For over twenty years, Roseann’s Principles have quietly been a part of Sandfield's DNA, shaping a company culture that values communication and collaboration alongside technical expertise. Sandfield’s long-standing relationship with Roseann, built on a shared belief in the importance of human connection, has helped transform a group of talented individuals into cohesive teams.
The beginning of a unique partnership
The partnership began in 2006 when Sandfield's founder, Bruce Copeland, an accountant, attended a communication training session hosted by the Society of Accountants. Bruce had thought that people were born with soft skills or picked them up via osmosis. He was blown away by Roseann’s session. He realised that communication was an intensely studied discipline that was taught and could be learnt.
People working in IT are renowned for not being great communicators. Realising that many business challenges were caused by communication, not technical issues, Bruce wondered whether he could bring this “good stuff” to the business. But he was concerned that someone with such amazing talent wouldn’t have time for a small customer.
"I think I need what you do," he told Roseann. "How do we go about it?"
“Roseann kicked off with a session bringing together the leadership group, establishing an understanding that we all communicate in different ways. Rather than becoming frustrated, we started learning that this was our strength. This is a reasonably common understanding now, but 20 years ago, this was unusual and more than a bit uncomfortable”.
“Right from that first session, I’ve thought it a real privilege that we have someone of Roseann’s calibre prepared to help us and our business, and I still think exactly the same way today”.
A secret weapon for growth
Bruce soon realised that for Sandfield to grow, everyone needed to be on the journey together. “There was no point, just the senior leadership team, being on board. If we had everyone learning and growing together, we’d become a much better organisation”.
"I had a team full of champions, they're bloody good at what they do," Bruce recalled, "but I didn’t have a champion team. The main ingredient they were missing was their ability to communicate and connect with each other."
At the time, the concept of "soft skills" in the IT industry was almost unheard of. After a significant business change, a new era for Sandfield began. Roseann’s work started with a team-building session that eventually led to a company-wide rollout of her training programmes.
For many businesses in our field, people with deep technical expertise are locked away, and interactions with clients are handled by Business Analysts or Account Managers or the like. Although not always practical, we want all our team to be involved as much as possible. We want everyone to be well-rounded professionals.
Roseann emphasises that her role isn't about ticking boxes. "I hate the word consultant," she says. "I see myself as an integral part of the business." This partnership, built on trust and collaboration, has allowed Sandfield to develop a customised approach to soft skills development.
"It's not me coming in and going, 'Here's what you need to fix,'" Roseann explains. "It's them coming to me and saying, 'We've got this need. How can you fill that gap?'"
Partnership and principles
Technical expertise is a given, but true long-term success hinges on something more foundational: soft skills. Bruce noted during the celebration of Roseann’s 20-year partnership that her influence has "really been the wind under our wings, which has helped us become as successful as we've been, both as a business but also personally."
Roseann and Sandfield believe business success is built on human development. Taught through our soft skills sessions, Roseann’s principles - centred on "seeking to understand," "love" (disciplined encouragement of learning), and "investment" enable our team to solve business problems effectively, recognising that the best technology is always an extension of strong communication and human partnership.
This 20-year partnership has enabled every individual within Sandfield to upskill, reinforcing the genuine culture and values of the company since its inception. As Roseann reflected, this focus creates a "true partnership is something quite unique," which "doesn't come around a lot in businesses today."
From individual stars to a champion team
The goal for Sandfield was always to create a cohesive team. Early on, a project rollout revealed a critical lesson: technical brilliance alone can't overcome communication breakdowns. That experience was a clear reminder that skills beyond code are crucial for effective collaboration.
Now with a team of just over 170 people, this focus on the "human factor" is central to how Sandfield operates. Instead of just "selling solutions," success is built on genuine partnerships with clients - and that starts with a conversation.
Soft skills are deeply embedded across the entire Sandfield team, starting immediately with our new starter sessions. This commitment continues through ongoing internal workshops, ensuring every team member - from developers to leadership - is continually upskilling in communication, relationships, and human development. By integrating soft skills into team sessions and leadership training, we ensure that our client interactions and code delivery are always anchored in genuine partnership and mutual understanding.
The legacy of this approach is shown in Sandfield’s long-term client relationships and low team turnover. It's a testament to Bruce's leadership and Roseann's ability to foster a culture where empathy, communication, and collaboration are seen as essential as technical skills. The principles she has taught have not only helped Sandfield's people grow professionally but have also had a positive effect on their personal lives, with a ripple effect that goes beyond the office.
