"We’ve just gone through annual reviews and if I look at ratings from last year to this year, we have more excellent performers in our leadership team."
What were you looking to achieve with leadership development?
I didn’t realise what I was looking for, regarding leadership development solutions, until I received your email. Once I read through it and had a conversation with KnowledgeBrief the penny dropped, there was a gap missing that I couldn’t fill as a L&D manager. I haven’t got the resources to deliver some of the workshops that KnowledgeBrief offer, and I am unable to provide the qualifications that my team will receive at the end.
I’ve not experienced great training providers in the past. So, I was looking for a provider that would offer not just the added value of workshops, but to assist me in supporting my team on their leadership journeys. I feel I have a real partnership; I feel very involved with the team, I don’t feel it’s KnowledgeBrief and Boohoo, I feel we work as one.
What was the driving factor to speak to a training provider after having a negative experience?
Apart from the timing being perfect, what I loved when I was reading your content, and hearing what KnowledgeBrief had to say, is that you solely focus on leadership and are specialists. When you look at other training providers, it’s so diluted with what they offer, and I always try to look for experts in their field. I suppose, I took a great big gamble as I didn’t get any recommendations and I didn’t speak to anyone, people buy people, so I bought into KnowledgeBrief. The learners also had an opportunity to come and listen. They were given the opportunity to say, “yes this is for me” or, “no, this isn’t what I want”, they were given the chance to be bought in and see if it was for them.
How have you found working together and our partnership?
There’s lots of things that I have loved in this journey. I have 20+ learners on programme with KnowledgeBrief, which for me to manage has been so easy. When I thought about putting so many learners onto the qualification, I thought it was going to be difficult; but it’s been a dream with how easy the team have made it. The trainer is fantastic, I know that the 1-2-1’s are in the calendar and they never get cancelled. I never get any noise about trainers cancelling sessions or not turning up, because of this my team feel supported.
I feel empowered through my meetings with my Partnership Manager. I’m really clear on progress and engagement and I also have access to the portal which I check every day. As well as using the data to keep my learners up to date, the Partnership Manager will also articulate the details of the data are and explain anything that I need. The relationship I have with my consultant is excellent and they are always there when I need them. Everyone isn’t in our faces, it’s just easy.
How has this qualification impacted your learners?
I have regular interactions with the team and I’ve listened to them and heard what they have to say. Initially, it was them managing their time and I made sure that they understood, that as a business, we’re giving them this time to learn. They’ve never had that investment before and that changed their mindset to “this is my time to learn”.
We’ve just gone through annual reviews and if I look at ratings from last year to this year, we have more excellent performers in our leadership team. A lot of that is down to the work that they have put into practise through this qualification. Some of the advisor population that are on the development programmes are talking the language of a leader, which is music to my ears. We have our next generation of leaders.
What we’ve done in the past is promoted internally and not given that leadership development. They haven’t got the knowledge and because of this we were setting them up for failure. Now we have a population of individuals that are set up for success.
If you were to recommend or refer KnowledgeBrief, what would you say to that individual looking to develop?
I would say have a conversation first and foremost. For me, authenticity is massive, and it plays a huge part of my values and beliefs. With KnowledgeBrief I hear that, and I see it, not just from one individual, but from the whole organisation. I think there is a lot of bad reputation amongst some training providers and through the ones I’ve personally experienced. So, pick the phone up, have a meeting or a conversation. Find out what your business needs from a development perspective and see how KnowledgeBrief can plug that gap. If any organisation has any apprehension (like mine did at the time) around the word ‘apprenticeship’, then let KnowledgeBrief in to change the perception. With the right people and the right provider, you can easily change that perspective. It’s not felt painful at all, and I don’t ever have to worry about the apprenticeships, as I know KnowledgeBrief are on hand.