What are companies doing with regards to 'Leadership'

Throughout the year delatre hold a number of company-wide and team specific relationship building events to maintain a high employee morale, strengthen the intra-company relationships and say thanks for all the hard work their dedicated staff put forth. deltatre financially supports a 5-a-side football team that plays weekly throughout the year. Moreover, they sponsor an industry-wide philanthropic football tournament as well as theme days like Football Shirt Friday in order to raise money for charity and give back to the community. On a team level, they support departmental team building sessions like the Go-Kart outing their video team recently organised to relieve tensions during the lead up to the launch of an important project. However, the highpoints of their team building activities are unquestionably their two company wide workshops. In the summer, delatre take to the outdoors and stage a light-hearted physical activity that is fun and inclusive. Earlier this year they recreated the retro hit TV show “It's a Knock-Out” complete with absurd games and large costumes. In the winter, they stage a glitzy Christmas party for all full and part-time employees and freelancers as well as their partners. Last year's Christmas festivities took on a masquerade theme and had masked guests enjoy a three course meal and trying their luck at the casino games.

Placing openness as one of delatre's 4 core values truly helps to encourage and facilitate open discussion and feedback at deltatre. They use the appraisal process to create the space for giving feedback to employees and the opportunity for them to do the same with their line managers in a safe environment. Their monthly functional board meetings allow staff to present the case for new ideas. However, their bi-annual workshops are truly a unique feature because it provides an opportunity for everyone in the company to share new ideas and receive feedback from the larger cross-departmental team.

The Chief Executive has been in post for 16 years. In that time, Colne has grown in all areas and has diversified with great success. It continues to operate and compete well in a difficult environment and has remained a top quartile performer in many key areas. This is only possible with a committed and passionate leader. The Chief Executive is very visible and is accessible to all staff. He remains close to the heart of the business, which is all about delivering additional homes and providing excellent services. He delivers a consistent message or support and encouragement, backed up by a detailed knowledge of the business and individuals' roles in it. Currently, the Eastern region National Housing Federation representative, he gives Colne a national profile despite its size and area of operation. In particular, the Chief Executive allows and encourages managers and staff to train and develop, to pursue their particular interests and grow their roles as, in turn, Colne grows and develops.

Colne offers health insurance for staff pre April 2012, with all new staff now offered Health care cash plan as part of its benefits package. Other benefits include payment of the cost of eye sight tests and a contribution of £75 per annum towards new glasses when needed, 50% or £15 monthly payment towards gym membership, provision of a 'fruit day' once a week for all staff, annual flu jabs, bicycle loan for members of staff who wish to use a bike to attend meetings. Colne appointed a health champion in 2010. This has produced regular email briefings from the health champion on a range of issues from healthy eating to managing stress. Staff were also offered a free health check as part of a Health and Well being roadshow it hosted in September 2013, which included tests for cholesterol, measuring blood pressure and individual advice on healthy lifestyles following completion of a questionnaire. Between January and March 2013, Colne also arranged a virtual walk to one of the charitable organisations it provides a payroll service to, Recycle, whose bicycles are shipped to South Africa, with the winning team being awarded with vouchers for a treatment at the local health spa. The local ACE partnership, has also attended staff meetings in the past 12 months and provided presentations on alcohol awareness, healthy eating and stress awareness and coping mechanisms. Colne also has detailed personnel policies for managing stress, including the option of referral to, and funding of, counselling and support services.

The appraisal process allows employees to provide feedback on the areas that affect their role and the wider company concerns. They have the opportunity to promote their ideas and thoughts on how to improve areas of the business. This information is discussed during the individual appraisal and then all comments are collated and put forward the Senior Management Team for review.

The company has an ethos of wanting to engage with the communities in which it works and for many years, in conjunction with the Local Education Authority, has run a scheme where permanently excluded students, aged between 14-19, are offered one day a week work experience. This is available for a whole school year. This has often resolved discipline problems and raised the skills level of the student. As importantly it has raised the expectation of the student and some have gone on to become apprentices within the construction industry. The company has become recognised, by the Devon Education Business Partnership and the local authorities Education and Skills Board for providers of best practice for work experience. The company is also recognised as one of the few employers in the construction industry locally who provide work experience for learners with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Chris is a natural leader as Cadwyn's previous Best Companies results have shown. As the leader of the organisation she operates in an open, fair and honest way and is hard working and focused on doing the right thing for tenants and employees. She adapts her leadership style to meet the needs of those she works with, providing intellectual stimulation and encouragement for people to develop. She uses a mentoring and coaching approach to empower people to make decisions and take responsibility for their decisions and actions. She has the ability to inspire people to want to make a difference and exceed customer expectations. This is important in the environment and climate Cadwyn are currently working in as resources are more limited and the business is relying on employees to do more with less. Chris has high energy levels and a drive for new projects and is willing to take risks and be accountable when things go wrong and she is not afraid to hold her hand up and say when they do. Chris encourages and maintains a no blame culture by reinforcing this in her language and behaviours. She is passionate about people, improving the lives of the people and has strong values which permeates the culture of the organisation. People enjoy working for Chris as she is truly inspirational, she never complains, is interested in employees and their lives and shares with employees the importance of what they do as an organisation.

Every year Cadwyn get all of their employees together in one room and at the same time to have fun, meet work colleagues, celebrate the organisations achievements during the year, and hear the key priorities to focus on over the next 6 months. Employees spend a lot of time together and often work in pressurised environments/roles. Being able to have fun with work colleagues helps them to relax and have time out together. Cadwyn incorporate icebreakers/exercises into the day to provide them with an opportunity to get to know new colleagues/ones they do not interact with often by getting to know their interests - their favourite music, films, and hobbies. It also helps to build on the existing relationships they have with the ones they work closely with. Sharing these positive experiences helps remove the traditional barriers; perceptions about each other, tensions that can arise between teams etc. Their employees love to be asked their opinions, so the afternoon event is dedicated to spending time having fun doing teambuilding activities. Employees are asked how they would like to spend the afternoon, and the top 3/4 activities are chosen. Activities chosen are designed to reflect the diversity of their employees from the very competitive, those that like to do something calm and relaxing, ones that challenge the mind, take people out of their comfort zones etc. For examples last year they did dragon boating and canoeing, mini master chef learning to make sushi, mini Olympics with a pampering session or paintballing.

This year broadbandchoices launched their Emerging Managers Programme (EMP). This was a management development course run over 4 months for 10 managers and covered a broad range of subjects which would help them in their day to day work and also develop them. It consisted of workshops and also individual coaching sessions. It also was a fantastic opportunity for people who don't always work together to have time to discuss common issues.

This year broadbandchoices launched their Emerging Managers Programme (EMP). This was a management development course run over 4 months for 10 managers and covered a broad range of subjects which would help them in their day to day work and also develop them. It consisted of workshops and also individual coaching sessions. It also was a fantastic opportunity for people who don't always work together to have time to discuss common issues.

There is a really open culture here at Berry Bros & Rudd, and their leadership team are accessible and keen to engage with their employees.

Employees are given the opportunity to help choose the charity Berry Bros & Rudd will support for a period of time. Currently with Kids company, employees have volunteered to help with school trips to science museums etc. and putting on a Christmas party for a London primary school. They have recently matched funds raised by two of their employees who spent five days cycling in Cuba for three cancer charities, as well as an employee who completed the Marathon de Sables earlier this year.

Aspire Outsourcing encourages its people to have a healthy lifestyle and diet, and promotes fitness and general wellbeing within the workforce. People certainly don't feel that their health is suffering because of their work. Work deadlines are realistic, and people rarely feel that the organisation takes advantage of them. Recruitment might sometimes be viewed as a high-pressure industry, but at Aspire Outsourcing, people don't feel under too much pressure to perform well either.

Aspire Outsourcing encourages its people to have a healthy lifestyle and diet, and promotes fitness and general wellbeing within the workforce. People certainly don't feel that their health is suffering because of their work. Work deadlines are realistic, and people rarely feel that the organisation takes advantage of them. Recruitment might sometimes be viewed as a high-pressure industry, but at Aspire Outsourcing, people don't feel under too much pressure to perform well either.

The best example of how Arup supports employee development is related to the training the leaders receive in the development of their coaching skills. The reason that Arup have chosen this example is because this investment makes an impact right the way through their business. To date over 100 (70%) of their Directors have attended an intensive 3 day Coaching Mastery workshop including all of their region board members and have been encouraged to use these skills to get the best from their people. It is reported that this programme is promoting the development of initiative taking in their people because the coaching approach is encouraging a more empowered response. Additionally coaching as a prominent leadership style relies on the quality of questions the leaders ask. Obviously what follows is the reality and perception that the majority their leaders listen versus instruct. Also as the coaching training places a strong focus on self-awareness it means the leaders are instrumental in nurturing a feedback culture that is so essential for people to develop. Each year and even during difficult times Arup have maintained or increased their investment in this programme. The Directors involved take pride in their coaching skills and take some post programme supervision in order to keep their skills honed. In addition they have started to broaden the population who are trained dependent on their developing others' responsibility.

The best example of how Arup supports employee development is related to the training the leaders receive in the development of their coaching skills. The reason that Arup have chosen this example is because this investment makes an impact right the way through their business. To date over 100 (70%) of their Directors have attended an intensive 3 day Coaching Mastery workshop including all of their region board members and have been encouraged to use these skills to get the best from their people. It is reported that this programme is promoting the development of initiative taking in their people because the coaching approach is encouraging a more empowered response. Additionally coaching as a prominent leadership style relies on the quality of questions the leaders ask. Obviously what follows is the reality and perception that the majority their leaders listen versus instruct. Also as the coaching training places a strong focus on self-awareness it means the leaders are instrumental in nurturing a feedback culture that is so essential for people to develop. Each year and even during difficult times Arup have maintained or increased their investment in this programme. The Directors involved take pride in their coaching skills and take some post programme supervision in order to keep their skills honed. In addition they have started to broaden the population who are trained dependent on their developing others' responsibility.

The Leader of the organisation provides an open door to anyone in the business. He is extremely accessible and is genuinely interested in the views and opinions of every member of staff. Perhaps more importantly, he is prepared to act on these views and opinions and always provides feedback.

The Leader of the organisation provides an open door to anyone in the business. He is extremely accessible and is genuinely interested in the views and opinions of every member of staff. Perhaps more importantly, he is prepared to act on these views and opinions and always provides feedback.

With this year's launch of their next three year business plan, WTA have asked for volunteers to go to China on a two week sabbatical to work at the Butterfly Children's Hospice. This will be fully financed by WTA year on year to help engage staff with the charity they support. This is a UK charity, based in China, both significant markets for WTA's business. Each of the offices has a charity champion who represent their staff, organise local events and fundraising activities. The WTA management team have completed a sponsored walk to lead by example.

10% of the company profit is shared with all staff through company profit bonus.