Supplied by The British Waterways Photo Library

Pharos don’t just tweak at the margins,
if you want a whitewash - look elsewhere. They listened intently and got to grips with the end result. They told us how it really was, rather than what we wanted to hear. They designed a climate survey for our Shared Services to generate feedback on encouraging better co-operation and improving morale. Staff were even asked: Do you think the Head of Shared Services is up to the job? It was clear that some people weren’t happy but we had to discover the roots of this problem. When they put the mirror up to the management team, I realised I had to change our approach if the department was going to move on.

Our landscape is completely different now. We went from everyone for themselves and we know best, to a supportive, trusting, customer service ethic. But don’t expect it to happen overnight, or without some casualties along the way who refuse to embrace the new culture. Our increased productivity and efficiency has enabled us to take on more responsibility with no additional resource, and has greatly enhanced our reputation within the organisation. Pharos has been great value for money!