Testimonials

The following is an assessment done by the Canadian Council of the Blind after a five day Mentor Leadership Training Program in Ottawa.
Kerry Johnston, Consultant & Assessment

How do you rate the quality of the facilitation and the organization of the peer mentoring training program?
Excellent=9 Very Good=3 Good=0 Adequate=0 Poor=0

• 'the facilitator certainly listened and went the extra mile to provide a comfortable and respectful situation for the group.'
• 'Very well done, interactive, developed a good network.'
• 'Nothing but excellent. Kept it interesting for all, extremely organized and very knowledgeable of the topic.'
• 'Very willing to learn and adapt to our needs.'
• 'Wayne Townsend was an incredible facilitator. He also took the time to prepare for our workshop by visiting members before hand so he himself would feel more comfortable during the week long program with us.'
• 'Thanks to Wayne, Peer Peer Mentor.net and CCB the week long training program went very smoothly and was kept on track.'
• 'The development of friendship and support with other mentors across Canada has created a foundation, which will be a great value. Documents received and resources given, on the Internet, will add to what we achieved during, an intense, well thought out program.'
• 'Follow up from Wayne has been GREAT!'

Kerry Johnston, Consultant, Ottawa, February 1, 2008.

The following are excerpts from assessments from other workshops. Some of the organizations are not identified because of the confidentiality agreements with the organizations.

Wayne Townsend provides a wonderful understanding of mentoring concepts using practical exercises, creativity and interactive discussions. He allows participants space for discovery and provides an environment that is safe, allowing for openness and curiosity. He has a wonderful ability to connect with audiences that lets them have fun while learning. In short he does a great job!
Delee Fromm, Fromm & Goodhand

Thanks for the Mentor Leadership Training. This five day training workshop was enlightening and the activities were a lot of fun. I made some interesting connections with others who share common interests. It was hard to believe how fast the five days went by. At the end I felt ready to set up my own Mentor Program.
Frank, City Librarian, Mississauga

I have been leading a company of 1400 employees for years. When I took the Mentor Leadership Training two day workshop I thought I would learn some simple strategies to set up a Mentor Program. I learned quite a bit more about leadership and how to deal with my own staff more effectively. Thanks.
Dave, Manager, Toronto

What an awesome facilitator. There were twenty participants in our group. Not only did we have fun with the exercises; but we also, established some great relationships. Because of the divergence within our group, Wayne, you showed your facilitation skills by supporting the group to work through the issues and work together toward solutions.
Sheila, Health Care Nurse, Waterloo

Hi Wayne,
Great show last night!! You had the crowd for sure and you could tell they really enjoyed you and your message. It's inspiring. Thanks
Ian, Small Dog Studio, Kitchener

I have had the privilege of taking a number of mentor training courses with Wayne Townsend and have been more than impressed with his ability to teach, facilitate and learn from the experiences. Wayne really is an expert in being able to put into practice what he is teaching... right there in the classroom! More than this, he has always been ready & willing to answer questions and support each group participant, both in the classroom and in the community. I would highly recommend Wayne as a trainer and as a friend!
Rev. Scott L. Brush
Level 1 Peer Mentor Trainer
Youth Custody Facility Chaplain

Wayne,
I just wanted to drop you a quick line to again thank-you for your presentation last week at Golf's. Your energy and passion helped make the evening a hit. It was a pleasure meeting you and I wish that we had more of a chance to converse and share experiences. I hope that our paths do cross again sometime soon.
George Kehayas, PMP Manager - TMMC (Toyota) Production Control - Logistics

Hello Wayne:
Wonderful session last night!

I have already started to revise the guidelines I usually refer to when introducing myself to new BQ clients. The goal is to make a safe discussion environment even safer and more comfortable for them.

I try to employ good questioning techniques rather than a lot of outright "telling." The idea is to help clients discover their own potential pitfalls through these questions. Given the very real risks inherent in launching a business, and that a few clients might try blame a failed business launch or related family issues on anyone except themselves, it's important that BQ mentors create a safe environment for the client to fully express themselves and maximize their potential to succeed, while also ensuring the client keeps ownership of their family and business decisions and any related actions and outcomes as they move forward. Sometimes the best outcome for some BQ clients is not to try to launch their own business. It's not a suitable "career" for everyone.

Again, well done Wayne. Thanks to gentlemen like you my methodology goes through continuous improvements.
Cheers,
Bo Renneckendorf

Thank you for inviting me, Great learning opportunity.
Yours Truly,
Jose Rivera

Thanks to all of you - for a great evening. The presentation was very helpful and fun and the chance to meet others and have a delicious dinner was much appreciated.
Thanks again!
Kathie Lamie, Supervisor, Resource Area & Employment Programs - Waterloo

Wayne,
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for coming to the Mentor Training/Dinner Event last night at the Golf's Steak House. I feel it was a great success and although the workshop itself was shorter than usually presented I could see how useful it still was. I learned a lot in those 2 hours.

Wayne Townsend is an excellent presenter/mentor and we appreciate the knowledge he shared with us with great positive enthusiasm. I am certain that each of us can take something learned last night and apply it to someone we are mentoring, whether formally or informally.
Thank you again!!
Mehmet Mehmet, HOST Mentors' Coordinator
YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo