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The Times, 24 February 2005
A competition
offering a 'career makeover' with Jo Ouston & Co was launched by The
Times career section in February 2005 - closing date 14 March 2005.
The competition was aimed at people who felt they were struggling to make
an impression at work, who were still trying to secure a promotion or
who felt that they were not doing themselves justice in their current
role. Entrants were invited to e-mail explaining in less than 300 words
why they need JO & Co's help.
The winner would benefit from a one-to-one career consultation with Jo Ouston
and a tailor made personal development plan incorporating coaching and/or
training through the JO & Co open course programme. See Feedback
on the Competition
Accounting Technician February
2005
Financial specialists need to rediscover the art of communication
if they are to break down the barriers that can come between themselves
and their non-financial colleagues, advises Jo Ouston. More...
Professional Manager November
2004
Do barmen always ignore you and taxis
never seem to stop? Do you feel invisible in meetings or find it hard
to get your point across? If so, you’re obviously not one of the
lucky ones born with that intangible quality called natural presence.
But being able to project a strong persona is not simply an accident of
birth – the good news is that the skills can be learnt.
"Presence is about having the gravitas to be who we are, while being
flexible enough to give status to others" say Jo Ouston. "It
is about being true to ourselves, not following the rules of some contrived
model of behaviour, which others will see through as superficial."
Gordon Riddler, a previous participant in the Developing Personal Presence
programme at Jo Ouston & Co, concludes "It has changed me from a
retiring, rather dull technologist to someone who can communicate to the
world on equal terms."
The Sunday Times 10 October 2004
'When Tony Blair made his speech at the Labour party conference, Jo Ouston
was observing his performance closely - out of professional curiosity,'
said Roger Eglin in his recent Sunday Times article. She thought Blair
was a good speaker but that there was something rather paternal about
his style - "It was very much a case of Daddy knows best."
Outlining the establishment and growth of Jo Ouston & Co, Eglin commented
that much of it was due to 'the enthusiasm of managers who had been on
her courses.' He quoted Simon Thornton,
marketing vice-president of Nacco, an international fork-lift truck maker:
"I found it very valuable. It made me feel much more comfortable
in all sorts of communication situations." Thornton did his first
course with three colleagues. Since then other board directors have commented
on the noticeable change in their manner.
The article quotes Jo on one of her core beliefs: "The way you feel
affects the way your audience feels", citing the importance of aligning
your inner intentions with what you are trying to project. "This
give you credibility in the eyes of the audience."
Featuring a list of tips on how to develop personal presence, the article
quotes Jo Ouston & Co's underlying philosophy that 'Personal presence
arises from a combination of self-awareness, personal value systems, and
effective behaviour.' And the final tip:
'Share your passion and excitement - when people feel that, they will
be drawn to you.'
FastForward (the magazine of Bristol
Business School) - Autumn 2002
Jo Ouston & Co is a niche development consultancy with specialisms
in personal career development and the behavioural skills associated with
management "It is our belief that success lies in realising the potential
in people," says Jo Ouston. "Pursuing an individual path to
success and fulfilment requires courage and determination and the ability
to inspire these qualities in others." More...
(pdf)
The Guardian - 20 October 2001
Nerves are something Jo Ouston is used to dealing with ... she helps people
to do themselves justice in what can often be a stressful situation. "When
people are nervous they'll either babble or freeze," she says. "We're
teaching them to have more control of the process. It's about knowing
who you are."
In order to sell the real you, you need to have some idea of who that
person is. It is sometimes easy to tell people what they want to hear
in an interview situation, and therefore come across as the ideal person
for the job. "Identity is a big thing," says Ms Ouston. "And
the most articulate people are often the most vulnerable. You can be seduced
into the wrong job over and over again. So that is why we work in a way
which defines the motivation first."
And what about skeletons in the closet? You might have dealt with these
on paper, but when it comes to the face to face situation, how well will
you cope? "A common problem is that someone will have had a personality
clash in a previous job. But in a way, you're probably a bit of a wet
weekend if you've never had a personality clash. If you're cornered, what
you want to focus on is what you've learned from the experience. It's
your resourcefulness that is important, not fudging it."
The Guardian - 22 July 2000
Jo is a warm, charismatic and deeply experienced professional - had I
been writing her CV I would have stressed her excellent communication
skills which centre on the telling of stories. I found this approach very
encouraging and aspirational. The service is totally personalised. It
is expensive but if you were to refer yourself to Jo early in the change
process, I think it would be well worth the cost to save oneself hours
of indecision and the trauma this entails.
Sunday Times - 30 May 1999
Ouston says: "The fundamental principle about career change is that
there will always be a logic to what the market will accept, so the trick
is to look for that logic in your background. You can split it into four
areas - qualifications, (which become less relevant as you get older),
experience, skill base, and sector knowledge (the most important as you
get older). The market will allow you to change one, sometimes two, but
it's unlikely to let you change them all at once."
Sunday Times - 29 March 1998
It matters more to some than to others that their values should be honoured
in their work. But as Ouston's work appears to bear out, ignoring our
values diminishes the quality of everything we do.
Sunday Times - 22 June 1997
Speaking in public is a terrifying prospect for most people. As ambitious
managers know, however, there is no escaping this chore if one is to advance
in the ranks of corporate power ... Leading training company Jo Ouston
& Co, offers a six-day course that helps people to develop 'personal
presence' in order to improve motivation, teamwork and communication.
She says: "We help people find direction and give them skills they
need to achieve their goals. The work is more developmental than remedial"
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