The business had a need to ensure that future team leaders and managers were identified and developed to allow them to integrate quickly and effectively into the business operations. There were a number of ‘rising stars’ within the organisation, but no clear way to develop their skills for future roles.

The required outcome was to develop the skills of these ‘High Fliers’, to prepare them for future Leadership roles within the business.

The solution: a planned programme of development for High Fliers, covering 3 key areas: Personal development, Leadership skills, and an Action Learning programme based around a business improvement project. Deborah Willis helped the client plan an effective selection process, allowing anyone who met the entry criteria to apply – the programme generated huge interest from staff, and those who applied had to complete a rigorous selection process, which included an interview, a presentation to Senior Management, and a written report.

5 candidates were selected for the pilot, and completed a 12-month programme which began with the completion of Margerison McCann Team management System Profiles, to identify Leadership strengths and weaknesses, and establish a personal development plan.

This was followed by a series of Personal Development and Leadership workshops covering a wide range of skills, including a 4-day Introduction to Leadership, where individuals drew up a ‘blueprint’ for good management, and developed the skills needed to deliver this type of Leadership. Further development workshops included (amongst others) Communication Skills, Effective Teamwork, Effective Negotiation, Project Management, Presentation Skills and Strategic Planning.

The third element of the programme, the Action Learning project work, ran concurrently with the workshop programme. Participants identified areas of the business where they thought improvements could be made, and undertook a project to carry out those improvements. They enlisted a Project Sponsor, scoped and planned the project, and managed delivery using existing business resources. The project selection criteria meant that each project had to deliver a measurable improvement for the business, and to be completed within a 6-month timescale.