We are Priority Management Scotland. And we're here to teach you a 'better way to work'. Established in Glasgow in 1998, our reputation has been built on delivering impactful results and behaviour change. We have wide experience in working for multinational and large public sector organisations. So we understand today's work pressures.
Gilly MacMorran and her team of experienced professionals have developed WorkingSm@rt®programmes over many years. Their knowledge of modern working practices, leadership & management behaviours, technical optimisation and how to encourage people to implement change is second to none. The Priority team all have the skills to motivate, challenge, tailor and pitch delivery appropriately depending on the level and experience of the groups.
Our courses are not an endpoint: we change, technology changes, work changes, business changes and priorities change. Our job is to help you develop habits and skills which will stay with you for life
Gilly MacMorran
Managing Director
What do you love about your work?
Relationships, the diversity of our client base and the satisfaction of doing a great job. I simply love the exposure to all sorts of different businesses; we have learnt so much about different sectors and enjoyed really long standing relationships with some great people. The clients span from L'Oreal and Bayer to 3rd sector charities, to different council departments, to people producing fish! You cannot fail to enjoy it. It becomes even more enjoyable when you work with a great team of capable people.
What's been the hardest thing?
Finding good people for the team. We are all people facing so it is imperative everyone fits our brand and our ethos - honesty, professionalism, high standards in all that we do. However, I have an absolutely first class team – they are all outstanding and superb at what they do. I believe in being patient for the right person: there's got to be a strong fit.
What did you do before this?
I had some great training from Mars Confectionery, HSBC Bank and Kettle Foods (Chips). When you work for a company like Mars, which is outstanding in its training and best practices, you don't realise that it is not necessarily normal everywhere else, until you leave. The disciplines of a corporate background have definitely played a large part in the way we operate. You just have to do things right.
Leigh Milligan
Head of Learning & Delivery
What do you love about your work?
I am passionate about professional learning, wellbeing and leveraging the power of technology to enhance productivity. The benefits of delivering top quality professional development are as wide-ranging as the individuals who I work with. Every day I receive feedback from clients, telling me that our workshops have positively impacted their lives as well as their careers. I love hearing that they feel more confident, empowered and less stressed. I also really enjoy teasing out challenges and coming up with solutions. No day is the same, no work shop is the same, I am continually learning and I work with a great team of experts.
What's been the hardest thing?
Sometimes I don't have the answer to everything straight away but, thankfully, I know that I can ask a member of the team or I'll find it elsewhere through our partnerships and the Priority Management community.
What did you do before this?
I've worked in financial services, education and technology. More recently, I led up a team of Professional Learning Specialists, working across a variety of transformation projects, most notably Glasgow City Council's Connected Learning Project. It was a huge learning experience, requiring all the WorkingSm@rt® methods! I've worked with and learned from some incredibly creative and innovative people and partners such as Apple, Microsoft and Google.
Mimi Stansfeld
Business Development
What do you love about your job?
The variety of clients that I speak to on a day-to-day basis is very rewarding. Particularly when I discover that there is a specific need Priority Management can assist with. I also love working within a very professional, driven team which is ultimately what complete job satisfaction should comprise. No day is ever the same, after all ‘variety is the spice of life’.
What has been the hardest thing?
Finding the time to speak to people when I am free but the client might not be. It has also become increasingly harder to speak to the right people because we don't answer phones anymore!
What did you do before this?
Prior to Priority Management I worked in business development within the recruitment sector, across a multitude of different industries that included Finance, Education, Insurance and Wealth Management. This experience has been invaluable for my present role, building up my interpersonal skills and helping drive the business forward by maintaining a strong relationship with our clients and potential clients.
Elspeth Webster
Admin Manager
What do you love about your work?
My job is never dull. I love all the different aspects of administration from finance, operations and IT to the smooth running of the staff within our office which has increasingly grown and developed over the years. I am responsible for making sure that everyone – from staff to all our clients – are in the right place at the right time, all the time so there is a lot to juggle but it’s what keeps it so interesting.
What's been the hardest thing?
Developing our coaching programme from being face-to-face to online. This requires at least double the admin and I need to ensure that every delegate is with the correct coach at the correct date and time!
What did you do before this?
I trained as a secretary many years ago and then spent 10 years as PA to the Managing Director and Finance Director of Sutcliffe Catering working at Board Level. I joined Priority Management over 20 years ago as Administration Manager and the role has grown significantly with the growth of the company.
Barbara Mennie
Executive Coach
What do you love about your work?
I love being at the cutting edge of implementing new technologies and passing that knowledge to our clients. It’s very satisfying to help them embrace new ways of working and seeing them realise the benefits. I also enjoy working with a very diverse range of clients, often based in different time zones, scattered around the globe.
What's been the hardest thing?
Working remotely! We are a great, fun team of people, but in latter times have had to adapt to working remotely. So, it’s hard missing the camaraderie and laughs of working together in the office.
What did you do before this?
I started my working life in a worldwide Quality of Life services company, but latterly have run my own business training consultancy, providing services to both the public and private sectors. I have first-hand skills in business training and an exceptional knowledge of the operational aspects of managing a business.
Susanna Schraag
Executive Coach
What do you love about your work?
I thoroughly enjoy connecting with a wide variety of clients and supporting them with their individual challenges. Everybody's needs and expectations are different and I love being able to help. I am a problem solver and enjoy finding innovative solutions to people's problems.
What's been the hardest thing?
Having to change career after moving to the UK was hard but I have been so lucky to find a vocation, which involves meeting new people all the time. I love it.
What did you do before this?
I am originally from Germany, where I used to work as a Physiotherapist. I really enjoyed meeting and working with patients every day and supporting them in their recovery.
Jean Barr
Executive Coach
What do you love about your work?
The best bit of my role is meeting the wide range of lovely people that I work with, always so keen to implement their learning and grateful for any extra tips they acquire when we personalise the process to meet their individual needs.
What's been the hardest thing?
The most challenging part is building instant rapport, assessing their needs, trying to match that with what their perception of their needs is and demonstrating my solution. We then need to implement it all within a short space of time. That's the biggest challenge.
What did you do before this?
I managed a large team in the highly pressurised recruitment industry. It was all about people but working smart was key to meeting the business needs. This was therefore a natural progression for me.
Gill MacDougall
Training Consultant
What do you love about your work?
I have been so lucky in my career. I really love the buzz of working with so many diverse people and teams, challenging them on what they know and what they don't know, teaching them new things and supporting them on their learning path. I believe wholeheartedly that we all need to laugh, so I mix the serious with the fun which I hope makes a memorable experience for people.
What's been the hardest thing?
I think the hardest thing was being put through my paces and learning the programmes which are so specific and different to others I had delivered. I have never had such a hard learning curve but it was so worth it once I had grasped all the material. We have also had incredibly hairy moments with IT, people from different countries learning in foreign languages – it is never dull and it keeps you on your toes.
What did you do before this?
I did a degree in HR and worked in several generalist HR roles before moving to BT for 10 years, ultimately joining the senior leadership team. I then ventured out as an independent consultant working for blue chip organisations both in the UK and abroad.