Case Studies
Christopher Rowell – Project Manager – Lighting Division, Architen Landrell Associates
“Management training isn't all about stale biscuits and bad coffee. It can genuinely help you to develop talents in people management which you never knew you had and help improve communication which is a cornerstone in a fast paced business like ours. The training our staff have undertaken has no doubt made us more efficient and able to offer a better service for our customers.”
Mike Tapscott – Performance Strategy Manager, Arriva Trains Wales
“As a company we value and want good managers and leaders. We believe in providing a variety of opportunities for them to grow their skills, in ways that offer them choice and flexibility, and to give them knowledge they can use in a practical environment. In today’s fast changing and dynamic rail transport industry, Arriva Trains Wales needs confident and capable management - and we enable this through the training and development we undertake.”
“The Leadership development programme I completed allowed me stand back and positively challenge the way I approached work situations and the way I lead others. It was thought provoking, broadened my thinking and helped build my confidence as a manager and a leader. It helped develop my skills and I built a strong network with other managers I would never have otherwise met.”
Steve Jones – Managing Director, Quantum CAD
"One of our most important assets is our people. Investing in their development makes good business sense. As managers we want to ensure our team feels valued and that feel-good factor impacts positively throughout the business. Training and learning is a crucial part of our strategy to grow the business and help us remain at the forefront of our sector. Our ultimate aim is to become a centre of excellence for the electronics industry"
Elaine Smith – confused.com, HR Manager
Through continued investment in our people, we aim to establish a foundation for the ongoing growth of Confused.com. This is being realized by creating a bespoke Management & Leadership programme, encouraging innovation in the workplace, loyalty and focus in the team…we really are only as good as our people.
Gareth Williams - Chief Executive, Rondo Media
Managers and industry leaders need a deepening understanding of how their businesses operate - especially in these testing times. Our own story involves the merging of two previously separate companies. The merger brought together Nant in Caernarfon and Cardiff based Opus. As Rondo Media, we are now a trans-Wales independent production company. This has involved us undertaking significant restructuring and consolidation as we explore new markets and secure new commissions. In our first year (April 2008 - 2009) we achieved notably improved financial results than anticipated by our original target turnover. Understanding the company as it is now, where we aim to be in three years time and how we can best achieve those aims is crucial to our business model.
We support work to support management and leadership development as it is crucial for the future of our own and every company.
Mark Andrews – Harbourmaster, Milford Haven Port Authority
Our vision is to be the most highly regarded port in the UK by 2010. In order to achieve this we understand how important our vision and values are to the continued and ongoing success of the organisation. This is of great importance to the leadership and management of our organisation. The leadership development I undertook personally embedded an understanding that styles of leadership are vitally important - directive when something must be done; consultative when seeking innovative solutions and that overall trust is of key importance.
Jim Bird-Waddington, Head of Service Development, The Wallich
"After nearly twenty years experience of leadership and senior management in the voluntary sector in Wales, one thing is abundantly clear to me. We as a sector, can only advance the agenda of those who are marginalised by poverty and social exclusion, if we ourselves are strategically focused, energised and determined. This only becomes possible with visionary leadership at all levels of the sector from Government through to service provision. This is why I feel passionate that personal and professional development for people in leadership roles is one of the most significant investments an organisation can make."
Rachel Thomas, Partner, Coast and Country
“Initially I believed the leadership development course would bring business benefits for the company, after the first day this theory was totally turned around. The course became a far more personal journey which enabled me to take a step back, and allow me to look at the whole business from a different perspective. It helped clarify the aims and purpose of the business, by encouraging more “thinking outside the box” which has been essential for growth and sustainability.”
Graham Jackson, Chairman, KK Fine Foods
Original: “KK has always been at the forefront of food innovation and service through its dedicated workforce who are all empowered to produce the finest quality products on time and too the right price. Twenty three years of unbroken profit and growth shows the motivation and desire of the company to be the best in its sector.”
Agreed Alternative: "We have a culture of innovation and workforce empowerment that encourages everyone at KK Fine Foods to feel they are a stakeholder in the success of the company. The investments we make in our leadership and management, our development chefs and the workforce as a whole has given us 23 years of unbroken profit reflecting the motivations of all those involved"
SME Welsh Company of the Year 2008
Karen Rees-Saunders, Services Coordinator, Pathway Care Ltd
I worked for a large High Street Bank in various roles for just over twenty years with the latter role being the Systems Administrators Team Leader for the whole of Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
On leaving the bank I joined Pathway Care Ltd (SME), an Independent Fostering Organisation and have been there for five years. I have progressed since joining from an Office Manager to a Facilities/IT Manager and am now the Services Coordinator providing a central project management resource for service delivery incorporating the development, implementation and promotion of new services across the organisation to sustain market position and aid growth and development in line with the Business Plan objectives.
Leadership and Management Development has been a fascination and interest of mine for a number of years and in particular the impact and effect it has on organisational performance and the benefits that can be delivered regardless of the size of an organisation. I have witnessed improvements in organisational development and growth as a result of investment in leadership and management development programmes. I have observed a culture change within a large corporation following a leadership and management skills development agenda and have experienced de-motivated and disillusioned staff become inspired, motivated and committed under the guidance of a competent leader.
The leadership and management programme provided encouragement for leaders to broaden and elevate the interests of the employees by generating an interest and acceptance of the employees in the mission of the organisation. The organisation’s vision was shared, everyone became aware of the part they needed to play and the contribution they would make within their personal aims and objectives.
These skills encouraged employees to look beyond their own self-interest to that of the organisation. Leaders were inspired to lead by example and serve as role models which in turn had an inspirational effect on their staff. They succeeded in motivating and encouraging the staff to develop and reach new levels of performance beyond expectation.
The leaders were able to recognise and identify the need for their employees to be treated as individuals by being compassionate, appreciating, responding to their needs and recognising and rewarding their performance.
I believe the investment in the development of leadership and management skills in Wales can only be a valuable asset to any organisation and will have a positive impact on future growth and sustainability in rapidly changing times and technology in an increasingly competitive economy.
