Smashing the glass ceiling: Women’s Week launches in Norwich
A week-long series of courses geared towards women in business is being held at the National Skills Academy for Financial Services in Norwich this week (9-13 June).The programme will feature seminars and workshops on topics ranging from returning to work, breaking through the glass ceiling and overcoming confidence issues. The event is geared towards women […]
Managers urged to change one-size-fits-all approach to retention
Managers should adopt a flexible approach to retaining their staff which takes into account the differences between employees, says a new report.The One Size Does Not Fit All study published by employee engagement and retention specialist, TalentDrain, has highlighted the need for managers to accept differences between employees with regards to gender, race, age and […]
Is it really team building, or just a fun day out?
Some team building events can seem distinctly dubious in terms of their lasting effect in the workplace. But, says Ian Sasse, an event that is well planned and well executed, with proper follow-up back at the office, can really make a difference to working relations. Picture the phrase ‘team building’ and you could be forgiven […]
Profile of Dr Meredith Belbin: The father of team roles
He’s 82 years old and about to start a new business venture whilst also writing another book. It’s no surprise, therefore, that retirement is not a word in Dr Meredith Belbin’s vocabulary. Annie Hayes reports on this incredible man who is best known for his work on team-role theory. The academicBelbin’s CV is full of […]
Global team building: Seeing things from another perspective
How do you unite global employees from various cultures, with different ideas and working styles? Jeff Toms says cultural awareness training can help create a more harmonious team. Throughout history wars have been fought over cultural misunderstanding and mis-communication. In the working environment many companies expect employees to ‘simply get on with each other’ and […]
Leadership report show’s UK organisations ‘could do better’
The blame for poor leadership development can be placed firmly at the door of organisations failing to hold senior managers accountable for it. That was the majority view of those surveyed in the UK for a new Global Leadership Forecast.Other problems identified by the reserach were the failure of organisations to measure the results of […]
Take your corners please: Management v leadership, who wins?
What’s in a name? Bob Selden looks at the thorny issue of management v leadership. His research reveals four conditions that must exist for leadership to flourish. Read on to discover the essential difference between the two and what you need for leadership success. When talking with the facilitator of a PD workshop recently in […]
There’s no ‘I’ in team
Self-fulfilling prophecies, lack lustre selling and bad attitudes punctuated this week’s luxury car challenge but leadership expert, John Fay, thinks it was Michael’s flagging spirits and lack of leadership that saw Renaissance left on the scrapheap. Week 10 presented the most challenging task to date with Sir Alan presenting the recruits with some of the […]
Managers urged to take control by training on National Learning at Work Day
As National Learning at Work Day kicks off, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is urging managers across the country to take control of their business through training. According to the National Employer Skills Survey 2007, almost 163,000 managers in England alone experience a skills gap. Of these, almost three quarters lack management skills. However, […]
TeamBuild 2008 returns
Budding construction specialists are being invited to participate in a competition which aims to promote understanding and co-operation between young professionals in the construction industry.TeamBuild 2008, supported by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the industry, will see different disciplines work together to solve a real-life construction challenge, over the course of a weekend. Teams […]
Bobbies go back to school for police management training
Police in Norfolk are set to benefit from a number of bespoke training courses being run at De Montfort University (DMU) aimed at improving frontline policing services.The qualifications have been designed in response to the Constabulary’s mission to increase efficiency, modernise the workforce and ensure more effective management of resources. The four-year contract will see […]
Managers fail to learn from their mistakes, research reveals
New research into the way people learn sheds light on why individuals, and therefore organisations, often seem incapable of learning from their mistakes.The research carried out by learning & development consultancy MaST International, reveals that less than half of those surveyed actually put learning into practice through a specified action plan. For example after the […]
Opinion: New manager on the block
It’s good to learn from mistakes, but isn’t it better to know how not to make them in the first place, asks Andrew Mayo? In which case we need to offer more training and support to first-time managers. Despite ubiquitous management competency frameworks, it still seems widespread to promote people to the first step on […]
Training in the art of managerial seduction
Managers can be taught to inspire commitment and trust in their followers, says Professor Derek Mowbray. Training in the art of managerial seduction can lead to great benefits, he suggests, both to the individual and the organisation they work for. In a recent study the alarming statement that four in 10 staff may be planning […]
Romanian report: Is it really team building (or a fun day out?)
All is not rosy in the team building garden in Romania, reports Oliver Perkins. Organisations increasingly need to ensure that team building does exactly what it says on the tin – and isn’t just an expensive day out. A worrying trend is developing in the Romanian training and team building market and it’s coming your […]
News round-up
Read our selection of recent news headlines by clicking on the following news stories. Alternatively you can go to also on TrainingZone.co.uk to see all our news and features.Training spend hits record high at £38bnTraining quality standard officially ‘launched’ Bosses should use internet to aid training, says surveyThree more Skills Academies announcedChaos of junior doctor […]
Leaders & managers benefit from new Qualifications and Credit Framework
The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) has re-launched its entire range of vocational qualifications on the ground-breaking Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), bringing the benefits of flexible bite-sized development to more than 80,000 executives.In a major step forwards for vocational education, learners on ILM’s wide range of qualifications will now be awarded transferable credits […]
‘Lean’ organisations dependent on interim skills
Organisations are now so ‘lean’ that they’ve lost key skills and talent. That’s according to the majority of interims questioned for research, who believe they will see an increase in demand for their services as a result.Chiumento consultancy led the research, which reveals that almost two-thirds of interims questioned believe the number of their assignments […]
Making a song and dance about decisions
Decision making is a weakness in virtual teams, says Bob Selden in his new column, reporting from Lausanne, Switzerland. One approach, he says, is to make a noise about decisions you make, to give everyone a chance to object. Is the world flat or round? That may seem a silly question. However, up until the […]
Executive development: Do you need a carrot or a stick?
Managers at the top of their game may think they know it all – afterall, how else did they get to poll position? – so they may not take kindly to someone else pointing out their gaps. They can also be ‘far too busy’ for training, says John Pope, and are notorious at not turning […]