What's new at cda
We are currently working with two Housing Associations to deliver innovative management development programmes, focused on driving and embedding strategic change. Both programmes are based upon a bespoke set of leadership competencies, which have been developed to reflect the values and strategies of the organisation and draw upon best practice leadership thinking. The programmes draw upon a range of tools and materials to assess development needs and deliver meaningful learning which reflects individual requirements. The development tools and materials include development centres, 360 feedback (using cdafeedback), online learning materials and ‘Bite Size’ workshops. Both programmes have been supported by the development of a cadre of coaches from within the organisation.
Work has continued with a motor retailer on the development of an innovative approach to the evaluation of the business benefits of training and development. We are working with the business’s UK Academy to develop an approach to ‘root causing’ the purpose (and therefore the expected benefits) of training and development interventions. Our client is now using the tool to enhance the consulting skills of its training advisers and equip them to work with retailers to identify situations where training and development will deliver real business benefit.
Over the next few months we will also be designing and delivering a series of development centres aimed at developing leadership talent and management skills for a division of a FTSE 100 organisation. The programme will draw upon work carried out during 2007, using cda’s Leadership Talent Factors, to define the characteristics of effective leadership in this organisation. This thinking will be used as the basis for a series of development centres, using a mix of face-to-face and online assessment to identify potential and confirm individual development needs. Later in 2008 we will also be developing a mix of online and face to face development material that can be used to support the resulting development activity. Once again, our focus will be on building capability by developing a cadre of assessors and coaches from within the organisation.
We are also continuing to support another motor retailer; this time with work to help define and shape a European training programme which will be happening later in 2008, to support a major programme of model launches. We are helping our client to think through the way in which this training will integrate a number of existing brand and customer service strategies and combine this with new data on customer groupings, to reinforce key messages about the customer experience.
