About

"I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your professional advice and guidance through a time of critical change and growth at Abell Point Marina. Since the change of ownership in early 2013 we have spent over $10mil on reinvigorating the Abell Point Marina precinct to develop a world class destination marina. We have recently received world class status with our recent 5 Gold Anchor awards, however to be the best you must continually improve and we have identified this must be driven within the staff base itself. Your recent involvement in driving our organisational development program has played a very important role in identifying training needs, reviewing operational procedures and planning a structure that will not only improve effectiveness now but provide a sustainable foundation for future growth.l Without your recommendations and leadership there is no doubt that our current systems and operations would not be on the true road to success. A big thank you and I am confident we will again work together in the future."

"Red Cat Adventures have thoroughly enjoyed working with Judy at SHIFT. Our staff have learnt new skills including effective delegation, better communication and how to be accountable for our actions. This has led to an increase in staff motivation, improved morale and a more production work force. We will be investing in training with Judy for ourselves and our staff for the foreseeable future."

"The organisation was the peak representative body for Tourism and Economic Development for the region. At the time the organisation was in very poor shape - dysfunctional Board, no CEO, membership dissatisfaction, and serious HR issues. Judy Porter was hired as an interim Caretaker CEO and over a four month period managed to resolve the issues and, with assistance from other stakeholders, form a new tourism organisation. Her capacity to work through some very complex issues in a professional manner are testimony to her skill set and I would highly recommend her services and expertise."

"Our tourism business boomed within a period of 12 months, which of course is fantastic news to business owners, however as we all know, when we get too busy cracks start happening. Systems and procedures 12 months earlier weren’t coping with this demand. A huge call out for help to Judy at Shiift came just at the right time. Judy helped identify gaps in our business structure, provided some great templates and assisted with internal communication processes. Having a clear direction into the future is priceless as well as the tools that Judy provided to keep growing and improving our business… Thanks so much Judy, not only for saving our sanity but for also taking our little family owned and operated business to the next level."

"100% totally recommend this Communications Workshop. The way it was delivered and discussed in full detail, everyone got a better understanding of some key factors that will help improve a more productive workplace. Well done, Judy.

Internal Analysis: "By participating in Shiift’s Leadership Development Program, our Management Team got to evaluate and analyse the effectiveness of our business and its systems. Crucially, we became very aware that management needed to remove ourselves from the daily tasks of running the business and start working on the business. From the training we have learnt how to understand and manage the different personalities, traits and characteristics within our staff members to bring out their best both within the workplace, their productivity and ultimately their job satisfaction. A large component of this, was to learn effective communication methods in order to engage them. Through the process we identified just how important it is to engage all staff members to ensure that the team were consciously “on board” with what we, as a company wanted to achieve. Whitsunday Escape has experienced rapid growth over the past 12 months and it was identified that it would be beneficial to have an external Consultant help us navigate through the changes our business was experiencing.In conjunction with the coaching and leadership development program for the managers and team supervisors, we requested Judy complete an Internal Assessment of the business and compile a Development Plan to step us through the process of continual improvement. After the internal business assessment, it was identified that the entire team needed to realign and agree upon our objectives and our values. Judy facilitated a whole team meeting in which staff feedback indicated that they felt valued in having a voice and a chance to contribute to the objectives of the business. This could not have been done effectively without the help of an external facilitator. Judy also made a number of recommendations including creating several new positions, splitting tasks and cross-train a number of key staff members to support company growth. Judy has shown us a structured approach and clear vision on how to manage and grow the business whilst ensuring we are successfully engaging our team and involving them in the processes. It is important to Whitsunday Escape that our staff love their jobs and enjoy being part of our team. As Branson said, “Look after you staff and they will look after your customers”. Judy has given us many useful tools and guidance on how to best achieve this which we have no doubt will benefit us immensely through the growth of our business.”

Leadership Development: "Abell Point Marina approached Judy Porter from Shiift with the request to lead the company’s managers through a six monthly program to develop individual leadership skills as well as the organisational behaviour within the operation. I have found the course extremely interesting – I personally have gained a lot of knowledge in developing the strengths and personal qualities of our staff which has led to a more productive and happier work environment for all. I believe that the group as a whole has much improved in ways of working together to achieve individual goals. I would recommend Judy Porter to every organisation who is serious in developing the competencies and leadership qualities within their companies.