Upon embarking on the journey, it was important for me to understand the roles and effort required to be successful; essentially, the more you invest the more you get out of it. This is reciprocal, and Órla is a role model when it comes to commitment and support.
Órla has always gone above and beyond, and there are no occasions of ‘clock watching’ – on the contrary, all sessions take as long as required.
There are no quick fixes with personal or professional development – I find the Thrive approach realistic and sustainable. The seeds planted by the sessions need nurturing, which comes from the participant’s commitment. As a consequence, I have seen them bloom in various forms – some expected, some surprising, professionally and privately – and the experience has been invaluable.
Órla has the exceptional talent of understanding the participant’s personal and professional situation, with relatively little prior knowledge, and giving appropriate feedback. In addition, her experience, warm and engaging personality and astounding level of EQ are some of the assets the participants can draw on during the engagement.
Senior Executive – Superannuation Fund
Her high energy, committed leadership and positive interaction with Executives, coupled with her vision to execute tangible results, led to her being sought after by Global HQ in several consulting capacities. Wendy, a superb coach with boundless empathy in a plethora of situations, is a pleasure to work with, in both good and challenging times, and always focused on delivering outcomes of value to the business. I recommend her as a coach or more broadly in any situation requiring these skills and experience.
Chief Executive Officer – ASX-Listed Telecommunications Organisation
I was attracted to Órla and Thrive’s offering initially because of their proven track record of lifting performance and advising on the creation of high-performing teams. A significant unexpected element was a focus on individual and team wellbeing and a clear, fact-based, data-driven rationale for why such a focus was critical for success.
Given the significant benefit to my personal performance as a result of Órla coaching, I asked Thrive to design a program for my Leadership Team as it faced challenging deliverables over a relatively short space of time. Key to the ask was to bring together a newly formed team and, in a truncated timeframe, introduce tools that would allow us to fast-track progress to a ‘high performance team’.
Órla and the Thrive team have been unwavering in their focus and support in achieving our coaching objectives, holding individuals and the team accountable for agreed actions and personal commitments. Órla and the Thrive team are able to adapt their style to what resonates best with (and prompts focus and action from) individuals. They have been able to help individual team members gain an intimate understanding of and respect for colleagues’ values and key drivers, which has in turn led to a more collaborative and productive team output.
Senior Executive – ASX 10 Financial Services Organisation
She is one of the most genuine, caring and honest people I have worked with, yet always manages to bring significant challenge and ‘edge’ to discussions which has led to some quite profound changes.
Across two very different assignments I have found Wendy’s powerful and often tough questions, unique insights, and ability to hold me to account extremely valuable. She has helped me to navigate through some difficult team and stakeholder issues, reframe my agenda for the future and ultimately remain as fresh and enthusiastic about my role as I was on the first day.
Chief Executive Officer – ASX-Listed Consumer Goods Organisation
I recall one point when I had to decide whether or not to accept a new, but risky, opportunity. I know I made the most informed decision because Deanna helped me to think through every dimension of the change. In a field increasingly crowded with impostors, Deanna is the real deal.
Vice President, Talent Management – Global Media Organisation
Each session was filled with practical yet powerful guidance on how to navigate change and step up to organisational challenges. Through self-reflection and meaningful partnership, she gave me new perspective and helped me build ways of engaging that I draw upon to this day. Deanna is insightful and incredibly disarming. She uniquely guides her clients to be the best versions of themselves, even as the definition of ‘best’ evolves.
Chief Marketing Officer – Global Brand, Design and Innovation Consultancy
The advice, guidance and approach provided by Órla and the team at Thrive Advisory were nothing short of exemplary, ensuring that the program was not only fit-for-purpose but customised to the unique set of challenges our business faced in an ever-changing digital economy. Over 80% of participants were successful in achieving career progression within the organisation, with some now leaders of industry in organisations around the globe. I would highly recommend Thrive Advisory to any organisation seeking to create a leading-edge in their Leadership Development programs.
Head of Talent, Diversity and Inclusion – Global Technology Firm
I found the coaching sessions to be invaluable, as they helped me to better understand my strengths, whilst considering how these strengths can become weaknesses when overused. Throughout the coaching, we explored the concept of wellbeing at length, including risks factors that could derail my success personally and professionally. The coaching was comprehensive, empathetic, but direct – not shying away from addressing areas of growth that were blocking me. I would highly recommend both Órla and her team to any organisation or individual seeking to unlock human potential.
Asia-Pacific Chief Operating Officer – Global Technology Firm
Business is complex, with many levers and many forces, and she understands this, having worked effectively with all levels. Wendy has the rare ability to use her wealth of experience to support key individuals to leverage their strengths and know how to be successful. People must navigate challenges, and Wendy will facilitate this with the underlying awareness of the importance of ROI.
Wendy strives for success and can energise and impact. In her work with individuals, teams, and in all interactions, she helps others get excited about change and the future. She is honest, not afraid to challenge, and she will have the conversations that are needed to make a difference; her pragmatism will bring a perspective and ‘can do’ that is often missing.
Founder – Leadership Advisory Firm
For the first time after reviewing the survey results, I appreciated how much I was neglecting to look after myself. This, with the support of the Thrive Advisory team, provided the catalyst to really start to make some changes. Now I am regularly meditating, eating healthy, losing weight and monitoring my sleep. I feel better from the inside out which is helping me in all aspects of life – it has been a big change for the better.
Executive – Logistics and Infrastructure Organisation
You have completely changed the dynamic of our office in such a short period of time. Thank you for changing not only our workplace, but for being so insightful and providing strategies that I can implement within both my professional and personal life. We all feel so very grateful to have had shared this opportunity with you and your team and I really look forward to a very positive future with my colleagues.
Executive – Global Consulting and Advisory Firm
I, along with my team, had the opportunity to be coached by Wendy, and her warm and affiliative style, coupled with strong intuition and insight, supported me and my team to achieve personal and business objectives.
Managing Director – Food Services Organisation
I loved the chance to unwind with my colleagues, and the opportunity to get to know them better was, literally, priceless. Thank you for working with our business to resolve some of the issues we were facing into. We have been fortunate indeed to partner with you on this journey.
Executive – Global Consulting and Advisory Firm
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