What are companies doing with regards to 'Leadership'

The Charles Russell Bard Award is BARD's premier recognition and reward program for outstanding corporate and community citizenship. Winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York with a partner. The Eureka award is for an employee who has a moment of brilliance. Maybe they have come up with a cost saving suggestion of significant consequence or put together a new process/initiative that contributed to a successful end result. The Outstanding Service Award is for the employee who exudes Bard's values of ‘Quality, Integrity, Service and Innovation'. The Allstars Award recognises and reward exceptional results and contributions of a team that had a significant impact on the business. The Presidents Club is for sales employees who have maintained their target 3 out of 4 years consecutively and receive a trip of a lifetime to the Four Seasons Resort on the island of Mauritius and partners. The Directors Club includes £3,000.00 bonus on entry, extra day's holiday, a 2 day annual meeting full of treats such as helicopter rides, wine tasting etc. The One is the quarterly sales person of the quarter and includes criteria other than sales numbers i.e. additional training, supporting colleagues. The winner receives their name in lights and £500 John Lewis vouchers.

By engaging in the best companies survey process it has demonstrated that engagement is on the strategic agenda for the business. The focus is on receiving employee feedback and acting on it, rather than on the score they receive. An employer branding initiative has been launched by the company.

They have a dedicated training budget open to all employees to develop their careers. Progression plans are put in place, allowing all employees to monitor and track their development in their role. Quarterly and annual appraisals are offered to all staff as well as 360 feedback sessions with an independent, external representative. In addition to this, all employees are encouraged to take part in internal training sessions, from Social Media Academy classes, to French Club, Code Club and professional masterclass sessions in PowerPoint and Excel. Managers are also encouraged to participate in management training courses to help them progress their careers and develop stronger people skills.

They have a dedicated training budget open to all employees to develop their careers. Progression plans are put in place, allowing all employees to monitor and track their development in their role. Quarterly and annual appraisals are offered to all staff as well as 360 feedback sessions with an independent, external representative. In addition to this, all employees are encouraged to take part in internal training sessions, from Social Media Academy classes, to French Club, Code Club and professional masterclass sessions in PowerPoint and Excel. Managers are also encouraged to participate in management training courses to help them progress their careers and develop stronger people skills.

The company's mission, vision and values are communicated in all that they do, in their actions, what they say and how they say it and in their interactions with one another, and relationships with those they work with.

The company offers a range of learning and development opportunities. At the early stages they contribute between 80 - 100% of the cost of formal qualifications and provide time off for study, as well as making studio facilities available for colleagues and their fellow students. For mid-level colleagues they offer many opportunities to get involved in the day to day activity of practice life, to gain experience, tap into creativity, and to build knowledge through sharing activities. Activities range from weekly CPD events, evening master classes with external experts, team presentations, external led training workshops, and many different fun design competitions. They run surveys asking colleagues to select the topics and areas that they are interested in learning more about and programmes are created from there to included voice coaching, presentation skills master classes, time management sessions, and leadership training. All of these are developed in tandem with the strategic business plan for the UK each year. Most training is open to all colleagues, however there are a few initiatives which are aimed at certain groups or individuals according to skill level or role within the company. Management and leadership training for example is a perfect example of this whereby learning the ropes of people management and team leadership is important to certain colleagues and not others, depending on the stage they are at within their careers.

The company has their values printed on blocks and placed around their offices in the UK, Australia and America. They use these tiles all over their collateral and are all constantly reminded of their purpose and goals.

Constantly at the forefront of technology, they are Market leaders in the implementation of Skype for Business and innovators within the UC hosted market. The leaders' commitment to staff development is consistent and rewarding allowing the company to be competitive and exceptionally knowledgeable in their field of expertise. They respond to the customer quickly and efficiently and work quickly with partners to meet customer demand. Leaders are always available and constantly consider suggestions from the business. Processes are created with the customer experience in mind, understanding them and our value to them. The company is dedicated solely to one channel partner and they develop strategies and forecasts in support of this partner without having to compromise to accommodate other parties. Their commitment is dedicated to their service which has been determined by their leaders. The company deliver the best available service, on time and within budget and are able to do this because of the level of commitment from their leaders with regard to their on-going training and support.

The company has a senior management team with a very open and honest attitude, and particularly that the Founding Partners live and breathe the values, and demonstrate them. It starts with the welcome induction from their founder. They do lots to support and engender a push towards innovation and being remarkable; tangible initiatives like the Tech Bench (an area that holds pioneering edge tech gadgets that aids our research and development) to intangible things as having a simply open door policy for advice. The company focus less on departments and instead on small ‘pods' of people who are committed to a project from start to completion. The small teams approach extends beyond client projects and into agency operations where responsibility is devolved down to the level of the people on the ground to make decisions they seem appropriate. Each quarter the senior management team host a compulsory attendance company gathering.

The company has weekly departmental meeting for staff to become empowered with the freedom of idea and knowledge share in the agency. Monthly open door sessions are held with HR on an informal basis and follow up meetings and progress reports are produced to that staff can see their opinion counts. The company believes an open culture promotes a feeling of freedom. A programme called AnalogFolk Labs gives all staff an opportunity to spend part of their time working on innovation projects of their own. In addition to being a big morale boost, they have found AnalogFolk Labs to be a great way to keep the mind sharp, not to mention produce a few incredible products along the way.

The Senior Management Team takes pride in demonstrating the company values through their own behaviour and leading by example. The 2014 Employee survey showed that communication of future Company plans by the Senior Management Team to all staff inspired people in the workforce to perform well. Their approach and the employee's confidence in the Senior Management Team gets the best from their people. They have an excellent approach to open and honest communication – no-one fears voicing an opinion or challenging ‘the norm'. All Senior Managers have an open door policy. Quarterly staff meetings are held to keep everyone abreast of both Company and Fairfax group information, company performance, financial figures and other relative industry news. They also have weekly underwriting meetings to share and discuss progress, business wins, etc.

Investment in people is paramount to the organisation and its success. Having a budget to spend on staff development is as important as a budget for IT, facilities, etc. The current annual Learning and Development budget is in the region of £300,000. As part of the performance review process a learning and development plan is designed for each member of staff for the forthcoming 12 months. These plans typically include skill development, technology, professional education and qualifications, coaching and mentoring, management development, overseas secondments. They also invest in the Emerging Talent Programme and in 2014 developed and introduced the Advent Graduate Programme, which offers an 18 months placement with a structured training and development timetable which encompasses secondment in each area of the business. Financial support is given to all employees studying for all relevant professional qualifications, which includes paid study leave and time for examinations. Requests are welcome from staff for any qualifications or external training courses that they feel would enhance their personal development and/or the business. The company pays for annual professional membership fees and training courses are regularly held and run by external providers for development of the Managers. At the beginning of each year the Senior Management team goes off site for a three day strategic business planning and objective setting seminar which ensures that business and personal development objectives are aligned to support the overall business objectives and goal.

Mark Brown, Managing Director, hosts quarterly improvement meetings with the objective of meeting the challenges consultants face on a day-to-day basis. Each representative canvases their colleagues for challenges and suggestions which are communicated at the meeting. Action points and minutes are distributed with timelines for suggestions that can be implemented. The quarterly Marketing forums allow consultants to feed back ideas they have about that aspect of the business. They also have a suggestions box. All suggestions are taken seriously and many of them have been implemented as a result.

Mark Brown, Managing Director, hosts quarterly improvement meetings with the objective of meeting the challenges consultants face on a day-to-day basis. Each representative canvases their colleagues for challenges and suggestions which are communicated at the meeting. Action points and minutes are distributed with timelines for suggestions that can be implemented. The quarterly Marketing forums allow consultants to feed back ideas they have about that aspect of the business. They also have a suggestions box. All suggestions are taken seriously and many of them have been implemented as a result.

The manner in which UKRD operates and are required to do so by the company's core values necessitate operating in a way that aligns their management style and how they manage with company's values.

Every year UKRD hold full day training events for every team across the company which focuses upon their core values and ambitions and in addition, at each location, business teams are also taken out of their environments for team building days whether it be survival training, sailing or a day at the races.

THCH's Leader (CEO) engages with all staff, he takes the time to get to know each and every one one of the staff. He meets new starters and personally takes them on an induction tour and then off to an informal lunch so that he can get to know the person. He has an open door policy and has been operating an “Afternoon Tea with the CEO” which is an opportunity for each and everyone of the staff to sit informally and speak to him. He has a presence and is always available to everyone to talk too. He delivers the customer care training so that all staff know what he and the organisation expects, in relation to the service that is provided to their residents. The CEO delivers Quarterly Briefings which updates staff on current legislation, gives praise and information on service delivery. He is passionate about Housing and the Community which filters through to staff making him an inspirational leader. He leads by example and encourages staff development. He see the organisation as a family and invited each and every one of his staff and their partners to celebrate his 50th birthday – the venue was packed which shows that staff want to engage with him. The staff away day team building activity is his personal idea and staff are encouraged to compete for prizes. Even members of staff that have passed away in service, have been remembered by having a plaque and rosebush in their memory. Some have had a park and a block of flats named after them.

THCH has a number of initiatives in place aiming to deliver health, wellbeing, educational attainment and community cohesion. Some of these include: Employment and Training - through their partnership work with local providers and support to groups such as The Rooted Forum and Employment First, a number of training and capacity building programmes have been delivered to residents throughout 2013/14. Those who attended the sessions received detailed help and assistance. Debt and Welfare Advice - THCH continued to work with agencies, such as St Peter's Community & Advice Centre in Bethnal Green, providing debt, welfare and financial advice. Health & Wellbeing - a number of groups using the company's centres provide regular weekly health and welling activities, such as Zumba, martial arts and football – through to equally as enjoyable, but less energetic activities such as bingo and coffee mornings where residents can meet and gain help, support and friendship from each other. THCH have also maintained a number of health and wellbeing outreach sessions providing advise ranging from the cancer awareness workshops through to hosting events by the Tower Hamlets Food Growing Network, a local network of community food growers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets providing advice on not just growing your own, but eating a balance and healthy diet. THCH were also delighted to receive £50,000 Sport England funding for an Outdoor Gym at the Cameron Best Park in Bethnal Green, which was opened by Olympic Gold Medallist, James DeGale in November 2013.

Denis Nolan is an exceptional leader with an entrepreneurial vision. He is widely recognised as a pioneer of solving complex construction challenges. Denis has ensured that the Toureen culture is led by integrity and family principles. As well as being a ‘hands on' Managing Director, he often closely supports several projects and the team. Denis is a demanding perfectionist for health and safety and this has led not only to his team's well-being but several industry awards. A true philanthropist himself, he supports many UK Charities both within and outside the industry. He is very generous in spirit and giving and ensures there is an open door policy. He is always available, listens and genuinely cares. He knows the name of everyone of his employees and remembers and takes genuine interest in them as people. He sees his team's talents and skills and supports them to achieve their successes.

Supporting school breakfasts with donations, sponsoring local sports activities, apprenticeship schemes and Toureen ensure local people in all regions their sites are based in, have the chance to work on Toureen Projects. They also supported a community outreach activity for a local school they were working on. They built a 'skip garden' for the students so they were able to grow, nurture and harvest organic produce on the school grounds. They sank the skip into the ground and built a walkway around it using recycled materials.