IT’S the daily workplace reality for many. You switch on your computer in the morning with a "to do" list but constant interruptions such as emails and meetings impede progress throughout the day, and by the time you leave the office you’re stressed and demotivated at how little you’ve achieved…yet again.

According to Gilly MacMorran you can break this cycle of frustration. And that’s exactly what she and her training company, Priority Management Scotland, have been assisting people and firms to do for the last two decades.

“It’s about working smart,” explains the Glasgow-based businesswoman. “We provide tailored training that uses a practical methodology to transform people’s working behaviours.

“It’s about driving productivity and equipping people with modern skills for management and leadership. I run the Scottish arm of the business but the concept, which started in Canada, has trained more than two million people worldwide.

“It’s a combination of group work and individual coaching that harnesses technology. You can’t change behaviour overnight, but when you help people in practical ways and support them over time to implement better ways of working, the results can be transformative.”

Before setting up the business Ms MacMorran worked for many years in the corporate world, rising to senior positions in blue chip companies, where the poor working practices and leadership she observed inspired her to seek a different approach.

She now heads up a team of 10 from a base in Glasgow’s west end, having grown the scope of the business from working mostly with small local firms, to bagging big European clients such as L’Oreal and Johnson & Johnson. The company also works extensively with public service clients and the third sector.

“Everybody knows what they are meant to be doing but many struggle with how to go about it and they go home worrying they haven’t achieved enough,” says Ms MacMorran, who originally comes from Aberdeen. “We give them different working processes to manage it all.

“Big companies in particular need to look at their leadership and support culture change in their business.

“Sometimes they have four or five generations working under the same roof, all with different expectations and experiences. The ability of these organisations to relate to each other is often poor, which impedes not only productivity but the wellbeing of staff.”

As for her own business, the mother-of-three says it took time and effort to build the right team.

“I love being able to make decisions and not have to wait for other people to sign them off,” she says. “Finding the right people has been key to the success of the business and the team I have now is fantastic.

“Also key is having the right personal attributes. You need to be someone who gets out of bed in the morning and feels happy to be responsible for everything that will happen that day. You also have to have a considerable amount of self- belief and work very hard - running your own business is not a nine to five job.”

RBS has provided practical help along the way, says Ms MacMorran, by focusing on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

“Our business manager, Mhairi, has put me in touch with people and opened doors for us – that’s exactly what banks ought to be doing.”

And the businesswoman is full of encouragement for others thinking of going it alone, especially those working for big corporates.

“Setting up a business isn’t just a young person’s game,” she explains. “You just have to be bold enough to take the plunge. People who have been working for large organisations for many years probably have far more skills, knowledge and business acumen than they realise. Look for ways of using that, whatever you choose to do.”