A selection of Training Hand's clients

Belgian-owned International Bank

We were tasked with the development and delivery of a modular management skills programme for middle and senior level managers. After detailed discussions with the Bank’s training team, we developed a tailored programme which took the form of nine modules, some of half-day duration and others of a full day duration.

The modules were run fortnightly and repeated if necessary depending on demand. The programme lasted for four months and covered the following skills areas; personal management style, time management, problem solving, running an effetive meeting, listening skills, communication skills, leadership style, assertiveness, conflict management, motivation, report writing, presentation skills, team development, conducting an effective appraisal and coaching skills.

We have conducted the programme annually since its conception, adapting it each year to the changing development needs of the Bank’s personnel.

Insurance firm

We were tasked with the introduction of a new company-wide appraisal process and the development and delivery of tailored appraisal training sessions for managers who would be conducting appraisals.

This work also incorporated Financial Services Authority compliance issues relating to competencies and continuous professional development of staff.

This programme also involved the development and introduction of new appraisal template forms. There was a need also to assist with changing the culture of some elements of the organisation to one that embraced the appraisal concept and the benefits that could be gained from the process.

The training sessions were practical and participative in structure and involved carefully constructed role play activities. These gave the managers an opportunity to practise conducting a professional appraisal while at the same time familiarising themselves with the new appraisal template forms.

IT Company

We were tasked to assist key staff with the development of their communication skills; this particularly related to their ability to assert their points of view and to come across professionally and with personal impact. We developed a tailored five hour training session that was conducted in-house. The session enabled each person to discover their natural style in relation to assertiveness and then the strengths and weaknesses of that style.

With the input and assistance of a professional actor, we then conducted some role play activities that had been developed prior to the session. This gave the delegates an opportunity to practise different assertiveness approaches in different situations.

The session also covered aspects of body language and personal communication traits.

Theatre Management Company

We were tasked by this large West End Theatre Management company to develop a tailored leadership programme for the key theatre managers in some of London’s best known West End Theatres.

As well as helping the managers to improve their leadership skills, this also involved assisting the managers to engender a climate of forward thinking, empowerment and creativity throughout the company as a whole during a time of significant operational and organisational change.

The programme took the form of a number of tailored courses conducted at venues in the London area.

This work led on to the provision of executive coaching assistance for the Chief Executive; this involved introducing a more business-focused culture and encouraging innovation.

Capital Markets Division (of a Scandinavian Bank)

With its head office in Stockholm, this 16 strong team was geographically split between London and various locations in Scandinavia. Our terms of reference involved the improvement of communication and operational procedures linking the different offices.

Prior to our involvement, the mutual respect, openness and trust between team members had been lacking. This improved significantly during the programme and respect for the team leader improved. This enabled him to lead more effectively and to maximise the strengths and operational effectiveness of the team as a whole.

International Money Broking firm

A leading international money broking firm with its head office in London and satellite offices worldwide.

Our work involved the development and delivery of a number of tailored team development, leadership and management style programmes.

The team development activity centred around maximising the strengths and operational effectiveness of each of the money marketing Divisions. Integral to the overall programme was the improvement of communication within the Divisions and between Divisions throughout the firm.

Our terms of reference also included improving communication channels between the Executive Committee based in London and the Directors of the various Divisions located within London and elsewhere. This was multi-cultural work which concentrated mainly on London and European offices.

We also assisted with the setting up of new offices in Prague and Warsaw; this work involved coordinating all issues relating to the effective combination of skills, roles, personalities and experience within a new team.

Industrial PLC (involved in aerospace, precision industry and medical supplies)

Our terms of reference were to develop a tailored management team exercise that would provide the team with the chance to work closely together on a simulated project with time limitations.

We achieved this by creating a tailored team exercise that was run away from the office and lasted for a 24 hour period. During this time, the team’s objective was to research, develop and implement an Emergency Action Plan in answer to the approach of real natural disaster.

The exercise was located in the village Oakham in Rutland. The exercise was kept as realistic as possible – this was achieved with the help of the local Oakham emergency services (fire brigade, police, emergency planning officer at the Council etc.)

In order to succeed, the team had to set up and run a control room that would enable them to communicate effectively and to control the exercise. From this central location, the team had to locate and use key information within the local area.

The team had to carefully allocate roles and responsibilities and delegate effectively. Under constant time pressure and while regularly being presented with unknown situations and problems, the team had to use initiative and creativity in order to arrive at their plan.

As a conclusion to the exercise the team was required to develop and deliver a stand up presentation of their Emergency Action Plan to key members of the Oakham District Council.

Investment Manager in the Commodities sector

This assignment involved one-to-one presentation skills coaching for a senior investment manager.

This individual had been charged with developing and delivering a product presentation to a number of high ranking business executives during a conference in France.

The presentation was of great significance to the expansion of the investment manager’s portfolio and to the development of his firm as a whole.

Through detailed discussion with the investment manager, we developed a tailored presentation skills coaching programme that was conducted over four separate half-day sessions.

The coaching covered areas such as presentation content, structure, use of visual aids, delivery style, body language, professionalism and personal impact. The manager was filmed on a number of occasions during the programme and provided with professional feedback throughout.

London-based arm of a US Settlements firm

During a time of significant operational and organisational change within the business, we were tasked to assist the 8 strong senior management team with strategic planning, objective setting and the implementation of operational procedures.

This work involved assisting a team that consisted of differing/conflicting personalities, some of whom were initially opposed to the changes being proposed.

There was a clear need to improve the synergy of the team and to develop a more positive climate of creativity and innovation. This meant ensuring that team members felt able to deal positively with significant change. We also assisted with the communication of this change in culture downwards through the firm.

Investment Services Team (of a Private Banking firm)

We were tasked with the development and delivery of a tailored two day team building course. The team was twenty in number and was comprised of a number of operational sections and an administration section.

Working closely with the Director of the team and focusing on his objectives, we developed a programme that started on a Friday afternoon and ended at lunchtime on the Sunday. The course took place at a hotel near Guildford in Surrey, approximately one hour’s drive from Central London.

The main aim of the course was to improve communication between the different sections and to develop a more effective, motivated and creative working culture within the team.

While working closely with the Director of the team throughout, we were also able to assist him with his leadership style and assertiveness.

The course combined indoor and outdoor work, the latter taking the form of an eight hour (day/evening) tailored outdoor team exercise conducted in a four mile square area of woodland near the hotel.

We were tasked with developing a tailored training course for the 18 managers who formed the management team of one of the hotels in the Group.  The aim of the one day course was to improve the personal effectiveness and time management of each of the managers.

The course was specifically tailored to address the needs of managers who work within a customer service environment which operates 24 hours a day. Therefore, development of the course involved adapting our training approach to ensure that the time management principles we covered related in reality to the operational day-to-day work and constraints of the managers.  This meant having a detailed discussion prior to the course with senior team members to ensure that we as trainers understood the culture of the organisation.

During the course we covered planning, prioritisation, objective setting, delegation, effective meetings, dealing with interruptions, time wasters, procrastination and self-discipline.  We incorporated a number of participatory exercises which added an element of reality to the training.

We were also asked to cover some aspects of communication;  this involved ensuring that each manager felt able to professionaly communicate their time management plans and expectations to the staff within their teams.  Here we covered personal communication style and how to adapt your natural style to best suit a situation or person. 

At the end of the course managers committed to using the key planning and prioritisation tools we introduced.  Each person also finished with some key personal objectives that they had set for the coming months.