Testimonials

Selection of Clients feedback
 

HM - Director of a state agency 

Duration/dates of the mentoring/coaching:

I had my first session with Fran on 30th June 2020 and from the minute we started our online coaching, I felt an immediate connection and a great rapport. I continued to work with Fran for 13 sessions’ until 9 December 2020. Each session was one hour long. I am a Director in a State Agency and I have worked in this role for 16 years. I have been working in the area of financial services for 38years and this was my first ever coaching experience.

Specific benefit to the client:

The sessions with Fran really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the impetus and the motivation I needed to not only complete tasks that I had been considering for a long time, but also to look at issues from a much broader perspective. I remember the first session where Fran challenged me to list some key items that I would like to tackle during our coaching sessions, and I felt the list I put together that first day was not achievable within the months I expected our coaching sessions to continue. However, by ensuring that we had a list of agreed actions at the end of each meeting, I was able to work through these items and I was amazed at the progress I had made when we met for our second meeting. From then on, I looked forward to our coaching sessions and I always finished the sessions rejuvenated and really focused for the weeks ahead.

Feedback on the effectiveness of your mentoring/coaching skills:

Fran has a fantastic personality, and we very quickly developed a warm rapport where I honestly felt I could trust her with the various issues we discussed which were a mix of both personal and work-related issues. Fran used a mixture of tools and techniques to break down issues and allow me to see a visual of problems that beforehand might have seemed quite complex. By pushing me to look at things from another perspective and from other people’s perspective, this allowed me to arrive at solutions that suddenly appeared to make sense.  As I was working from home during the time we had our coaching sessions, I also found them a very useful motivator and they gave me a real desire to see genuine progress which gave me a great sense of achievement at a time when many were finding it difficult to motivate themselves and to stay focused and connected.

We had 13 sessions in total spread over 6 months and at the end of these sessions we reviewed my original list of actions, and I was genuinely amazed at how much I had achieved in those six months. I can honestly say that without the coaching and the encouragement from Fran, many of these actions would still be on my “To Do” list! I have nothing but positive praise for Fran and I am delighted that I took this leap of faith and completed my first ever coaching sessions.


JF - general manager

Duration/dates of your mentoring/coaching:

- 18/02/2021 90 minutes

- 24/03/2021 90 minutes

- 11/05/2021 90 minutes

- 27/05/2021 90 minutes


Specific benefit to the client:

Increase in knowledge on how to lead a team

Setting goals/targets for the business

Understanding what’s needed to operate in terms of costs, staff, and sales

Effective methods and ideas for increasing revenue, sales, footfall, and duration spent in the premises by customers

New ideas for potential additional revenue streams

Road mapping a strategic business map

Feedback on the effectiveness of the mentor/leadership coaches skills:

The time spent with Fran was enormously beneficial.

Huge amount of insight & guidance delivered in a clear, concise way.

Very positive approach. Ideas and methods easy to grasp.

What have my previous colleagues got to say: 

Louise Lowry: Head of Retail – Ireland Dixons Carphone

“Fran is one of the most passionate, engaging and effective leaders I have had the pleasure of working alongside. Her planning, attention to detail and facilitation skills on strategic plans are brilliant, especially when bringing together a group to reach a common goal. Fran has a high challenge/ high support attitude that drives consistent results and delivers ongoing growth. Her work ethic and passion to deliver results through people engagement, communication, business analysis, coaching and development are some of Fran’s amazing strengths. I have no hesitation recommending Fran to any potential client or employer”.

Tapio Kylmänen; Operations Manager Finland – GameStop Northern Europe

“Fran is always positive, encouraging and she genuinely cares for all people. She is true out of the box thinker who has no problem challenging her supervisors and peers to achieve greater success. Fran is fair, dedicated, reflecting and she has her feet on the ground. During the different projects we did she was always engaged and asking the right questions. She is very fact driven, she has great head for numbers, and she can always provide you the spot-on details when needed. Sunshine for our operations team”.

Björn Bäck; Loss Prevention Manager - GameStop Northern Europe

"As Loss Prevention Manager for GameStop Northern Europe I have had the pleasure to work alongside Fran Best in her role as Country Manager for GameStop Ireland over the last 3 years. During this time, we have worked on different projects together and have gone through, training courses together, Irish Work Laws and OMT Global management training amongst others.

Fran did always strive for the development of people, sales or the brand and she always led by trying to make the company and its people see the way forward as she had set it out.

Fran has very high retail knowledge which has been a big help for both GameStop and for me in my Loss Prevention role. Whenever I have had a query in the Irish district, I could get the help needed from Fran, as I am from Sweden, the laws and culture are mostly the same but in many small ways, very different.

 

Fran always used the knowledge and strengths in the people around her to better her own knowledge and through that become better in her role as Country Manager, showing strong management, leadership and coaching skills she has constantly fought to drive sales, profitability and results through customer relations and has left a big impact in how customer service is being handled in our stores.

I have not worked with anyone through all my years that is so organised and structured, all meetings where pre planned and everyone involved in running the meeting knew their part and knew how to get the message through according to Fran’s strategic plan”.

Teresa Mulligan; Branch manager Monaghan – Dixons Carphone

“I am pleased to write this testimonial for Fran Best.

Fran was my regional manager in Dixon’s Carphone for 2 years. I have been a manager in Carphone Warehouse for 13 years. Fran demonstrates high level leadership skills and talent development and has also helped me develop and my team in Monaghan and supporting counties.

 

Fran has strong operational strength and efficiencies which she has successfully infiltrated down through to me. One of Fran strengths I believe is her superior customer experience expectations and commercial standards which is evident in her drive for results.

 

With her biggest strength been her ability to communicate, coach, manage and care for all her staff and people around her, which in turns leads to increased productivity”.

Alan Breen; District Support Manager - Homesense TJX Europe

“I worked with Fran in Life Style Sports. Fran was my Regional Manager while I held Store Manager’s roles in Connacht within her District.

 

When I first reported to Fran, I was a Store Manager of a low-profile store within Life Style Sports. Fran identified leadership potential in me, and I was quickly moved to managing a large flagship store within her district. I was impressed with her ability to identify strengths that I was unaware of enabling me to successfully fulfil the role of flagship Store Manager. Fran increased my self-belief, which led me to go achieve a successful career in retail management.

 

What is very apparent from first meeting Fran is her infectious, positive personality. This trait continues well into the workplace and more importantly down to the shop floor and never diminishes, even during challenging times. Fran's positive and upbeat disposition does not change regardless of who she is communicating with.

 

Fran's number one priority is how the brand is represented and how the customers experience their journey through the store. In her eyes the customers' experience and perception of the brand is of paramount importance. Fran's results-based approach will always see her strive as a top performer, while mentoring others to reach her level of results-based ambition.

 

One reason for Fran's success is her ability to communicate and motivate whilst ensuring that every message gets through to and is understood by all relevant levels of the organisation. The meticulous and repetitive nature of her communication of company goals and objectives is the reason why these goals are met consistently. It is evident that Fran understands that strong levels of commitment and efficiency comes from a highly charged and motivated team”.  

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