Choosing a training provider who gives value for money
When times are tough and businesses are watching every penny, using a training budget wisely is more important than ever. Richard Marsh has some advice on choosing a training provider who gives value for money. As every L&D professional knows, when budgets are cut, it’s more important than ever to ensure training provides a worthwhile […]
Tom Peters: In search of leadership heroes
Mike Levy talks to a chastened Tom Peters about how the real leadership heroes are the invisible figures leading small organisations through the economic crisis. And Peters also offers to answer your leadership questions! For a guru of excellence, 2009 is hair shirt year for Tom Peters. "I had the chance and I remained […]
The language of leadership: How to avoid ‘death by PowerPoint’
The ability to speak well can mark the difference between leadership success and failure. Martha Leyton and Martin Shovel of CreativityWorks specialise in helping people in leadership roles become inspiring speakers – and they’re here to answer your questions. Q: I speak and present a great deal, but the feedback from a few trusted colleagues […]
Leadership development takes centre stage at HRD 2009
Leadership and leadership development dominated the HRD conference and exhibition last week. Neil Davey reports back on why it has become the burning issue – and what the speakers had to say about it. Earlier this year, CIPD research indicated that the vast majority of training managers believe that the development of leadership is the […]
Brian Clough: Leader of the pack
With the release of The Damned United, Brian Clough is back in the news again. Paul Ashley examines what lessons business leaders can learn from one of the most charismatic and successful football managers the beautiful game has ever witnessed. “I certainly wouldn’t say I’m the best manager in the business, but I’m in the […]
Developing senior leaders: Lessons from base camp
Graham O’Connell looks at the challenges of stepping into senior leadership, and reveals interesting research with those from Base Camp – a development programme for those entering the senior civil service. “It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realise your true potential and become full-grown.” These are […]
L&D needs to become more business savvy to survive
L&D professionals need to become more business savvy and ‘prove’ that training really works. These are just some of the predictions to come out of the CIPD’s annual L&D survey – launched this week at HRD. Developing leadership skills is also seen as being critical. Claire McCartney gives TrainingZone.co.uk members an overview of the results […]
Training awards: Why they matter – and how to win!
There are plenty of awards open to training professionals and these could present you with the opportunity to benchmark against the best whilst boosting employee relations and external business at the same time. Stephanie Sparrow examines the power of training awards – and shares some secrets on how to produce award-winning applications. Training AwardsThe following […]
NEWS: Leadership critical to public sector managers
A new survey has revealed that public sector managers view leadership as more important than ever since the onset of the downturn. Research by occupational psychology firm Mendas found that over 70% of managers consider the demonstration of leadership qualities as more important than before the recession. The findings also indicate that other the ability […]
And the winner is…
A big thanks to everyone who entered our recent caption competition. Suggestions have been of a particularly hilarious standard… Unfortunately there can only be one winner, one lucky person who will walk away with a place on Pinna’s Manager as Coach course, worth a whopping £1,200!Congratulations to Garry Damant. His suggestion, “Don’t cry Vladimir, I […]
Leadership in tough times
Using John Adair’s three circle model of action-centred leadership, Ian Williams looks at the traits needed to provide leadership in a downturn. The current challenging economic climate is a great time to test the strength of your leadership in business. It really does sort out the capable and resilient from those who simply give up […]
Leadership Course – contributors wanted
Hi – I’m a training manager at a medium sized independent hospital in York called the Retreat. We’ve just launched a leadership development programe and looking for suitably experienced and stimulating presenters to co faciliate towrads the latter half of the programme from July – Oct.Topics include – managing change, dealing with conflict, motivation staff, […]
Diary: Live and die by the board
Sometime jester, sometime mentor, sometime threat. Nathaniel Wallace finds himself with a tricky juggling act as he tries to court the attention of the board. If there is one lesson that has been sent down to me by the high priests and priestesses of learning and development, which I have sought to take heed of […]
The Obama effect
Barack Obama’s upbeat messages of ‘hope’, ‘opportunity’, ‘change’ and ‘yes we can’ have swept him to the White House amidst a mood of euphoria. His ascent from unknown congressman to a beacon of progress and optimism to the world offers a wealth of lessons for the business world – particularly in today’s brutal climate. John […]
The language of leadership
The ability to speak well can mark the difference between leadership success and failure. Martha Leyton and Martin Shovel of CreativityWorks specialise in helping people in leadership roles become inspiring speakers – and they’re here to answer your questions. Q: As a director, I have to do a lot of public speaking, and although […]
Spraying the message: The Garry Ridge interview
Leader extraordinaire Garry Ridge, president and CEO of WD-40 Company, shares his thoughts about learning organisations, his leadership model, and companies as tribes – and offers to answer your leadership questions! Based in California, Garry Ridge is a leader of a global company with a difference. With his colleague Ken Blanchard, he is an original […]
Spotlight: We shine the light this week on John Blakey
John Blakey reveals his innermost thoughts about coaching – the need for coaching to ‘grow up’ and the exciting, transformative times he sees ahead for the industry. Name: John BlakeyAge: 45Job title: Managing director of 121partners and president-elect of the UK International Coach Federation. I co-founded and help lead 121partners, a leadership transformation consultancy that […]
Keeping the virtual team spirit alive
Travel bans induced by the credit crunch mean that virtual teams may find it tough to meet in person these days. Pradip Gajjar considers two important strategies to ensure team alignment during these turbulent times. A real scenario: A client wants to run a team-building programme for one of their virtual teams. They want to […]
A week in training: Leadership development strong despite downturn
This week: Leadership development looks strong despite the downturn, writes Claire Savage the CBI calls for more internships to get the class of 2009 fit for work, BILD announces its conference programme, and more news in our weekly round-up. Employers prioritise management and leadership training to survive recessionTraining and developing staff remains an important priority […]
The case for leadership development in tough economic times
In today’s tough times, well-run organisations are focusing more heavily on leadership development than ever before. And according to Josh Bersin there are three major needs that are leading to this push. We all realise that times are tough for learning and development managers. Our January TalentWatch research of 275 global corporations showed that 61% […]