June 8, 2025 • 17 mins
Gail, Rethink's Project Coordination Manager, reveals the secrets behind planning and delivering successful productivity projects across diverse industries and time zones.
• Communication, proven planning processes, and a professional team of work-study engineers are Gail's "secret weapons" for keeping projects on track
• Project setup involves three key steps: initial planning with clients, detailed scheduling, and ongoing support throughout the project
• ReThink adapts its core project planning principles across industries from retail and hospitality to pharmacies and cruise ships
• Matching analysts to projects considers previous experience, industry knowledge and geographical location
• Client collaboration is crucial - quality setup conversations, clear communication channels and briefing on-site teams ensures smooth project delivery
#theproductivityexperts
Register for the 2025 Productivity Forum
Find us in the Top 50 Productivity Podcasts
Connect to Simon on LinkedIn
Follow ReThink on LinkedIn
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Rethink Revealed a brand new podcast
series from Rethink Productivitythat will delve into the minds
of our productivity specialiststo ask the deepest of
productivity questions.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And I'm your host.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
James Bradbury-Willis , head of Business Development
at Rethink.
I'm a marketing and salesprofessional and I'm keen to get
the inside story from thepeople powering productivity.
And I'm keen to get the insidestory from the people powering
productivity Episode three.
Can you believe it?
They let me loose on yetanother podcast.
Today, we're joined by someonewho keeps the Rethink engine
running like clockwork ourproject coordination manager,
(00:41):
gail.
With a career spanning back tothe 80s and management roles at
some of the UK's biggest brands,gail knows a thing or two about
keeping things on track, ontime and on point.
In this episode, we're liftingthe lid on what it takes to plan
and deliver a productivityproject, from juggling locations
and timelines to matching theright analysts to the right jobs
.
Gail shares how Rethink setsprojects up for success and what
(01:01):
clients can do to help make itall run smoothly.
Let's dive in, gail.
Welcome to Rethink Revealed.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thank you, James.
It's great to be here with you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Good, and I believe this is the first time you've
ever been on a podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
It's my first ever time on a podcast, so thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Well, I'm sure you're going to be absolutely
wonderful.
So, gail, can you tell us a bitabout your background and what
led you to start at Rethink?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, thank you.
So I qualified as a pharmacistoriginally and I've worked in
various retail and healthcareleadership roles across the
years.
I have more than 35 yearsexperience, firstly with Lloyd's
Chemist and then with Boots for25 years in a variety of store
(01:44):
leadership roles area manager,regional pharmacy manager, care
home services, businessdevelopment manager and an
airport retail area manager solots of experience across the
sector.
More recently, I've hadexperience working in the
charity sector as a retail areamanager with the National Trust.
(02:08):
I joined Rethink about 18 monthsago now as project coordination
manager and it's been great toable to use my retail,
healthcare and operationalexperience to support the
delivery of projects andbusiness insights for our
customers the delivery ofprojects and business insights
(02:28):
for our customers.
I find it's really helpful tohave been involved in delivering
numerous change projects overthe years both operational and
people change and it's given mea real experience of leading
teams through the changes andgiven me a good insight into
what our customers need to makea project successful.
And then, more recently, I havecompleted my training with the
(02:50):
Rethink Academy to become aqualified work study engineer,
again giving me a little bitmore insight into what our teams
on the ground need to makeeverything successful.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So what would you say was the most rewarding part of
your role?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Lots of rewards in this role, for sure, but I think
the most rewarding is workingas part of the Rethink team to
deliver really great projectsfor all our customers, I think
right through from the initialproposal, through delivering
quality data and insights thatreally make a difference to the
customers' businesses, and tosee those put into action after
(03:32):
all, the work we've donetogether is really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Fabulous answers and I want to start off with you.
Really Gail on some quickfirequestions just to get your brain
going.
On some quickfire questions,just to get your brain going.
Quickfire questions.
What's your secret weapon forkeeping a project on track?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So secret weapon I say I have quite a few, an
arsenal of secret weapons.
First and foremost no surpriseis communication.
It's definitely top of the listand I think, following on from
that, we have a real provenplanning process that supports
customers at every stage of thestudy, ensuring that we really
(04:15):
stay on track of milestone dates, which is key.
And then the other weapon thatwe have, which is no secret, is
our great team of Rethinkproductivity consultants.
They're all qualifiedwork-study engineers.
They're really professional,reliable, flexible and I think
(04:35):
they really are at the heart ofall we do.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Fabulous, and now you're allowed to choose one.
If every project had a mascot,what would be yours?
An owl, because you're wise.
A a sheepdog because you heardeveryone together.
Or a duck because you're calmabove water but paddling like
mad underneath all of the above,but just the one.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I would have to be a sheep dog.
I think it's a really goodanalogy of how it feels
sometimes trying to gathertogether a multitude of
wondering parts to get them allto the same place at the same
time.
But I think actually I'mprobably more like the farmer
with quite a few sheepdogs inthe field all taking their sheep
to different pens, as we havelots of projects going on at the
(05:20):
same time.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
OK, so you have to choose Kick-off meetings or
project wrap-ups the same time.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay, so you have to choose kick-off meetings or
project wrap-ups.
Kick-off I love the excitementof the start of a project and
making sure we have everythingwe need as we move on through
Excel or to-do lists.
I'm a to-do list girl.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
I think that feeling of ticking something off, you
can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, google Meet I
think that's what we used to, soit's my old favourite.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Very well answered, gail.
And moving on to the generalQ&A session, let's start at the
very beginning.
What are the steps that Rethinktakes to set up a new project
and make sure it gets off to astrong start?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So, yeah, there really are key stages of
planning.
At every project We've adaptedtools, templates, internal
processes that will really helptake a study from the initial
proposal right the way throughto the delivery of results.
These stages have been createdand adapted over many projects
(06:32):
to really ensure success.
I think a little bit my role islike an air traffic controller.
We've likened it to that a fewtimes to make sure every project
has a really smooth takeoff andan on time landing.
So I've got three main stepsthat I just summarise for you.
I suppose the first one is theproject planning.
(06:53):
So that's really workingclosely with the clients to
create a plan that deliverstheir needs, and taking time and
having really goodconversations to understand what
they want right at the start ofthe project.
It's very important Then thatallows us to match the right
rethink expert to be availableon site when needed, including
(07:16):
arranging scope meetings beforethe study starts and agreeing
key milestone dates for thecustomers and our team and
communicating that.
So that's very much the firststage and if you're getting that
right, that really is the keyto success.
The next stage is over to me fordetailed planning.
The plan needs to reallysurface the best insights, and
(07:41):
this does require a realdetailed plan making sure we
have the right mix of days,shifts and roles.
Also, we need to work aroundany client days off, holidays or
, of course, any unexpectedchanges.
And these detailed plans we canshare with everybody to make
(08:01):
sure that the locations, theshift times, the study types are
visible to everybody and thateverybody has the most current
and up-to-date version.
And we adapt those as we goalong.
So it's really keeping my eyeon the ball throughout the
project to make sure thosedetailed plans stay on track.
And then the other key aspect ofany study is ongoing support.
(08:24):
That's both with our customersbut also with our team.
So once the project is inflight as such, I'll coordinate
all the activity behind thescenes to keep everything
running smoothly.
We have weekly updates with ourown team to make sure
everything's on track andprovide our customers with
valuable weekly updates as towhere everything is to reassure
(08:47):
them everything's going well.
I also then, of course, planthe data handovers between our
analysts and the insights team.
And last but not not least, isbooking in those all-important
presentation of results meetingswith customers at the end of
the project.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Very busy by the sounds of it.
So, thinking about being busy,rethink works across different
industries, locations and timezones.
How do you plan effectivelywhen every project comes with
its own unique shape andcomplexity?
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Yes, we certainly do have a variety of different
types of projects for ourcustomers.
We've covered retail,hospitality, pharmacy, opticians
, warehouses, delivery anddistribution and, more recently,
even cruise ships.
As you say, we work across amultitude of time zones and I
(09:40):
think the key is, as I've saidbefore, it's about having a
basic toolkit of how to plan agreat project and then just
adapting it to suit the needs ofeach one.
So the customers we work withrange from small businesses with
a few employees to largemultinational companies.
So a plan has to be adaptable,which we can do, and the
(10:03):
experience of working overseashas allowed us to adapt even
further the working processes,quite often with the help of AI,
into translation.
So we make sure that ouranalysts have everything they
need to be working overseas interms of translated tasks lists
(10:24):
to really help them worksmoothly with the customers over
there.
We use the same projectplanning principles for all of
the projects and, as I say, wejust adapt them for each one,
and I think it's this frameworkfor project coordination that
really allows us to make sureevery customer feels unique and
we can hold their hand right theway through the study.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So how would you go about matching the right
analysts to the right projects?
You know if you're having tojuggle availability.
You know, obviously, whendiaries are already really busy.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yes, it can be a challenge sometimes, as you can
imagine, because multitude ofprojects, all of which may
change at any time, but I thinkwith any successful plan it goes
back to the old right person,right place, right time.
All of the Rethink productivityconsultants are qualified to a
high standard and they all havea broad experience across a wide
(11:19):
range of studies and industry.
So I have a great team, veryflexible team, to work with to
allow us to plan the rightperson whenever we need.
I do consider their previousexperience and previous studies
they may have worked on.
It really helps them gain thebest possible data and
observational insights ifthey're working in a type of
(11:40):
business that they've worked inbefore.
So, wherever possible, we try tomatch relevant experience with
every study and we'll alsoconsider geography, obviously.
We cover all areas of the UKand overseas and our analysts
live across the UK.
So, wherever possible, mystarting point is always to try
(12:00):
and minimise travel distancesfor our team, both to reduce
costs for our customers but alsodoing our little bit to help
support the environment whereverwe can.
So, as I say, what allows me todo that is the incredible
flexibility of our team.
They're able to move quicklyfrom one project to another.
Sometimes they may be doing oneproject at the start of a week
(12:23):
and then flipping over to doanother project at the end of
the week, so we can really makesure everybody is where they
need to be at the best time.
We also have to plan the detailof the study type to make sure
we get the right times and daysof the week and again, that
flexibility of our team reallyenables me to do this, so we can
(12:47):
make sure that we have peoplewhere they need to be when they
should be there.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Very, very good and I suppose from your perspective,
what can clients do then to helpkeep things on track and ensure
their projects run smoothlyfrom start to finish?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yes, it really is about teamwork us working hand
in hand with the customers.
It's their project and we wouldwant it to feel like that all
the way through.
So it's a really closerelationship that we build for
every project and that alwaysstarts off with time given for a
(13:24):
real quality setup.
We will always have at leastone, if not more, setup calls
with all of the relevant team.
It's really good to include allof the key stakeholders to
ensure we understand thecustomer need right from the
start.
So that's a really helpfulthing if we can get that great
(13:45):
conversation at the start.
If we can get that greatconversation at the start.
It's also very helpful to havea key contact for myself and our
team, both as we set up andalso as we move through the plan
, so we can really stay on trackof key milestones and we're
able to adapt quickly to anychanges.
Every plan the best plans inthe world, as I always say is a
(14:07):
changeable plan, and it's ourability to have the right person
we can contact quickly to makesure that those changes are
seamless and we still candeliver everything we need to.
The other thing that's veryhelpful for our customers to do
is for them to have great set ofconversations with their teams
on site.
(14:28):
We are able to provide anoutline briefing document that
the customers can top and tailwith their own messages for
their teams, and we can alsojoin any conference calls.
Sometimes the teams on site canfeel quite apprehensive.
Obviously they're being studied, they're being measured and
(14:48):
they can feel quite nervousabout this and we found the more
communication and conversationsbeforehand just reassure people
on site that there's nothing toworry about and they've got all
the answers to any questionsthey may have ahead of the study
.
It's important that we reallyobserve life as normal when our
(15:09):
analysts are on site, so we likepeople almost to forget we're
there.
Our team are great at justworking in the background.
They're very approachable,they're very friendly, but they
won't interrupt or get in theway of anyone's day and I think
the more information that thecustomers teams have about this
before they start it's really,really valuable.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Thank you ever so much for that.
We're going to move on to thetop three tips, and you've seen
a lot of projects delivered overthe years.
Can you give us three top tips,from three to one, on what and
what are some of the habits orpractices that constantly make
the difference between a goodproject and a great project?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
In three, we've got a detailed plan.
As I've said, we need a widerange of really high quality
data, so it's important that wedeliver the right person, right
place, right time we deliver theright person, right place,
right time In number two I wouldsay great conversations with
our customers, with our teams,to ensure we really understand
(16:18):
what our customers need and toensure we've got a great plan to
deliver it.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And number one tip.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
And then finally, in at number one no surprise is
communication At every step ofthe way.
We need everybody to understandthe plan, understand the part
they play in the plan and toensure that it stays on track
and delivers great results well,yeah, I must say, are you sure
that was your first podcasttoday?
It was james.
It might well be my last no,you smashed it up.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You were fabulous today.
So, gail, thank you ever somuch for your time.
I I found that reallyinteresting, so I'm sure the
listeners out there found itinteresting too.
But thank you ever so much forcoming on to Rethink Revealed,
and I'll catch up with you verysoon.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Thank you for having me.
Goodbye.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
See you now, bye-bye.
That's it for Rethink Revealed.
I hope you found it insightfuland, like me, you learned
something new.
You can find great podcastsfrom Rethink Productivity on our
website, which I'll link in theshow description, along with
the music we used today.
I'll hopefully catch you againsoon for the next episode of
Rethink Revealed.
Until then, bye-bye.
Welcome to Rethink Revealed a brand new podcast
series from Rethink Productivitythat will delve into the minds
of our productivity specialiststo ask the deepest of
productivity questions.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And I'm your host.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
James Bradbury-Willis , head of Business Development
at Rethink.
I'm a marketing and salesprofessional and I'm keen to get
the inside story from thepeople powering productivity.
And I'm keen to get the insidestory from the people powering
productivity Episode three.
Can you believe it?
They let me loose on yetanother podcast.
Today, we're joined by someonewho keeps the Rethink engine
running like clockwork ourproject coordination manager,
(00:41):
gail.
With a career spanning back tothe 80s and management roles at
some of the UK's biggest brands,gail knows a thing or two about
keeping things on track, ontime and on point.
In this episode, we're liftingthe lid on what it takes to plan
and deliver a productivityproject, from juggling locations
and timelines to matching theright analysts to the right jobs
.
Gail shares how Rethink setsprojects up for success and what
(01:01):
clients can do to help make itall run smoothly.
Let's dive in, gail.
Welcome to Rethink Revealed.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thank you, James.
It's great to be here with you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Good, and I believe this is the first time you've
ever been on a podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
It's my first ever time on a podcast, so thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Well, I'm sure you're going to be absolutely
wonderful.
So, gail, can you tell us a bitabout your background and what
led you to start at Rethink?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, thank you.
So I qualified as a pharmacistoriginally and I've worked in
various retail and healthcareleadership roles across the
years.
I have more than 35 yearsexperience, firstly with Lloyd's
Chemist and then with Boots for25 years in a variety of store
(01:44):
leadership roles area manager,regional pharmacy manager, care
home services, businessdevelopment manager and an
airport retail area manager solots of experience across the
sector.
More recently, I've hadexperience working in the
charity sector as a retail areamanager with the National Trust.
(02:08):
I joined Rethink about 18 monthsago now as project coordination
manager and it's been great toable to use my retail,
healthcare and operationalexperience to support the
delivery of projects andbusiness insights for our
customers the delivery ofprojects and business insights
(02:28):
for our customers.
I find it's really helpful tohave been involved in delivering
numerous change projects overthe years both operational and
people change and it's given mea real experience of leading
teams through the changes andgiven me a good insight into
what our customers need to makea project successful.
And then, more recently, I havecompleted my training with the
(02:50):
Rethink Academy to become aqualified work study engineer,
again giving me a little bitmore insight into what our teams
on the ground need to makeeverything successful.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So what would you say was the most rewarding part of
your role?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Lots of rewards in this role, for sure, but I think
the most rewarding is workingas part of the Rethink team to
deliver really great projectsfor all our customers, I think
right through from the initialproposal, through delivering
quality data and insights thatreally make a difference to the
customers' businesses, and tosee those put into action after
(03:32):
all, the work we've donetogether is really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Fabulous answers and I want to start off with you.
Really Gail on some quickfirequestions just to get your brain
going.
On some quickfire questions,just to get your brain going.
Quickfire questions.
What's your secret weapon forkeeping a project on track?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So secret weapon I say I have quite a few, an
arsenal of secret weapons.
First and foremost no surpriseis communication.
It's definitely top of the listand I think, following on from
that, we have a real provenplanning process that supports
customers at every stage of thestudy, ensuring that we really
(04:15):
stay on track of milestone dates, which is key.
And then the other weapon thatwe have, which is no secret, is
our great team of Rethinkproductivity consultants.
They're all qualifiedwork-study engineers.
They're really professional,reliable, flexible and I think
(04:35):
they really are at the heart ofall we do.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Fabulous, and now you're allowed to choose one.
If every project had a mascot,what would be yours?
An owl, because you're wise.
A a sheepdog because you heardeveryone together.
Or a duck because you're calmabove water but paddling like
mad underneath all of the above,but just the one.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I would have to be a sheep dog.
I think it's a really goodanalogy of how it feels
sometimes trying to gathertogether a multitude of
wondering parts to get them allto the same place at the same
time.
But I think actually I'mprobably more like the farmer
with quite a few sheepdogs inthe field all taking their sheep
to different pens, as we havelots of projects going on at the
(05:20):
same time.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
OK, so you have to choose Kick-off meetings or
project wrap-ups the same time.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay, so you have to choose kick-off meetings or
project wrap-ups.
Kick-off I love the excitementof the start of a project and
making sure we have everythingwe need as we move on through
Excel or to-do lists.
I'm a to-do list girl.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
I think that feeling of ticking something off, you
can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, google Meet I
think that's what we used to, soit's my old favourite.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Very well answered, gail.
And moving on to the generalQ&A session, let's start at the
very beginning.
What are the steps that Rethinktakes to set up a new project
and make sure it gets off to astrong start?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
So, yeah, there really are key stages of
planning.
At every project We've adaptedtools, templates, internal
processes that will really helptake a study from the initial
proposal right the way throughto the delivery of results.
These stages have been createdand adapted over many projects
(06:32):
to really ensure success.
I think a little bit my role islike an air traffic controller.
We've likened it to that a fewtimes to make sure every project
has a really smooth takeoff andan on time landing.
So I've got three main stepsthat I just summarise for you.
I suppose the first one is theproject planning.
(06:53):
So that's really workingclosely with the clients to
create a plan that deliverstheir needs, and taking time and
having really goodconversations to understand what
they want right at the start ofthe project.
It's very important Then thatallows us to match the right
rethink expert to be availableon site when needed, including
(07:16):
arranging scope meetings beforethe study starts and agreeing
key milestone dates for thecustomers and our team and
communicating that.
So that's very much the firststage and if you're getting that
right, that really is the keyto success.
The next stage is over to me fordetailed planning.
The plan needs to reallysurface the best insights, and
(07:41):
this does require a realdetailed plan making sure we
have the right mix of days,shifts and roles.
Also, we need to work aroundany client days off, holidays or
, of course, any unexpectedchanges.
And these detailed plans we canshare with everybody to make
(08:01):
sure that the locations, theshift times, the study types are
visible to everybody and thateverybody has the most current
and up-to-date version.
And we adapt those as we goalong.
So it's really keeping my eyeon the ball throughout the
project to make sure thosedetailed plans stay on track.
And then the other key aspect ofany study is ongoing support.
(08:24):
That's both with our customersbut also with our team.
So once the project is inflight as such, I'll coordinate
all the activity behind thescenes to keep everything
running smoothly.
We have weekly updates with ourown team to make sure
everything's on track andprovide our customers with
valuable weekly updates as towhere everything is to reassure
(08:47):
them everything's going well.
I also then, of course, planthe data handovers between our
analysts and the insights team.
And last but not not least, isbooking in those all-important
presentation of results meetingswith customers at the end of
the project.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Very busy by the sounds of it.
So, thinking about being busy,rethink works across different
industries, locations and timezones.
How do you plan effectivelywhen every project comes with
its own unique shape andcomplexity?
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Yes, we certainly do have a variety of different
types of projects for ourcustomers.
We've covered retail,hospitality, pharmacy, opticians
, warehouses, delivery anddistribution and, more recently,
even cruise ships.
As you say, we work across amultitude of time zones and I
(09:40):
think the key is, as I've saidbefore, it's about having a
basic toolkit of how to plan agreat project and then just
adapting it to suit the needs ofeach one.
So the customers we work withrange from small businesses with
a few employees to largemultinational companies.
So a plan has to be adaptable,which we can do, and the
(10:03):
experience of working overseashas allowed us to adapt even
further the working processes,quite often with the help of AI,
into translation.
So we make sure that ouranalysts have everything they
need to be working overseas interms of translated tasks lists
(10:24):
to really help them worksmoothly with the customers over
there.
We use the same projectplanning principles for all of
the projects and, as I say, wejust adapt them for each one,
and I think it's this frameworkfor project coordination that
really allows us to make sureevery customer feels unique and
we can hold their hand right theway through the study.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So how would you go about matching the right
analysts to the right projects?
You know if you're having tojuggle availability.
You know, obviously, whendiaries are already really busy.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yes, it can be a challenge sometimes, as you can
imagine, because multitude ofprojects, all of which may
change at any time, but I thinkwith any successful plan it goes
back to the old right person,right place, right time.
All of the Rethink productivityconsultants are qualified to a
high standard and they all havea broad experience across a wide
(11:19):
range of studies and industry.
So I have a great team, veryflexible team, to work with to
allow us to plan the rightperson whenever we need.
I do consider their previousexperience and previous studies
they may have worked on.
It really helps them gain thebest possible data and
observational insights ifthey're working in a type of
(11:40):
business that they've worked inbefore.
So, wherever possible, we try tomatch relevant experience with
every study and we'll alsoconsider geography, obviously.
We cover all areas of the UKand overseas and our analysts
live across the UK.
So, wherever possible, mystarting point is always to try
(12:00):
and minimise travel distancesfor our team, both to reduce
costs for our customers but alsodoing our little bit to help
support the environment whereverwe can.
So, as I say, what allows me todo that is the incredible
flexibility of our team.
They're able to move quicklyfrom one project to another.
Sometimes they may be doing oneproject at the start of a week
(12:23):
and then flipping over to doanother project at the end of
the week, so we can really makesure everybody is where they
need to be at the best time.
We also have to plan the detailof the study type to make sure
we get the right times and daysof the week and again, that
flexibility of our team reallyenables me to do this, so we can
(12:47):
make sure that we have peoplewhere they need to be when they
should be there.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Very, very good and I suppose from your perspective,
what can clients do then to helpkeep things on track and ensure
their projects run smoothlyfrom start to finish?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yes, it really is about teamwork us working hand
in hand with the customers.
It's their project and we wouldwant it to feel like that all
the way through.
So it's a really closerelationship that we build for
every project and that alwaysstarts off with time given for a
(13:24):
real quality setup.
We will always have at leastone, if not more, setup calls
with all of the relevant team.
It's really good to include allof the key stakeholders to
ensure we understand thecustomer need right from the
start.
So that's a really helpfulthing if we can get that great
(13:45):
conversation at the start.
If we can get that greatconversation at the start.
It's also very helpful to havea key contact for myself and our
team, both as we set up andalso as we move through the plan
, so we can really stay on trackof key milestones and we're
able to adapt quickly to anychanges.
Every plan the best plans inthe world, as I always say is a
(14:07):
changeable plan, and it's ourability to have the right person
we can contact quickly to makesure that those changes are
seamless and we still candeliver everything we need to.
The other thing that's veryhelpful for our customers to do
is for them to have great set ofconversations with their teams
on site.
(14:28):
We are able to provide anoutline briefing document that
the customers can top and tailwith their own messages for
their teams, and we can alsojoin any conference calls.
Sometimes the teams on site canfeel quite apprehensive.
Obviously they're being studied, they're being measured and
(14:48):
they can feel quite nervousabout this and we found the more
communication and conversationsbeforehand just reassure people
on site that there's nothing toworry about and they've got all
the answers to any questionsthey may have ahead of the study
.
It's important that we reallyobserve life as normal when our
(15:09):
analysts are on site, so we likepeople almost to forget we're
there.
Our team are great at justworking in the background.
They're very approachable,they're very friendly, but they
won't interrupt or get in theway of anyone's day and I think
the more information that thecustomers teams have about this
before they start it's really,really valuable.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Thank you ever so much for that.
We're going to move on to thetop three tips, and you've seen
a lot of projects delivered overthe years.
Can you give us three top tips,from three to one, on what and
what are some of the habits orpractices that constantly make
the difference between a goodproject and a great project?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
In three, we've got a detailed plan.
As I've said, we need a widerange of really high quality
data, so it's important that wedeliver the right person, right
place, right time we deliver theright person, right place,
right time In number two I wouldsay great conversations with
our customers, with our teams,to ensure we really understand
(16:18):
what our customers need and toensure we've got a great plan to
deliver it.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And number one tip.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
And then finally, in at number one no surprise is
communication At every step ofthe way.
We need everybody to understandthe plan, understand the part
they play in the plan and toensure that it stays on track
and delivers great results well,yeah, I must say, are you sure
that was your first podcasttoday?
It was james.
It might well be my last no,you smashed it up.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You were fabulous today.
So, gail, thank you ever somuch for your time.
I I found that reallyinteresting, so I'm sure the
listeners out there found itinteresting too.
But thank you ever so much forcoming on to Rethink Revealed,
and I'll catch up with you verysoon.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Thank you for having me.
Goodbye.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
See you now, bye-bye.
That's it for Rethink Revealed.
I hope you found it insightfuland, like me, you learned
something new.
You can find great podcastsfrom Rethink Productivity on our
website, which I'll link in theshow description, along with
the music we used today.
I'll hopefully catch you againsoon for the next episode of
Rethink Revealed.
Until then, bye-bye.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Cold Case Files: Miami
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.