About London Diocesan Fund

The Senior Management Team welcome ideas from all. The General Secretary meets all new comers to ask for their perceptions of the Company and to invite feedback. Managers are invited to Senior Management Team meetings to present ideas or contribute to the topics or issues under discussion. Sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience is common place through the value of ‘Together’. Senior Managers make themselves available when approached for assistance and are always readily approachable. LDF recognise people as individuals and appreciate one another’s unique contribution. All employees are invited to take part in a Strengths Finder assessment, which highlights their Top five strengths. The SMG have selected the strength based approach because of its focus on individuals having unique strengths, which when utilised well can benefit the individual, the team and LDF. Management listen well and respect one another’s views and opinions. All employees work in open plan offices. Leaders and the Senior Management Team work together, which leads to natural opportunities for conversation and engagement with the staff around them. All Senior Leaders are very friendly and make a point of greeting people by name and making time to talk to people as they go about their daily business. There is a Staff Room where staff are encouraged to go for lunch rather than eat at their desks and the Senior Management Team lead by example. This provides the opportunity for informal and non-business related conversation. From time to time Leaders will encourage their team to go out for lunch or coffee together. At other times invitations are extended to the whole organisation and an area would be reserved in a local restaurant/pub.

Coaching and mentoring is provided throughout the organisation, for example Line Managers are offered coaching and mentoring training as part of London Diocesan Fund’s Learning and Development offering. On joining the organisation all new employees undertake a Strengths Finder Assessment, which is then followed up with the offer of a coaching session to enable them to understand the strengths based philosophy, their own particular strengths and how they may be used in the work context. On commencing employment, an employee has the option of being allocated a 'buddy'. Having a mentor or buddy should help the settling-in period. Mentors can derive personal satisfaction in supporting the development of the mentee's career and it also provides opportunity for them to reflect on their own practice, interpersonal skills and provides networking opportunities. For the mentee, they benefit from impartial advice and encouragement. The employee's Manager will coach him/her from day one of employment. This may continue for up to one year according to the needs of the employee. Managers will be given training and development coaching skills, support their staff through coaching in new tasks and concepts and review the progress of their staff via the performance management process. Performance is all managed through the P&DR process. All Managers would have monthly one to one's with their Senior Manager to set monthly objectives. To ensure progress is on track these are linked to the Operational Plan. At the Mid-Year point and at the end of the year a formal P&DR Review is undertaken with all staff. This enables the Senior Management Team to appraise their Managers on progress to date by 'looking back' and setting objectives for the remainder of the year ahead by also 'looking forward'.

All London Diocesan staff are invited to a Summer BBQ in June and a Christmas Party in early December. Both are open to all and are a great way for staff from different business areas to meet one another. The organisation have a social committee who oversee the event but departmental teams are invited to get involved in the set up and to help build teams by laying tables, preparing food and overseeing the BBQ. 60-80 people would attend dependent on holiday etc. In between these events the Social Committee organise smaller social gatherings around a specific interest. These are usually after work or in a lunch break, for example Cheese and Wine Tasting and the Theatre.

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