Newsletter September 2011

According to Edward de Bono - “Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork and productivity.”

This belief prompted a Welsh County Council to run a workshop this month titled "Fostering Innovation and Creativity" . The workshop was attended by 30 managers from the authority and some guests from neighbouring authorities.

The workshop was highly interactive with a rich range of exercises to promote creative thinking and innovation.

As more pressure is applied to the public purse, the authorities at the event believe that these skills are essential to meet current and future challenges.

Other assignments in September included the following:

• Sales and Time Management training was delivered to a software company specialising in payroll and supporting software applications.
  
   
• The following courses were delivered to managers at a large international engineering consultancy. These were Advanced Presentation Skills, Communications & Negotiation and three sessions on Conducting Appraisals. These courses were tailored to meet the specific needs of the consultancy.
  
   
• Three activities took place around Assessment Centres. The first was an Assessment Centre to hire a graduate engineer for a key role in the oil refining industry. Twelve candidates undertook a series of observed tasks with three progressing to a final interview. The second activity was a review of the Assessment Centre run for the graduate scheme at England's largest County Council. The third was an open course for individuals to improve their skills when designing and running assessment or development centres.
  
   
• Every year, one of the UK's largest engineering and manufacturing companies runs an "Interaction Event" for new employees. This event was run over four days with two days facilitated by The Development Company. Employees attending include graduate trainees, apprentices and business trainees who were encouraged to interact through a series of exercises and team development tasks.
  
   
• A government agency restarted its Seven Module Management Programme which is now manadatory for any officer seeking promotion. The agency also ran a facilitated workshop to speed up some of their processes.
  
   
• The last cohort of managers at the UK's largest charity undertook day three of a Management Fundamentals Programme.
  
   
• Some more one to one Coaching was given to managers at a Bristol based law firm.