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"Leadership investment paid back 10-fold!"

Mike McCullagh has taken his crew of oil field supervisors on many training courses over the years. And the best of them all by far, he says, was the Jackey Backman Transformational Leadership workshop they took in Edmonton last fall.

As the area superintendent for Paramount Energy’s field operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan, McCullagh has seen distinct and lasting benefits for himself and his senior operations managers.

“I know my guys, for sure, got the most bang for their buck from Jackey’s course,” he says. “They’re more than willing to go and listen to her, and to challenge her. I’ve seen a lot of growth in them. It’s been a very good investment for the company to get those guys to the course — they’ve been paid back 10-fold. She has my utmost admiration.”

McCullagh says that, for him, Jackey’s message about “how you do anything is how you do everything,” has had a huge impact on his life, both in his career and in his personal affairs. “How you live your life anywhere is how you live it everywhere. By being aware of what thoughts enter your mind, you can decide what thoughts you think, and that’s really powerful.”

And Jackey’s question: “How long are you willing to do the same thing with no result?” also really resonated. “Her answers are so simple, yet they elude us.”

Jackey’s training style is both entertaining and energizing, and you know she truly cares about the people she teaches, he says.

“Once she gets going, she’s in the zone. She’s so focused, so aware of what she’s doing. The words just seem to flow out of her. After two days, you are so full of energy you feel like you could go out and accomplish anything.”
McCullagh is a repeat client. Transformational Leadership was the second course of Jackey’s that he’s taken.

“It was awesome. Truthfully no one has had more influence in my life — other than God — before Jackey Backman. It’s been an immense help to me to really get my personal life and my business life on track, to accomplish more things, to feel better about my life.

“Jackey really isn’t in it for the money. She’s willing to do something she believes in doing, what she does best and it’s made her successful.”

"A new level of compassion and understanding"

‘’As a director of a National Research Council of Canada (NRC) department, Terry Lindstrom is committed to fostering the leadership aspirations of his staff. However, leading is something that hasn’t always come naturally for many of NRC’s highly skilled technicians.

“NRC is a very technical organization and people were losing opportunities to advance into leadership positions because they lacked the necessary behavioural skills,” Lindstrom explains.

To remedy that situation, and support a cultural change from a “pure government mentality to a more businesslike approach,” his department launched a leadership development program, which has included Jackey Backman’s Transformational Leadership training.

“The decision to send my entire management team on a leadership seminar facilitated by Jackey was well worth the investment,” Lindstrom says. “It was clearly one of the best teaching approach and dynamics I’ve ever experienced.”

In particular, Lindstrom says his staff has learned “to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. ‘You’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable,’ has become part of our lexicon. People understand that phrase now. It means saying and doing what needs to be said and done — not reneging on responsibility. It’s important to sit down and tell the truth. We’re seeing an impact, and dividends being paid, that way.”

Jackey’s seminars are highly interactive, and her use of role playing has also paid off. “It allows people to be able to think quickly on their feet and maintain the objective of the conversation” — a vital skill, Lindstrom says.

He estimates his department’s productivity has improved roughly five to 10 per cent over the last 18 months due to a number of factors, “including the training we sent our people on with Jackey.”

“Among our supervisors and group leaders, I’m seeing a new level of compassion and understanding and putting themselves in the place of other people. They’re better able to communicate that they understand where an individual is coming from. And that makes a difference.”

Passion Pays Off!

Jackey Backman’s knowledge and the way she comes across is incredible, says Darrell Denet, the controller of finance and administration for Supreme Basics, an office supply company with locations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“Jackey is very inspiring — you can tell she’s passionate about what she does. She’s very knowledgeable and can really relate work experience she’s had and give you tips on handling various situations. She had great advice for every situation put to her.”

Denet, who participated in Transformational Leadership 2006 in Edmonton, took Jackey’s advice to heart about having passion for your job, caring about the people that you’re supervising, and the importance of a positive attitude and leadership qualities.

“It was great. It helped me be more confident in dealing with staff issues and overcoming problems that come up with the people I supervise.

“Everything was relevant; everything is useful when you get back to work.”

"Leadership investment paid back 10-fold!"

"A new level of compassion and understanding"

Passion Pays Off!

For your Success,

Jackey Backman