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Bramley Lakes Quarterly News Autumn 2011 |
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Bramley Lakes Quarterly Newsletter - Autumn 2011.
Quarterly News Q3 2011
Growth in the economy remains uncertain. Our experience at Bramley Lakes is that there are companies which even in times of difficulty recognise that an aligned and motivated workforce could be their differentiator. While many attempt to trim the bottom line through cost cutting measures they should instead be focused on increasing the top line. Perhaps the question to ask yourself is ‘are you motivating your team through good leadership with inspiration and passion or just expecting them to improve?
Scholars, Partnerships and Personalities
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RAF 6th Form Scholars develop Leadership Skills
The RAF provide around sixty young people with a grant and adventure training with the aim of encouraging the best raw talent into officer training. Bramley Lakes provided two intensive leadership courses which included direct feedback for each individual on their development areas - communication, problem solving, influence, team working and confidence/resilience. The course involved taking on problem solving tasks, working at height and a canoe expedition on the Norfolk Broads which saw them camping out in some of the wettest August weather we have seen for years. The young people left with a clear understanding of how they needed to develop to succeed in officer selection. We wish them the best luck.
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Organisational Health - The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
Our consulting partnership with Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group is now in it’s fourth year. During this time we’ve consulted with many different companies on Organisational Health. Most executives spend considerable time and energy in search of a competitive advantage, usually in areas like strategy, technology, marketing, and other fields that are based on intellectual property or capital. This is smart. The part of the equation that executives spend less time focused on is one of health. A healthy organisation is one that has less politics and confusion, higher morale and productivity, lower attrition and recruitment costs. A simple theory but difficult to put into practice do where do you spend all your time? Could you be more healthy?
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SDI and Coaching
Embedding learning and insight into the long term is the aspiration of all businesses undertaking training. The Bramley Lakes experience is that individual coaching based on the robust framework of the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) is a really positive way to achieve long term change.
The SDI tool identifies core motivations and thus typical perceptual filters associated with the motivation. For example, if a member of staff is very task achievement orientated they may be impatient with protocol. If a person’s core motivation centres around supporting others then they are likely to be quicker at identifying the human cost of organisational change. Most executives understand this but do not fully utilise their knowledge.
1 to 1 coaching identifies key targets and issues and works on practical solutions. The coach is there to offer an impartial sounding board away from the “noise” of company concerns and to challenge the ‘coachee’ about how and what they are doing to make changes. That’s what makes the sustainable difference in the long term. What if you could gain a 1% performance improvement in the bottom line?
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Schools and Personal Development
School residential programmes occupy a large part of our June and July calendar and aim to build positive attitudes to new situations such as walking the top wire in the high ropes, working co-operatively and supportively to achieve a team task or even being considerate when cramped in a 5 man tent. Young people never cease to amaze - one minute in floods of tears - the next throwing themselves down the zip wire. It’s a humbling experience for all of us and a great example of how to adapt...which as adults we often forget.
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