Open Courses

(for individuals or small groups)

It is a great adventure to attend an open programme where working relationships are established from scratch. It’s a chance to explore other people’s first impressions of you and how those develop over time, how they see your strengths and what they value about you, as well as what they think you could change to be more effective.

From a practical point of view, it means an organisation can choose a cost-effective, timely solution for individuals without having to assemble a group who have similar needs. For those who come along, there is the added benefit of learning more about the wider world of work, sharing best practice across sectors, and making new friendships that last for many years.

We offer two open courses on a regular basis as follows:

• Developing Young Talent
• Leaders in action

DEVELOPING YOUNG TALENT

OPEN COURSE 2008 dates: November 18th - 21st

LOCATION: The Lake District

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The course is for young employees who want to develop aspects of their personal effectiveness in order to contribute at work in a way which uses their full potential. Participants will be typically 18-24 years old.

COURSE OUTCOMES

• A greater awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses in a team and the impact of these on others and on project outcomes.
• A wider business awareness through discussions with those from other companies and industries.
• Practical experience of leading a team through a project to its conclusion.
• Evidence in the form of a personal learning journal to support NVQ core skills attainment.
• A focused action plan to help implement new skills at work.

PROGRAMME
The course begins at lunchtime on Day 1 and ends late morning on Day 4. When DYT is run as an ‘open’ course, participants may benefit from sharing their experiences with others from different businesses. In addition to a sequence of problem solving projects, a number of models and theories will be presented to help provide a conceptual framework for participants’ learning from direct experience. Course tutors will lead review discussions throughout the programme. Participants will be guided towards identifying and focussing on personal learning objectives and the exploration of these through others’ viewpoints.

LEADERS IN ACTION

OPEN COURSE 2008 dates: June 24th - 26th

LOCATION: The Lake District

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The course is for those who want to develop leadership skills, building on their current abilities and style. Participants will typically hold a management or supervisory role.

COURSE OUTCOMES

• For each participant to gain a full understanding of the power and influence she/he has as a result of personal leadership and communication style.
• To increase the participants’ awareness of their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses and to develop a personal plan for acting on this awareness.
• To develop the confidence to use leadership skills to manage change and new situations by identifying and undertaking leadership actions.
• To build on abilities to inspire and motivate colleagues.

THE PROGRAMME
While the details below describe the course in broad terms, the focus for each individual will be on those aspects which are most pertinent to his or her personal learning objectives.

The programme takes place over 3 days, usually in the Lake District, and includes a series of team projects to parallel work situations. Through working in a small group both as team leader and team member, participants will experience the responsibilities of the various roles. This challenging programme of projects, lecturettes, review discussions and individual feedback provides the ideal learning environment to achieve the course outcomes above.

Review discussions are led by the course tutors, when participants are encouraged to explore those aspects of team work and leadership which evidently have a significant consequence on project outcomes, always with a focus on individual’s learning objectives for the workplace.