Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Finding your next CEO

·         Judgment, strategic thinking and learning agility are more important than visible strengths such as energy and confidence

·         CEOs are made not born, with appropriate exposure to wide-ranging challenges and experiences being critical to the development of those with potential

·         Improvements must be made to succession planning to achieve these

Bright ideas in dark times

In these troubled times it appears to be more difficult than ever before to foster innovation in organisations when they are struggling to keep their heads above water. But get it right and we would all agree with the logic that suggest creativity could have many of the answers.

Key points

Make innovation central to everything - not an add on

Create a climate where individuals feel free to raise new ideas

Encourage your leaders to create a supportive and open culture


1. Make innovation a priority

2. Take an outside-in perspective

3. Create a process for innovation

4. Define the big levers and pull them

5. Drive out fear

6. Create trust

7. Recognise both successful and unsuccessful innovators

You can create both a culture and a climate of innovation. Climates of innovation can be created by leaders in each part of your organisation.

 

Reducing your training budget

Stop and think.  Who needs this training and why?  Ditch the sheep-dip approach in favour of tailored programmes.

 

Online training, properly executed, can save you a fortune and allows people to carry out their learning at home.  But don’t automatically axe all your classroom-based activities – take a blended learning approach.

 

Get employees to share knowledge informally, don’t forget the free resources (youtube, iTunes U)

 

1.       Prioritise training needs

2.       Don’t sheep dip

3.       Outsource expediently

4.       Encourage informal knowledge sharing

5.       Consider pre-induction training

6.       Maximise different training channels

7.       Don’t ditch all your classroom training

8.       Get employees learning at homes

Bright ideas in dark times

In these troubled times it appears to be more difficult than ever before to foster innovation in organisations when they are struggling to keep their heads above water. But get it right and we would all agree with the logic that suggest creativity could have many of the answers.

Key points

Make innovation central to everything - not an add on

Create a climate where individuals feel free to raise new ideas

Encourage your leaders to create a supportive and open culture


1. Make innovation a priority

2. Take an outside-in perspective

3. Create a process for innovation

4. Define the big levers and pull them

5. Drive out fear

6. Create trust

7. Recognise both successful and unsuccessful innovators

You can create both a culture and a climate of innovation. Climates of innovation can be created by leaders in each part of your organisation.

 

Experiential Learning Centre - Press Coverage

Lane End Training and Conference Centre in Buckinghamshire is one of the most active specialist venues, with a growing customer base that reflects its efforts to provide new options for organisers. We look at its latest innovation, and talk to its sales and marketing manager Heni Fourie about the centre’s progressive approach.

Lane End recently announced the development of a new experiential learning centre, believed to be one of the first of its kind in the London area. Set to open in April, it will offer more than 20 different physical, mental and challenge based activities, all specifically designed to enhance workplace performance. Experts at Lane End have teamed up with Hi5 Events to create the new learning centre for client Challenging HR.

Productive assessment

All the experiential learning activities will vary in duration from 30 minutes to three hours. They are designed to draw out learning around the behaviours, processes, skills and natural abilities normally used in the workplace. Delegates will be able to assess their effectiveness and personal behaviours – allowing them to consider the alternatives and to increase their skills.

video interview

Although the new experiential learning centre will be situated conveniently close to the capital, it has been designed to serve the entire UK and also international clients as a major centre of excellence. 'This is a very exciting development and certainly one that will add value to the overall experience for many of our clients,'says Heni Fourie: 'In the current economic climate, event organisers need to be absolutely certain that the experiential learning and leadership coaching in which they invest delivers proven benefits to the bottom line. That is why a dedicated experiential learning centre run by experts at an internationally renowned residential conference centre is the logical choice.'

Outstanding access

Lane End is the perfect setting for the innovative new development because it is just 30 miles from London and Heathrow – making it ideal for the capital’s major corporates. The venue is set in 26 acres of Chilterns countryside with easy access to the M4, M40 and M25. Its facilities include 7 conference rooms, 24 break-out rooms and 104 bedrooms. Hi5 Events Director Andrew Lewis said: 'We were asked to suggest a quality venue with sufficient outdoor space within the Home Counties with the aim of developing fixed challenges for training events.'

The new experiential learning centre will build on Lane End’s success over the past three years as one of the UK ’s leading team building venues . During that time Lane End has hosted more than 150 team building events on-site. More than 40 different team building activities are already available.

Challenging HR Managing Director Simon Bound said: 'We are delighted to be working with Lane End to create such a unique training venue. The Lane End team has an enviable reputation for customer service and the location is perfect for our clients based in and around London.' Lane End Conference Centre attracts delegates from all over the world because it is a dedicated campus of business-orientated conference and meetings facilities, close to London but free of the hassle of city-based events. Companies can ensure complete privacy because the venue is divided into five distinct and separate conference centres. Firms can book an entire building with its own bedrooms, dining and conference facilities.

 

Experiential Learning Centre - Press Coverage

Lane End Training and Conference Centre in Buckinghamshire is one of the most active specialist venues, with a growing customer base that reflects its efforts to provide new options for organisers. We look at its latest innovation, and talk to its sales and marketing manager Heni Fourie about the centre’s progressive approach.

Lane End recently announced the development of a new experiential learning centre, believed to be one of the first of its kind in the London area. Set to open in April, it will offer more than 20 different physical, mental and challenge based activities, all specifically designed to enhance workplace performance. Experts at Lane End have teamed up with Hi5 Events to create the new learning centre for client Challenging HR.

Productive assessment

All the experiential learning activities will vary in duration from 30 minutes to three hours. They are designed to draw out learning around the behaviours, processes, skills and natural abilities normally used in the workplace. Delegates will be able to assess their effectiveness and personal behaviours – allowing them to consider the alternatives and to increase their skills.

video interview

Although the new experiential learning centre will be situated conveniently close to the capital, it has been designed to serve the entire UK and also international clients as a major centre of excellence. 'This is a very exciting development and certainly one that will add value to the overall experience for many of our clients,'says Heni Fourie: 'In the current economic climate, event organisers need to be absolutely certain that the experiential learning and leadership coaching in which they invest delivers proven benefits to the bottom line. That is why a dedicated experiential learning centre run by experts at an internationally renowned residential conference centre is the logical choice.'

Outstanding access

Lane End is the perfect setting for the innovative new development because it is just 30 miles from London and Heathrow – making it ideal for the capital’s major corporates. The venue is set in 26 acres of Chilterns countryside with easy access to the M4, M40 and M25. Its facilities include 7 conference rooms, 24 break-out rooms and 104 bedrooms. Hi5 Events Director Andrew Lewis said: 'We were asked to suggest a quality venue with sufficient outdoor space within the Home Counties with the aim of developing fixed challenges for training events.'

The new experiential learning centre will build on Lane End’s success over the past three years as one of the UK ’s leading team building venues . During that time Lane End has hosted more than 150 team building events on-site. More than 40 different team building activities are already available.

Challenging HR Managing Director Simon Bound said: 'We are delighted to be working with Lane End to create such a unique training venue. The Lane End team has an enviable reputation for customer service and the location is perfect for our clients based in and around London.' Lane End Conference Centre attracts delegates from all over the world because it is a dedicated campus of business-orientated conference and meetings facilities, close to London but free of the hassle of city-based events. Companies can ensure complete privacy because the venue is divided into five distinct and separate conference centres. Firms can book an entire building with its own bedrooms, dining and conference facilities.

 

Monday, 11 July 2011

I Was Absorbed

"I was absorbed by their enthusiasim and commitment and willingness to reach our objectives." Sam Kazmanli, London Fire Brigade