What are companies doing with regards to 'Leadership'

The company has recruited an HR manager to help managers with employee engagement.

The company has recruited an HR manager to help managers with employee engagement.

Over the past year North Highlands have launched a programme for High Performing and High Potential people, called HP2. Its main objective is to support and retain high-performing individuals and develop them as future leaders of the business. HP2 is a two way programme, where the organisation commits to additional focus on the group through targeted interventions to stretch and develop them, with a commitment from them to embrace the opportunities provided. The business has invested a significant amount into the individuals on HP2 - by providing 1-2-1 monthly coaching sessions from the People Team (working through an action plan); prioritising people and ring-fencing them for challenging project roles; external career coaching from a professional coach (including action based learning group coaching); additional time with their Directors, and sending them on external training and conferences eg - London Business Forum events. The programme is highly transparent to the rest of the business because they wanted it to be something everyone can aspire to be on. The organisation have communicated the names of the individuals on the programme so that people can see what ‘good' looks like and learn from them. Part of the criteria to be on HP2 is people showing personal alignment to North Highlands cultural values, being a role model and having exceptional client and team feedback on leadership behaviours. By being open about the people who possess these skills and behaviours, they ensure that everyone benefits and develops from the programme, not just those on it.

North Highlands spend approx. £150,000 per year on our quarterly ‘Action Days' and social events that follow. They bring the entire company together, taking them off client work and forfeiting revenue, for a day of brainstorming sessions, team building and competitive games (eg: sports day activities, scavenger hunts, treasure hunts) and business updates. There are regular team-building events for the Director group. These are usually two-day off-site events which focus on developing camaraderie and community amongst leaders. They include both interactive business sessions and team-building exercises in the form of outdoor pursuits, eg – tree-climbing in teams. Additionally, everyone in the organisation is part of a North Highland ‘Family', to encourage social belonging, a close-knit feel, and help individuals to establish networks across the business. Each family is given a budget per quarter for organised social events, they choose and arrange them. Events range from breakfasts and dinners, to activities like cooking lessons, laughter therapy and circus skills training. This year they introduced a competitive edge whereby families worked together to win points (called “Puppals”) throughout the year based on events they organised and competitions at Action Days. There was a leaderboard promoting the number of Puppals won, this culminated with a sports day at their r 10 Year Celebration event where large amounts of Puppals were awarded. The winning Family was announced, and the prize was an extra day of annual leave for each family member with money to spend on treating an actual family member!

The company is moving to new premises in December of this year and the Senior Team has included everyone in the plans for the new factory. Employees have been shown the plans from an early stage and have been taken in Groups to the new factory and have had considerable input to the layout of their working area. Patrick Hurst the MD has great rapport with employees. He communicates regularly with the entire workforce and while employees are informed of serious issues; there is goodwill and light-hearted banter at these sessions. He really cares about all the employees and looks on them as extended family. He is trusted and respected by all and this is very evident when they get feedback from employees. He has an open door policy and often employees drop by for a chat with him because he is so well liked. He meets personally with all new employees.

The company is moving to new premises in December of this year and the Senior Team has included everyone in the plans for the new factory. Employees have been shown the plans from an early stage and have been taken in Groups to the new factory and have had considerable input to the layout of their working area. Patrick Hurst the MD has great rapport with employees. He communicates regularly with the entire workforce and while employees are informed of serious issues; there is goodwill and light-hearted banter at these sessions. He really cares about all the employees and looks on them as extended family. He is trusted and respected by all and this is very evident when they get feedback from employees. He has an open door policy and often employees drop by for a chat with him because he is so well liked. He meets personally with all new employees.

As a partnership, ISIS is an employee-owned organisation. As such, growing and improving through the ideas and feedback of team members is embedded into their structure and their culture. Promotion and advancement within ISIS is explicitly linked to employees coming up with ideas and then acting on them which contributes to the overall growth and development of the organisation.

As a partnership, ISIS is an employee-owned organisation. As such, growing and improving through the ideas and feedback of team members is embedded into their structure and their culture. Promotion and advancement within ISIS is explicitly linked to employees coming up with ideas and then acting on them which contributes to the overall growth and development of the organisation.

The range of training and personal development opportunities available to staff at the college is outstanding. Leyton Sixth Form College are committed to the principle of ‘growing their own' and their approach to staff development has been recognised by their achieving the Investors in People Champion status. In the past year alone. The overwhelming majority of their 200+ staff completed a person QIP (Quality Improvement Project), 12 staff completed a Level 2 Counselling Award, 8 staff worked towards an MA in Leadership, 1 staff member completed Masters units, 2 staff worked towards their PGCE qualification, 8 staff achieved a PTLLS qualification (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector), 1 staff member worked towards a DTLLS qualification, 1 staff member worked towards a Diploma in Marketing, 6 staff undertook an ‘Aspiring Senior Leaders' course, 1 member of staff achieved her CIPD (Personnel) professional qualification. Dozens of staff took part in teaching and learning focus groups either within college or as part of their local collaborative partnership. Dozens more became members of internal working parties addressing key issues within college.

The range of training and personal development opportunities available to staff at the college is outstanding. Leyton Sixth Form College are committed to the principle of ‘growing their own' and their approach to staff development has been recognised by their achieving the Investors in People Champion status. In the past year alone. The overwhelming majority of their 200+ staff completed a person QIP (Quality Improvement Project), 12 staff completed a Level 2 Counselling Award, 8 staff worked towards an MA in Leadership, 1 staff member completed Masters units, 2 staff worked towards their PGCE qualification, 8 staff achieved a PTLLS qualification (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector), 1 staff member worked towards a DTLLS qualification, 1 staff member worked towards a Diploma in Marketing, 6 staff undertook an ‘Aspiring Senior Leaders' course, 1 member of staff achieved her CIPD (Personnel) professional qualification. Dozens of staff took part in teaching and learning focus groups either within college or as part of their local collaborative partnership. Dozens more became members of internal working parties addressing key issues within college.

Irvine Housing Association has maintained the bronze healthy working lives award and has just recently achieved the silver award. This has involved staff members and the HWL working group identifying which areas of health they would like to receive more information on. Information sessions were then arranged to which all staff were invited. Examples of these were alcohol awareness; they sourced time clock, beer goggles etc. and this showed what sensible alcohol measures were and the time taken for alcohol to leave your system. They promoted stress management and provided staff with a link to the "steps to deal with stress" guide. They also printed off information which was displayed and available to staff. They also held a 'glitter bug' session for staff which highlighted the importance of washing hands properly. Irvine Housing Association genuinely cares about the wellbeing of their staff and actively promotes a healthy lifestyle. They have policies and procedures in place, such as supporting staff attendance. A presentation was given to managers on supporting employee absence and subsequent training was provided to staff. All the activities we do are promoted through emails, notice boards, and word-of-mouth. The Association offers private health care and also a health benefits cash plan which is run by Simply Health. The plan is paid for by the association and there is no cost to staff. This plan encourages staff to have regular check-ups at the dentist, optician, podiatric etc. and all costs are reimbursed to staff.

As an organisation, Irvine Housing Association believes employee development is extremely important. Some of the training they do, whether in-house or off-site is compulsory, but staff are encouraged to participate in any other training that they feel may benefit them or support them in the role that they are doing. All requests for training are fully considered. A new learning and development matrix has been implemented to record and highlight all training requirements for each post within the association. In addition to general training, the association supports staff that wish to undertake college courses. Several of their housing and customer services staff are currently working towards their level 4 diploma in housing. One staff member is studying towards a master's degree and another towards a marketing diploma. The association supports these staff by paying the full cost of the course, time-off to attend and also time-off to study and take exams. Some of the other courses undertaken by staff include NEBOSH, EPC assessing and talent management assessment. Staff also have the opportunity to attend appropriate conferences which include finance, CIPD, CIH housing, repairs and maintenance. Again, all costs, whether it is a day conference or overnight stay that is required is met by the association. Irvine Housing Association over the last couple of years has participated in the North Ayrshire housing careers trainee programme. New trainees undergo an extensive training programme and spend time in each department. Recently one of their trainees was successful in being appointed to a permanent full time customer services officer.

Due to the nature of their business many of their people work away from home, so to balance this, Impact extend social event invitations to partners/families wherever possible. Employees organise all social events, with time for organising and attending daytime events, given during work hours. In so many words they can't tell you all about their Christmas Party, the Impact Kids Christmas Party, complete with a visit from their Santa/CEO!, weekly Friday lunches, Silver Screw award or the End of Financial Year lunch but they can tell you about their Family Fun Day and Quadrathlon, reflecting the fun and inclusiveness of their social events. Their summer event is scheduled in the school holidays and they close the office for the afternoon to maximise attendance. Activities include bouncy castle, traditional games, crafts, a homemade piñata, canoeing and speedboat rides. Their CEO cooks a BBQ lunch and Impact Aid, their internal fundraising team, hosted a Great Impact Bake Off to raise money for their chosen charities. Their Quadrathlon is a four-part triathlon, including a lake-swim, cross-country run, mountain bike and canoe course. The course was designed and marshalled by their staff within their own hotel grounds. The competition was not just about fastest times, but also about the best fancy-dress outfits. Whilst there are small cash prizes the ultimate goal is personal glory!

Due to the nature of their business many of their people work away from home, so to balance this, Impact extend social event invitations to partners/families wherever possible. Employees organise all social events, with time for organising and attending daytime events, given during work hours. In so many words they can't tell you all about their Christmas Party, the Impact Kids Christmas Party, complete with a visit from their Santa/CEO!, weekly Friday lunches, Silver Screw award or the End of Financial Year lunch but they can tell you about their Family Fun Day and Quadrathlon, reflecting the fun and inclusiveness of their social events. Their summer event is scheduled in the school holidays and they close the office for the afternoon to maximise attendance. Activities include bouncy castle, traditional games, crafts, a homemade piñata, canoeing and speedboat rides. Their CEO cooks a BBQ lunch and Impact Aid, their internal fundraising team, hosted a Great Impact Bake Off to raise money for their chosen charities. Their Quadrathlon is a four-part triathlon, including a lake-swim, cross-country run, mountain bike and canoe course. The course was designed and marshalled by their staff within their own hotel grounds. The competition was not just about fastest times, but also about the best fancy-dress outfits. Whilst there are small cash prizes the ultimate goal is personal glory!

Hospice Isle of Man views learning and development as a vital part of its service provision. A life – limiting illness affects the body, the mind, the spirit, the social wellbeing, the family, and the care team. They strive to improve the skills, knowledge and attitudes of staff in all of these areas through the commitment to the theory of lifelong learning for all and work to continuously improve the quality of the services they provide. As well as providing courses internally for their staff and volunteers, they aspire to fulfil palliative care learning needs of those working in other health care settings. All staff have appraisals and this is an opportunity for them to identify training needs. Nursing staff have been supported to undertake degree qualification so that they have same qualification as new graduate nurses. This gives them the opportunity to apply for more senior positions when they arise. Everyone is actively encouraged to attend training in-house and elsewhere, they run communication skills courses, workshops related to palliative care and feedback sessions from international conferences as well as bespoke management training and mindfulness courses. This year staff have completed certificate in education, leadership and management courses, masters, counselling courses, advanced symptom management courses, palliative care conferences as well as fundraising and volunteering conferences in the UK.

Offer training, organise regular updates, regular one to one meetings. Attend educational events and provide teaching. They also carry out appraisals. Debriefing sessions are offered. One to one counselling is available and access to complementary therapies. During Children's Hospice week managers work closely with clinical teams to ensure that communication and planning all events include everyone involved so that e.g. corporate supporters alreday working with fundraising are not approached seperately and that any advertising was conveying the Hospice message.

Their Chief Executive, Andrew Morris, has demonstrated strong leadership for nearly a quarter of a century. One of Andrew's key drivers is an eternal desire to be the best and he inspires staff with his vision. His monthly staff briefings, which welcome all staff, are refreshingly honest and open forums where no question is off limits. Andrew's down-to-earth manner, humour and professionalism earn enormous respect from everyone at the Trust. Andrew is a visible presence throughout the estate and seems to know most staff by their first names – whether they work in catering, portering or surgical services. Andrew's leadership style has helped to develop a culture that some call the ‘Frimley family'. Above all Andrew advocates a focus on the patients as individuals and urges staff never to stop thinking about how they would like their mum, dad or loved one to be treated. Andrew recognises that needs and expectations are constantly evolving and helps Trust staff understand that however good they are they must constantly improve in order to provide the local population with the health services they expect and deserve. Andrew's tireless dedication is unquestioned and no-one at the Trust works more hours or with more focus. On a snowy day a couple of years ago he went to A&E first thing to see how staff were coping and ended up rolling up his sleeves to push trolleys until more staff made it in.

Their Chief Executive, Andrew Morris, has demonstrated strong leadership for nearly a quarter of a century. One of Andrew's key drivers is an eternal desire to be the best and he inspires staff with his vision. His monthly staff briefings, which welcome all staff, are refreshingly honest and open forums where no question is off limits. Andrew's down-to-earth manner, humour and professionalism earn enormous respect from everyone at the Trust. Andrew is a visible presence throughout the estate and seems to know most staff by their first names – whether they work in catering, portering or surgical services. Andrew's leadership style has helped to develop a culture that some call the ‘Frimley family'. Above all Andrew advocates a focus on the patients as individuals and urges staff never to stop thinking about how they would like their mum, dad or loved one to be treated. Andrew recognises that needs and expectations are constantly evolving and helps Trust staff understand that however good they are they must constantly improve in order to provide the local population with the health services they expect and deserve. Andrew's tireless dedication is unquestioned and no-one at the Trust works more hours or with more focus. On a snowy day a couple of years ago he went to A&E first thing to see how staff were coping and ended up rolling up his sleeves to push trolleys until more staff made it in.

Encore's induction course helps to get the staff to 'buy in' to the Encore ethic at an early stage of their career covering modules like their Mission Statement, team building, company culture, the company 3 year plan and company aims and policies. This 6 day course is executed by the Directors who are able to use the time to create the teamwork mindset and pass on best practice from their combined experience of over 65 years. Encore offer Module Training/Induction Training/External Training/Management Training Acadamy. They also offer further education grants of up to £750 per person per year. The Encore Management Training Academy, developed and delivered in house by the company Directors uses the company culture to deliver industry and job related training and fast track individual learning. It's used to identify the future managers from within the business and develop new qualified members of the Management team - it is also accredited depending on modules completed and exams passed.

Encore have enlightened leaders who take a servant attitude. Their goal is to support others to achieve goals. They believe in the maxim that 'I look good if I make others look good.' They attract respect for walking the walk, they see the importance of growing people. They recognise the importance of empowering successors. Annually the MD of Encore holds branch workshops, discussing and agreeing the ENcore business plan with all staff. After this is a 'Dragons Den' suggestion scheme, for anyone to present an idea which will save the company money or improve the efficency, the idea to be outside of normal daily activity, with cash rewards for the successful ideas.