Archive for the ‘News’ Category

2021 marks the 10 year anniversary of SMART Way Forward!

Posted on: April 17th, 2021 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

 

Our MD Nadeem Shaikh started SMART Way Forward back in April 2011. A decade on and we are now celebrating our 10 year anniversary!

A fantastic milestone which we are all so incredibly proud of. However, this would not have been possible without the love, support and encouragement from our wonderful families, friends and work colleagues. Thank you for believing in us and for helping us to achieve this dream.

Despite recessions, Brexit and a global Covid-19 pandemic, we have never lost our enthusiasm. We love what we do and show the same energy, passion and focus as we always have from day one – just with higher experience, knowledge and skills, plus many more bad jokes to share!

In 10 years, we have successfully worked with many amazing people and companies, locally, nationally and internationally delivering online and onsite training. These have included businesses, organisations, sports clubs, health/leisure centres, NGBs, active partnerships, schools, colleges and universities. In addition, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers, professional sports men/women, senior management, sales and customer service teams. The testimonials page on our website is just a small reminder of how much training and development we have delivered and how much fun we have had along the way. 

THANK YOU for choosing SMART Way Forward. Our values will always remain the same; Honesty, Respect, Openness, Integrity, Professionalism, Development & Fun. Here’s to another 10 Years!

 

SMART Way Forward extends sponsorship of elite athlete Daniel Davies

Posted on: July 5th, 2016 by No Comments

Nadeem _ SWF sponsored athlete Dan Davies

SMART Way Forward is proud to announce the continuation of our sponsorship of elite marathon runner Daniel Davies.

Davies, 27, who recently completed the London Marathon in an amazing time of 2 hours 30 minutes and 40 seconds, has been coached by SMART Way Forward managing director Nadeem Shaikh – a UKA Level 3 Performance Endurance Coach – for the past five years and is aiming to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games.

SMART Way Forward first starting sponsoring Daniel in July 2015.

“We are delighted to have Daniel as a brand ambassador for SMART Way Forward and to be able to help him on his international and Olympic journey,” said Nadeem.

Dan Davies London Marathon 2016

“Daniel’s personal best time for a marathon still stands at 2 hours 25 minutes 39 seconds which he ran at Frankfurt in October 2014. He hoped to beat this in London but a knee injury picked up a few days before the marathon flared up. I’m really confident that the Amsterdam Marathon in October will see him getting close to 2 hours 20 minutes.”

Daniel’s London Marathon time placed him 89th overall out of more than 35,000 runners. “We are all very proud of Daniel at SMART Way Forward,” said Nadeem, “and very excited at what the future holds for him.”

For more information on SMART Way Forward, the services we offer and how we work – and to follow Daniel’s progress – please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk or email info@smartwayforward.co.uk

 

 

 

 

SMART Way Forward launches into UK-wide training market

Posted on: June 1st, 2016 by No Comments

SWF at SIE2016bAt SMART Way Forward we’re committed to helping businesses increase sales and boost productivity – and now we are offering our expertise to more organisations than ever before.

Since SMART Way Forward was founded in 2011 by managing director Nadeem Shaikh, we’ve worked predominantly within the sport, fitness and leisure industry – using our unique blend of sales management and training expertise and long history of sporting competition and coaching to help public and private sector organisations be the best that they can be.

Thanks to the incredible success we’ve had over the last five years, we’ve been receiving increased interest in our training workshops from businesses outside of our core sport, fitness and leisure market, so we are now opening up our SMART services to any company which understands the huge benefits of investing in their management teams’ development.

Launching SMART Way Forward to the wider UK market at the Sales Innovation Expo in May, Nadeem Shaikh said: “We deliver sales training, management training, customer service training, coach development work and continuing professional development (CPD) workshops. We work with senior level management in small to medium-sized businesses as well as blue-chip companies.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from companies in a wide range of sectors, but what they all have in common is that they want to develop or motivate their management teams, to ensure they are the best that they can be and keep ahead of their competitors.”

SIE2016 seminar

Nadeem Shaikh also spoke at the event, delivering an engaging seminar on ‘Recognising your leadership style and adapting it to your team’.

The SMART team were in attendance on both days of the Sales Innovation Expo, speaking to CEOs, managing directors, directors, business owners, sales directors, HR managers, and team leaders showing them all the innovative ways in which SMART management and leadership training, sales training and customer service training can help to inspire, motivate and drive their teams, so they consistently exceed expectations and deliver amazing results.

The show was incredibly successful for SMART Way Forward and we are now working with many businesses, organisations, sales teams, directors and managers who we met at the show.

You can see an interview with Nadeem at the Sales Innovation Expo here:

For more information on SMART Way Forward, the services we offer and how we work, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk or email info@smartwayforward.co.uk

 

 

CSPs benefit from SMART Way Forward’s Coach Development programmes

Posted on: May 23rd, 2016 by No Comments

SMART Way Forward’s Coach Development team continues to work with County Sports Partnerships and other public sector organisations to help them develop coaching skills.

Taking place over two separate sessions, SMART Way Forward has worked with female coaches from Active Essex from sports such as football, rugby, swimming, running, roller skating, hockey, zumba and personal training; running workshops designed to help the coaches develop their softer skills and management skills by helping them understand the following areas:

– Understanding learning styles and personality types
– Effective interpersonal and communication skills
– Forming an effective personal development plan (PDP)
– What is Mental Toughness?
– Demonstrating Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)
– The difference between your Intention and Perception + brief overview on body language
– Having confidence in your Ability, Knowledge and Experience

Feedback after the training was excellent and a coach development programme is being set throughout 2016.

“Active Essex appointed SMART Way Forward to deliver a series of coach development workshops as part of our commitment to encouraging, engaging and developing the skills of women working, coaching and volunteering within sport in Essex,” said Lauren Neve, Coaching Development Manager for Active Essex.

“The workshops have a good balance of theory and practical, as well as sharing useful tips, knowledge and experience. Nadeem and his team have been fantastic throughout allowing us to deliver thought provoking workshops. We have a great working relationship with SMART Way Forward and would happily recommend them to other organisations.”

SMART Way Forward has also run a Behaviour Change workshop for Suffolk Sport County Sports Partnership (CSP), helping coaches from a wide range of sports develop their softer skills and personal self analysis skills so they can have a better understanding of how their communication, actions and mannerisms whilst coaching can impact a positive or negative outcome. The following areas were covered:

Characteristics of coaching styles
The importance of good communication skills
Understanding different learning styles and personality types
Intention and perception
A brief overview on body language

The workshop was attended by more than 25 coaches and the theory and practical advice shared was very well received.

Follow up sessions are already being implemented by the Suffolk Sport County Sports Partnership (CSP) and future SMART Way Forward Coach Development workshops are already being discussed for delivery over the coming months.

For more information on SMART Way Forward, the services we offer and how we work, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk or email info@smartwayforward.co.uk

 

 

SMART Way Forward unveils new SMART 3 Day Intensive CPD Management and Leadership Training Programme

Posted on: January 11th, 2016 by No Comments

Jaz Johal_Tiger Turf with Nadeem Sept 2015SMART Way Forward is proud to announce our new SMART 3 Day Intensive CPD Management and Leadership Training Programme.

This training course is run over three consecutive, eight-hour days, either at your office or at an off site location, and is for up to two managers at a time.

Following the training sessions, objectives will be set, which will then be followed up by SMART Way Forward in three phases – after 7-10 days, 3-4 weeks and 6-8 weeks – to work with you closely, as your mentor, to see how you are implementing what has been learnt and how you are consistently putting theory into practice.

The cost for this SMART 3 Day Intensive Management Programme is £4,995 + expenses*. This is a special promotional rate being held for 2016.

One of the first companies to take advantage of this fantastic new training package was artificial turf manufacturer Tiger Turf, with managers Andy Lovell, Jaz Johal, Andy Wing, Alex Dyke, Georgina Harris Bristow and Stephen Asamoah all now having completed a SMART 3 Day Intensive Management & Leadership Programme at The Granary Hotel, Worcestershire.

The courses covered the 12 key management essentials identified by SMART Way Forward:

– Identifying your team’s learning styles
– Identifying your team’s personality types
– People management
– Prioritising
– Organisational skills
– Strategic man-management
– Managing change within your team / business
– Understanding boundaries
– Conflict management
– Developing a focused team with the right skill set
– Leading from the front, managing by example
– Performance management

Following each of their programmes, the six Tiger Turf managers were presented with a personalised, framed Certificate of Attendance and Completion by SMART Way Forward managing director, Nadeem Shaikh.

“A SMART 3 Day Intensive CPD Management and Leadership Training Programme can help you motivate your team and consistently deliver excellent results,” said Nadeem. “People are the most important asset within any company. Making sure you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right positions, sharing the same vision, is an essential part of business success.”

*The cost includes preparation time and training delivery for up to two senior managers / directors in any one management training session. Expenses incurred will take into account costs such as travel, travel time, fuel and overnight stays for the trainer where required. Additional hours are charged at a rate of £195 per hour. Any training delivered after 6pm or at weekends is charged at the standard rate above, plus £100.

For more information on SMART Way Forward, the services we offer and how we work, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk or email info@smartwayforward.co.uk

 

 

SMART Team Management for England Athletics in Wales

Posted on: August 28th, 2015 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

Nadeem Shaikh with Andrew Greenleaf and Andy Nixon of Team EnglandOn Saturday 15th August SMART Way Forward Managing Director Nadeem Shaikh was asked to be Team Manager for England Athletics at their ‘Race the Train’ home international endurance event in Tywyn, Wales.

Nadeem, who is already a fully qualified UK Athletics Level 3 Performance Endurance Coach looked after Team England to gain further experience as part of his role on the National Coach Development Programme (NCDP) with England Athletics. The course was 14 miles of varied terrain around the Welsh countryside in Tywyn which included lots of steep muddy climbs and downhill fast treks . The event hosted almost 1100 athletes from all over the UK and Europe and has quickly established itself as one of the most testing endurance events in the country.

The event was won by Mike Kallenberg who was representing Team Wales. Mike completes the course in 1 hour 19 minutes 26 seconds. Andy Greenleaf from Team England (Serpentine AC) finished 2nd in 1 hour 20 minutes 10 seconds, with Andy Nixon from Team England (Stockport Harriers) finishing 3rd in 1 hour 20 minutes and 13 seconds. Team England won the team price, with Wales finishing second.

‘It was a real honour to be the Team Manager for England at this event. Thank you to England Athletics for this opportunity. Both Andy Greenleaf and Andy Nixon had a tremendous run to finish 2nd and 3rd at this event and it was great to win the team prize. I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of Andy Greenleaf and Andy Nixon at future international events in the coming months. Finally, I would just like to say a special thank you to the organisers for Race the Train, as well as Welsh Athletics for looking after us all so well on the day’ said Nadeem

More information about England Athletics can be found at www.englandathletics.org

To learn more about the Coach Development workshops delivering by SMART Way Forward, pleae visit http://www.smartwayforward.co.uk/training/

 

 

 

SMART sponsorship for elite marathon runner Daniel Davies

Posted on: July 7th, 2015 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

Dan Davies & Nadeem_SWF sponsorship_ July 2015ASMART Way Forward is proud to announce that we will be the official sponsors for elite marathon runner Daniel Davies for the next 12 months.

Daniel Davies is a successful British elite marathon runner who competes for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers and Barnet and District Athletics Club. He is coached by UK Athletics qualified Level 3 performance endurance coach and Managing Director of SMART Way Forward, Nadeem Shaikh.

Daniel finished 41st in this year’s Virgin London Marathon and his personal best times are incredibly impressive over a variety of distances. For 10K Daniel has run 33 minutes 03 seconds, half marathon 1 hour 13 minutes 28 seconds, 20 mile in 1 hour 55 minutes 25 seconds and Full marathon 2 hours 25 minutes 39 seconds. He was the 4th Team GB runner through when he ran the BMW Frankfurt Marathon in 2104 and 2nd GB runner when he ran the ING New York Marathon in 2013. Therefore, he was the obvious choice when it came to SMART Way Forward considering sponsoring and supporting an up and coming potential Olympic athlete.

Training as a full time athlete to try and achieve his dreams of one day representing Team GB at an Olympic Games, Daniel has already been very consistent in his performances achieving tremendous success in the UK and overseas over the marathon distance. However, unfortunately Daniel is not currently funded or supported by sport’s National Governing Body, British Athletics or any other sponsors. Therefore, SMART Way Forward stepped in and agreed to sponsor Daniel for 12 months from immediate effect so he could focus on his training and not worry about the financial pressures of purchasing running kit, paying for treatment, race entry fees, running shoes and travel costs.

Daniel Davies said “I feel so very lucky, grateful and privileged for the opportunity I have been given by SMART Way Forward. The financial support will make such a difference to my training, racing and injury prevention to ensure I can continue to compete at the highest level. I am very excited about the future and what lies ahead. Thank you so much”

Daniel Davies running London Marathon 2015

“I am absolutely delighted to announce that SMART Way Forward will be sponsoring and supporting Daniel with his marathon training, which should hopefully bring him a few steps closer to his Olympic journey. I have known Daniel for a number of years as one of the athletes whom I coach in my squad at Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers. He is a very mature, professional, focused and dedicated athlete and we are all very proud and inspired to follow his progress over the years. The financial support we can offer him for the next 12 months will hopefully go some way to easing the burden and ensuring he has what he needs to give him every opportunity to help him fulfil his dreams of representing team GB at an Olympic Games. To be part of this journey with Daniel is incredibly exciting for us as a company and we wish him every success now and for the future” said Nadeem Shaikh, Managing Director of SMART Way Forward.

To view Daniel Davies’ online profile on the British Athletics Power of 10 website, please visit

http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=373313

 

 

Business growth and SMART skills development at Mark Harrod

Posted on: March 25th, 2015 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

Mark Harrod officesEstablished sports equipment supplier Mark Harrod Limited will soon be celebrating their tenth anniversary. Based in Beccles, Suffolk they have been at the forefront of sports equipment innovation, design and distribution for over 10 years working with premiership sports clubs, the London Olympics, various sport’s National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and many other clubs, leisure centres, schools and universities around the UK.

An established family business, Mark Harrod Limited is big enough to deliver, yet small enough to care and offer a personal, professional service from start to finish.  Having recently moved to bigger offices in Beccles, which now includes a larger capacity warehouse and a fleet of delivery vehicles, the business is going from strength to strength.

Consistently delivering a professional service and developing the skills, knowledge and experience of their staff has always been a priority at Mark Harrord. So when it came to staff training and CPD (continuing professional development) we were delighted that Mark Harrod Limited chose SMART Way Forward.

“At Mark Harrod Limited we are always looking to develop our staff, along with our products to ensure we can offer our customer the highest levels of quality and service. We appointed SMART Way Forward to deliver a series of bespoke management and customer service training workshops to help us exceed expectations in all areas of the business. The training has been extremely beneficial and we would have no hesitation in recommending SMART Way Forward to other organisations” said Mark Harrod, Managing Director of Mark Harrod Limited.

Nadeem Shaikh, Managing Director of SMART Way Forward said “I have known Mark and the team at Mark Harrod Limited for many years and these are very exciting times for their business. They are a fantastic sports equipment supplier, offering a wide range of quality products and services around the UK. I am delighted that they have chosen SMART Way Forward to deliver a CPD management and customer service training programme to their staff.  We are really looking forward to working with them all over the coming months to help them develop their skills and be the best that they can be”

To learn more about Mark Harrod Limited, please visit www.markharrod.com

To learn more about our SMART management training, sales training or customer service training programmes, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk/training/

A full list of the training courses we deliver at SMART Way Forward can be found at www.smartwayforward.co.uk/our-courses/

 

 

 

WASPS rugby club develop SMART skills on and off the pitch

Posted on: January 21st, 2015 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

WASPS Ricoh Arena entranceWASPS rugby club are one of the most established premiership rugby clubs based in the UK. Located at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, they strive to deliver an all round memorable experience for all their customers, partners, sponsors and supporters.

With so many different marketing and promotional opportunities available at WASPS and The Ricoh,  when it came to developing the skills of their corporate sales and customer service teams, they needed a management and training consultancy who understood the sport, leisure, health and fitness industry.

Due to our extensive knowledge and experience of developing effective sales, management and customer service CPD (continuing professional development) training programmes for organisations around the UK, we were delighted that WASPS chose SMART Way Forward.

We designed a series of bespoke sales training workshops to help the team consistently deliver a professional consultative customer service experience every time. James Wootton, Corporate Sales Manager at WASPS said “At WASPS, we are always looking to develop the skills of our team so we can deliver a professional customer experience, each time, every time. We recently appointed SMART Way Forward to deliver a series of bespoke sales and customer service training workshops to help our corporate sales team exceed expectations. The training has been fun, effective and very beneficial and we would have no hesitation in recommending SMART Way Forward to others”

Nadeem Shaikh, Managing Director at SMART way Forward said “Being a passionate sports fan, I was delighted when we were contacted by James regarding a bespoke sale training / customer service training CPD programme for WASPS Rugby Club. The Ricoh Arena is such an iconic venue and offers so many different marketing and promotional opportunities. We are so proud to be working with James and his team to ensure they consistently deliver great results on and off the rugby pitch”

To learn more about WASPS rugby club, please visit www.wasps.co.uk

To learn more about the bespoke sales and customer service training programmes delivered by SMART Way Forward, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk/training/

A full list of the training courses we deliver at SMART Way Forward can be found at www.smartwayforward.co.uk/our-courses/

 

 

Bonar Yarns lead the way with a SMART CPD customer service training programme

Posted on: December 12th, 2014 by Nadeem Shaikh No Comments

Bonar Yarns logoIn the Summer of 2014, Bonar Yarns, one of the leading suppliers of high performance synthetic turf and carpet yarn around the world, appointed SMART Way Forward to deliver a focused Customer Service CPD (Continuing Professional Development) training programme to its team based in Dundee, Scotland. The programme was very well received by their customer service and sales team and has already helped the team become even more effective and efficient in their roles.

Bryn Lee, Commercial Director at Bonar Yarns said “Bonar Yarns is primarily a manufacturing company and our customer service is an essential link between our own production facilities and our customers. SMART Way Forward were asked to deliver a training programme focused on improving our service, communication skills and helping staff make best use of their time. This they have achieved through a series of onsite training sessions. The results have been excellent with great feedback from staff and customers. We would certainly recommend SMART Way Forward to other organisations where communication with customers is key to a successful business”

“It is an absolute pleasure working with Bryn and his team at Bonar Yarns. They are always looking to exceed their customer’s expectations by consistently delivering a high level of customer service, before, during and after an installation. So with this in mind, SMART Way Forward designed a bespoke ‘solutions focused’ training programme to help the team manage workloads and customer expectations.  Results have been fantastic and it is great to see theory being put into practice” said Nadeem Shaikh, Managing Director at SMART Way Forward

To learn more about Bonar Yarns, please visit www.bonaryarns.com

To learn more about the customer service training programme delivered by SMART Way Forward, please visit www.smartwayforward.co.uk/training/

A full list of the training courses we deliver at SMART Way Forward can be found at www.smartwayforward.co.uk/our-courses/

 

 

There is always a positive to be learnt from every negative situation