Success Story ~ Dorcas Cox

Thanks to taking part in the Agile Nation Ascent programme Dorcas is a self-confessed “new woman” and effectively juggling the demands of a busy full-time management role

Dorcas Cox, originally from Rhymney, left school in 1968 aged 16. Four decades later she returned to study to refresh and improve her skills, and has seen her confidence soar as a result 

After ten years out of work raising her children, Dorcas worked as a secretary at a Merthyr solicitors before securing the role of a Senior Secretary/Line Manager at Gwyn George Partnership ten years ago.

Her responsibilities include providing support to ten busy lawyers, fielding calls and queries and managing the day-to-day running of the office and all of the administration that entails.

Despite being happy in her job, Dorcas sometimes felt overwhelmed by the conflicting demands on her time as the firm grew. Her biggest challenge was managing her time. She struggled with prioritising her workload which, in turn, hampered her confidence.

Dorcas said:

“Working in a busy office, providing support to many different people put a huge strain on my time. I didn’t have the confidence to tell people I wasn’t able to complete their work immediately and often ended up with a mounting workload. I sometimes didn’t know where to begin.”

How we helped

Since joining the Ascent programme Dorcas has successfully gained an Institute of Leadership and Management Level 2 Team Leading Award, and is attending our free members’ events to help informally continue her development journey

The benefits to Dorcas began when her employer encouraged her to participate in Agile Nation’s Ascent programme

This part of the project has been designed to help individuals improve their leadership and organisational skills. The project also helps improve confidence and communication skills. 

Dorcas added:

"Returning to learning after 40 years was daunting but I had a lot of support and encouragement from my mentor. The class sizes were relatively small, which made it easier to start useful discussions and share challenges and solutions to issues in the workplace. I feel like a changed woman in terms of my confidence and ready to take on any new challenges.”

“Before I completed the course, I would sit in on team meetings and not fully get involved even if I had something valid to say. The course helped me develop my communication and leadership skills which has pushed me to make more positive contributions in meetings and realise that I can add value to the way the business operates.”

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