As we navigate toward the future, it’s imperative to not only acknowledge the significance of protected groups but also actively support and empower them. We explore how effective leadership and management can foster an environment that not only values diversity but also harnesses it as a catalyst for innovation and growth.
Leadership
leadership
Empowering Tomorrow: Advocating for Women in Leadership and Inspire Inclusion
In the pursuit of progress and equality, inspiring inclusion and advocating for women in leadership roles has become a crucial component of the broader societal conversation. While significant strides have been made in recent years, there is still much work to be done to break down the barriers that inhibit women from reaching their full potential in leadership positions. We aim to shed light on the importance of advocating for women in leadership and the benefits it brings to organisations and society as a whole.
Navigating the Return to the Office and Mastering Remote Leadership
This year again the business landscape has witnessed a shift with companies like L’Oreal and EY recalling home-based workers back to the office. The legal arena has also played a role for the first time, with a UK court ruling requiring a home worker at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to comply with the company’s request to return to the office. As we all grapple with this transition, it’s crucial to not only weigh the pros and cons of a home-based workforce but also understand the essential skills required to master remote leadership.
Embracing Big Futures: A Strategic Approach to Workforce Development
Welcome to 2024 with Call of the Wild, where we are thrilled to kick off the first quarter of the year with a workforce development theme that encapsulates our vision for growth, sustainability, and success – ‘Big Futures’. In a world that’s constantly evolving, planning for the future has never been more crucial, and at the heart of that planning lies an investment in the backbone of any successful organisation – its workforce.
Emotional Intelligence for Leaders
Today, emotional intelligence has emerged as a crucial factor in the effectiveness of leaders, managers and the wider workforce. Understanding and managing emotions in oneself and others is becoming increasingly vital for fostering a productive work environment, building strong teams, and achieving sustainable organisational success. We’re exploring the significance of emotional intelligence in leaders and managers and how it can be harnessed to drive positive outcomes.
Empowering Teams for Innovation
Cultivating a culture of innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity for survival and growth. It’s also not something that happens overnight, but takes work. Everyday. And empowering teams for innovation has to come from the top. In this blog, we’ll delve into key strategies and insights that can transform your teams into innovation powerhouses.
Adapting to Change and Uncertainty
Change and uncertainty have become the norm rather than the exception, and the ability to navigate these challenges is more vital than ever. On a daily basis we’re seeing clients struggle to steer their teams through these uncharted waters. This blog post is tailored to provide you with invaluable insights, proven strategies, and actionable steps to help you navigate these unpredictable waters and aid you in adapting to change and uncertainty with confidence and effectiveness.
Building a Culture of Trust in Your Organisation
One of the most crucial aspects of building a successful organisation is cultivating a culture of trust. Trust forms the foundation upon which teams thrive, employees excel, and businesses flourish. Trust takes time to build and nurture as part of the culture of trust within an organisation.
Leading with Resilience: Building Stronger Teams
In today’s rapidly changing landscape, effective leadership is essential for building strong teams and ensuring success. The challenges faced by leaders require not only competence but also resilience—the ability to adapt, persevere, and inspire others in the face of adversity. In this blog post, we will explore how to lead with resilience and discuss strategies for building stronger teams in any sector.
In The News: May 2023
We’ve pulled together some of the latest leadership and management-related news.
This includes some topical subjects which many of you might also be experiencing in your workplace.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Leadership Decisions
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in various industries, and its influence on leadership decisions is increasingly evident. In this blog, we will explore the immediate impact of AI on leadership decision-making processes and delve into its potential future implications for teams. From enhancing data-driven decision-making to transforming team dynamics, AI is reshaping the way leaders operate and envision the future.
An Old Name For a New Way of Being
Wales is in the headlines this week as our national park celebrates its 66th anniversary and unveils a new brand and an updated official name. The park has lived with a dual English and Welsh name for a number of years but is now taking the step to embrace the original name of the region and be known officially as Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, pronounced ban-aye bruch-ein-iog, with the ch making the same sound as in loch!
Keeping the tank full: how to prevent leadership burnout
By Mark Soanes, Director, Call of the Wild
Like many of you, I’m sure, I was quite shocked to hear the announcement last week that Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister is stepping aside. It’s not something we hear very often from political leaders, or leaders in general. But what interested me the most was her reflection ‘I just don’t have enough in the tank’. As leaders our time is constantly in demand, the pace is fast and the decisions we make can have enormous repercussions, but how often do we stop to check in with ourselves?
How full is the tank?
There is so much talk, endlessly, nowadays about mental wellbeing, work-life balance and a high level of awareness of what stress does to our bodies. They are certainly things I’m aware of when looking at my own team, but how often do we check-in with ourselves? In all likelihood – not often enough. Jacinda’s admission is a nudge we didn’t know we needed to consider how full the tank is, are we giving ourselves enough opportunities to keep our tanks full, so that we are giving our best to our organisations.
But who has time for that?
Ah, time. The endless battle for time. Although it might sound like a self-indulgence to block out time for something other than work, it’s vital. Our MD, Geraint, and I have recently started taking a day off a week and it’s been revelatory for both of us. It’s given us an opportunity to catch up on life-admin, to spend time with family we’ve missed out on and to do the physical activity needed to refill our tanks. A whole day may not be feasible for all of us, but when was the last time you took a lunch break? When was the last time you stepped away from your emails, your meeting schedule, your constantly ringing phone and went for a walk around the block? Why not start today? Do one thing that fills up your tank and see what a difference it makes to your day, to your team and to your business.
This all harks back to our ethos at Call of the Wild, and one of the reasons we started the business 25 years ago. First look at understanding yourself. What makes you tick and can you be honest with yourself when the hard times come as inevitably they will. If you don’t first understand how you lead yourself then how are you going to be effective in leading others and the organisation?
Mark Soanes has been Director at Call of the Wild for 25 years. Find out more about the work we do to support leaders and get in touch to see how we can support you, email info@callofthewild.co.uk or call 01639 700 388.
Can Leadership Be Learnt?
Can leadership be learnt? In our view yes it can. Although you can’t change the personality of someone you can influence their preferred behaviours. So if they are put in a leadership position then the skills required to be effective can be learnt as this involves adapting behaviours of yourself and influencing the behaviours of others.
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
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On a day when our Prime Minister has said sorry, it got us thinking about what it is to apologise as a leader. As leaders we have big decisions to make, big responsibilities, and a workforce looking to us for guidance. But we are still human. We misjudge situations, make mistakes and we may not always have the answer. The very nature of leadership is dealing with uncertainty, so how can we be certain we’ll always pick the right approach?
South Wales Police Future Leaders
Key Data
Focus – Leadership Development
Objectives – Developing Future Leaders
Delegate Number – Up to 6
Venue – Our Training Centre, Brecon Beacons
Brief
South Wales Police are currently working with us, here at Call of the Wild, on a series of innovative, online and in-person training courses, as it invests in its senior staff and future leaders.
The police force has already put several its most promising future leaders through an extensive training programme with us, with a final follow-up day scheduled, in which they will review how they are putting the training into practice.
Solution
The courses have been aimed at improving the participants’ leadership, teambuilding, and people management skills, as well as addressing strategies to improve their mental resilience in challenging situations. The extensive course contained seven modules, the first six of which took place online using our innovative video content. The other sessions have all taken place in-person at our Brecon Beacons headquarters.
Our offering has always been rooted in the incredible surroundings of the Brecon Beacons, but we were quick to pivot when lockdown measures were introduced in March 2020. We swiftly adapted to an online environment and worked hard to develop new and unique ways of delivering our courses, ensuring that they continued to be an immersive and challenging experience – even when completed virtually.
We continued to utilise the incredible landscape and geography around our headquarters by bringing the ruggedness to the screen – filming various scenarios and allowing participants to decide on different outcomes.
One of these virtual training sessions, called ‘Behind Enemy Lines’, uses footage of real geographical features – including rivers, rapids, caves and cliffs – and the physical challenges they present, to offer participants fully immersive scenario-based exercises that replicate the experience of actually being in the Brecon Beacons. Through this virtual world, participants need to work as a team to journey across the wild landscape, while simultaneously completing tasks and challenges to obtain clues. In one scenario, coordinates will lead the team to a downed plane in the area, where they must find the pilot and extract him from the mountains as quickly as possible.
This innovative training programme allowed South Wales Police to invest in its staff without spending excess time travelling to and from a training venue. It also enabled them to limit external contact during the height of the pandemic.
Feedback
Debbie Williams, Assistant Director of Learning and Development Service at South Wales Police, said:
“The pandemic presented us with a number of challenges, which included a need to adapt our training and develop strategy to ensure we could continue to invest in organisational leadership, while also keeping colleagues safe.
“Thankfully we’ve been able to achieve that, by introducing a solution which is creative and still close to the real-life, high-pressured scenarios our police leaders are likely to encounter during their careers.
“The individuals chosen to attend the courses have all been identified as future leaders within our force, and the skills and strategies they develop will undoubtedly help to ensure that South Wales Police can keep our communities safe well into the future”
Francesca Burrows, our Training Manager, said:
“The courses we provide are tailored to the specific needs of the clients we help. In the case of South Wales Police, we have focussed on building leadership skills and resilience. Due to the Covid pandemic, we have adapted many of the courses we would usually do in-situ into a virtual form, which has been welcomed by clients across the world, and is something we will continue.
“As restrictions open up, we are resuming our Brecon-based outdoor training, but the virtual option will always be there if people are unable to travel to us.”
Aston Villa Football Club
Key Data
Focus: Development of relationships and team building Aston Villa First team squad
Objectives: to identify and develop key team development behaviours and to transfer these to the pitch
Delegate Number: 35
Venue: Our Development Centre Brecon Beacons
The Client
The squad from Premier League Football Club Aston Villa
The Objective/Brief
The management team asked for a challenging programme to build team relationships
The Solution
The Programme
A two day programme with an overnight stay
Overview
The group were split into teams sent to rescue a downed reconnaissance pilot (RP) and recover the camera and film from the plane.
The search for RP took place during the afternoon and early evening set in the demanding and beautiful natural environment of the Brecon Beacons and was combined with a series of challenges to test the team’s:
• Communication skills
• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Team work
• Individual behaviours
• Navigation skills
The exercise concluded when, having successfully completed the challenges, having followed the clues, the teams tracked down the RP’s hiding place to secure their extraction.
Overnight Camping
The event continued with an overnight camp. Giving the opportunity to the team to experience the beauty of night time in the hills and to take part in the challenges which flow naturally from setting up camp – pitching tents, building a fire and cooking their own evening meal – all superb tests of people’s behaviour and attitude at the end of a demanding day.
Staffing
Range of experienced staff including our Head of Programme Delivery Dr.Phil Knowles and former Royal Marines.
Outcome and Impact
Top placed English Manager in the Premier League and team on course for highest league finish in top flight since 2010 when then under the management of Martin O’Neil.
Review
‘I was just one of the boys that day rather than the actual leader.’
‘A lot you could see thinking ‘What are we doing? but as it went you could see they were thinking ‘This is all right. Actually, better than running round a field in pre-season’… They certainly got a lot out of it – you saw new relationships form.’
Dean Smith, Manager
“Out of all this he has emerged with a stronger club and a markedly improved team.”
Jonathan Northcroft, Football Correspondent, The Sunday Times. Article in Sunday Times 7th March 2021 where this event was referenced by Dean Smith.
Talis – People Programme
Key Data
Client – Talis
Focus – Engagement Programme
Objectives – A training and OD programme which was innovative, creative and stimulating. Seeking a more engaged workforce being managed effectively with timely communications, resulting in high achieving teams and productivity.
Delegate Number – 170
Venue – Our training centre and The Vale Resort
Call of the Wild for Talis
Background
After recognising that key areas within the organisation required attention Talis selected Call of the Wild to help design and deliver some of the key components of their people programme
Objectives
Areas to be looked at were:-
- Leadership
- Communication
- Fair Deal/Effective Teams
- Meaningful & Current Vision
The Programme
Following the mission delivery exercise on values and vision it was decided that in order to realign teams and individuals behind great leaders, a short leadership programme should be undertaken to examine expert practice, delivered by a trusted training partner. A leadership gap analysis against values & behaviours was carried out and a ‘Mission Delivery’ process was covered in the training, aligning individual and team KPIs against the Organisation. Wellbeing opportunities for employees on the living wage were reviewed and initiatives brought in to support them.
All staff needed to be consulted and given feedback on progress. An 18 -month strategy of engagement was needed and training to support this identified and planned into the workforce development plan.
From the 4 objectives set out above here are is the summary of the leadership objectives:-
- Analyse current styles of leadership
- Adopt and apply effective leadership behaviours as a high performing senior team
- Create an openness between senior leaders Measurement:
- Pulse survey to review progress
- Aligned KPIs for teams v’s organisation
- ‘Buddy’ system measured by behaviour matrix
Outcomes
The training was innovative, creative and stimulating. The results were an engaged workforce being managed effectively with timely communications, resulting in high achieving teams and productivity. Several delegates have since been promoted within the UK and across the Group in Europe.
Key Outcomes –
- All (170 FTE) have a ‘voice’
- All staff have access to flexible working opportunities
- Developed UK Values and Visions, then rolled out across whole of group (across 28 countries)
- Absence rates fell from 2.2% to 1.6%
- Reduced stigma of mental health
- Best results in the company’s history
- Increased productivity
- Increased sales
- Health & Safety statistics improved by 30% each year
- Staff turnover – 36% reduction in staff turnover
Swansea University MBA
Key Data
Focus – Effective leadership behaviours
Objectives – To identify and develop the leadership capability of a cohort of senior managers
Delegate Number – 15-20 per group
Venue – Our Development Centre Brecon Beacons
Date – October 2008 to present
Background
Call of the Wild’s relationship with Swansea University Business School has always been interesting one, so when we were given the task of developing a leadership programme for a group of senior managers which really challenged them to become the best leaders they could be, we set to the task right away.
We realised from an early stage that in order to engage this group we would need to create a solution which utilised our most senior facilitation team. with this in mind we created a programme that drew on the skills of our most experienced business coaches, expertise from the world of professional sport and a leadership master class from an associate who has managed and led a successful Everest expedition.
The Objectives
The primary objective was for each delegate to be able to recognise, and develop appropriate leadership behaviours and transfer these to the workplace. We achieved this by providing each delegate with the opportunity to increase their self awarness by the use of real world leadership challenges and facilitaed action learning sets.
The Programme
The programme was designed to take delegates outside of their normal comfort zones in a challenging, yet safe environment.
Several developmental inputs are utilised.
- Web-enabled learning
- Leadership Master Class
- Action Learning
- Experiential Learning
- Project Work
- Post-programme Follow up
The programme allows delegates to become self-aware of their own leadership skills and provides a platform and support system to enable them to begin applying their learning to the work environment.
Testimonials
“I have worked with several experiential learning organisations and I can honestly say that Call of the Wild are the best.”
Dr.Mark Good
Alstom
The Client
Alstom is a global leader in equipment and services for power generation and rail transport. The Group is present in more than 70 countries worldwide and employs around 76 000 people.
The Issues
Call of the Wild, after a number of meetings with the clients HR consultant, identified the problem as being a new group of senior management not working together as a team.
Objectives
Objectives agreed with the client were:
- Team to gain an understanding of each other as people not just in business
- Get past the ‘storming phase’
- Implement peak communication
- Share a common experience that bonds the team
- Explore effective communication
- Help identify preferred leadership styles
The Solution
In consultation it was decided the course should take the form of a team development intervention for 8 members of this new senior management team. This intervention would begin to identify and break down the barriers to high performance, the group would be encouraged to reflect on their learning and incorporate resolutions to transfer back to the work environment.
The Programme
The client requested an outdoor based experiential learning event taking the group out of their comfort zone and putting them under pressure in an unfamiliar environment. The objective was to stretch the individuals in order to draw out the lessons required through the facilitation and intervention of Call of the Wild staff. Call of the Wild designed and delivered a three day programme. This involved a series of physical, mental and behavioural challenges including: orienteering, camping, navigation and command tasks. The group were asked to camp out overnight and prepare their own evening meals which included preparing a rabbit and pigeon for the group to cook for their dinner.
In order to transfer the learning to the workplace for maximum relevance, a Power Station Challenge was incorporated as the culmination of the 3 day event. This was included to test the group members when they were fatigued. The group were required to design, on site, a retrofit for a power station and present their findings to the Station Manager.
Staffing
The programme was delivered by our facilitators David Thomas, MIC, CIPD and Fiona Thornewill, MBE. Dave is a highly experienced management training facilitator with a particular expertise in outdoor experiential programmes. He is one of the highest qualified outdoor facilitators in the UK.
Fiona Thornewill, has an impressive CV which is second to none. She was the 1st British woman to ski to Geographic South Pole,1st British woman to ski to the Geographic North Pole, 1st Woman to ski to both Geographic Poles, Fastest woman to ski – Geographic North Pole in 55 days, 1st British woman to ski solo & unsupported to the Geographic South Pole and fastest (man or woman) to ski – Geographic South Pole – unsupported in 41 days 8 hours 14 minutes.
Outcome
Here’s what our client thought of the programme:
“We are a large business operating across continents with customers that are household names. We searched many suppliers, and only one could give us what we wanted – Call of the Wild. With a new top-team and a massive change agenda together with a stretching annual target, it was critical to embed the new team as quickly as possible.
Our demands were more than a match for any supplier, but not only were they met, Call of the Wild added great value throughout the team building process with ideas, determination, the ability to work to our precise needs, and demonstrating a leadership spirit that provided an excellent model to learn from. The instructors were of the highest quality and blended challenge, the ability to stretch comfort zones beyond anything we envisaged, whilst always maintaining the highest standards of safety.
“There is no doubt that our return on investment will be many multiples of the cost and, most importantly, we have a new team that has not only bonded, but understands how to operate with each other in the most effective way. This will only benefit the team, the wider business, and, most importantly, our customers. We are so pleased with the outcome that if you require any first-hand recommendations, please feel free to call us and we will tell you exactly how professional Call of the Wild is.”
D. Stephens, General Manager
Global Utilities ILM Level 5 Programme
Key Data
Client – Global Utilities and Engineering Company
Focus – Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management Skills
Objectives – Enable delegates to recognise, practice and transfer leadership behaviours to the workplace and focus on outcomes and impact in the workplace
Delegate Number – 70+
Background
Call of the Wild were invited to design and deliver a leadership development programme by the client. This programme was initially to be rolled out across the senior management team in one Division of the Company before roll out to others.
The Objectives
To provide the delegates with the opportunity to identify and practise positive leadership skills in a challenging environment and to begin to transfer those skills back into their places of work. We sought to measure the impact of the behavioural changes back in the workplace and the difference it made to the business.
The Programme
The programme design was intended to offer a unique combination of media including:
- Experiential learning workshop
- Online learning
- Telephone coaching
- Action learning
The design provides the opportunity for delegates to explore their own leadership capabilities in a real environment, to learn from world-class leaders and to practise leadership skills back in the workplace.
The delegates explore key leadership concepts and models, supported by the Call of the Wild facilitation team, they are encouraged to show initiative and learn from the actual process of leading. Delegates maintain a learning log to record their personal reflections and observations on leadership and to serve as an aid to the transfer of skills.
The certificate mandatory units are:-
- Assessing your own leadership capability and performance
- Improving own leadership potential through action learning
Testimonials
Feedback not from the delegates but from their line managers
“He has implemented good changes, team communication has greatly improved, he has evaluated how he communicates with his team and what best suits the team’s style to ensure information is clear and understood. Performance out put from his team has also increased month on month, Performance reviews have a different structure and linked with improvements in communication this is clearly having an impact.”
“She was new into the Regional Manager position so it was good for her to attend the course during her probationary period. I think she has been able to step back and take the time to review things and now she may have a different suggestion to solve an issue. Previously it felt as though we were always so busy that decisions would be made quickly which then the best decisions are not always made.”
“Yes definitely, I think that she has learned a lot about different ways of managing situations she seems more confident now and I think above all else this course has given her the opportunity to discuss with other colleagues best practices and look at different ways of managing people. In some cases this has confirmed that she was doing things correctly but I think she has also learned from others within the group. It has also given her an opportunity to spend time with her peers that does not regularly happen.”
Babcock ILM Level 5 Programme
Key Data
Client: Babcock International
Focus: Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management Skills
Objectives: Enable delegates to recognise, practice and transfer leadership behaviours to the workplace and focus on outcomes and impact in the workplace
Delegate Number: 70+
Background
Call of the Wild were invited to design and deliver a leadership development programme by the client. This programme was initially to be rolled out across the senior management team in one Division of the Company before roll out to others.
The Objectives
To provide the delegates with the opportunity to identify and practise positive leadership skills in a challenging environment and to begin to transfer those skills back into their places of work. We sought to measure the impact of the behavioural changes back in the workplace and the difference it made to the business.
The Programme
The programme design was intended to offer a unique combination of media including:
- Experiential learning workshop
- Online learning
- Telephone coaching
- Action learning
The design provides the opportunity for delegates to explore their own leadership capabilities in a real environment, to learn from world-class leaders and to practise leadership skills back in the workplace.
The delegates explore key leadership concepts and models, supported by the Call of the Wild facilitation team, they are encouraged to show initiative and learn from the actual process of leading. Delegates maintain a learning log to record their personal reflections and observations on leadership and to serve as an aid to the transfer of skills.
The certificate mandatory units are:-
- Assessing your own leadership capability and performance
- Improving own leadership potential through action learning
Testimonials
Feedback not from the delegates but from their line managers
“He has implemented good changes, team communication has greatly improved, he has evaluated how he communicates with his team and was best suits the team’s style to ensure information is clear and understood. Performance out put from his team has also increased month on month, Performance reviews have a different structure and linked with improvments in communication this is clearly having an impact”
“She was new into the Regional Manager position so it was good for her to attend the course during her probationary period. I think she has been able to step back and take the time to review things and now she may have a different suggestion to solve an issue. Previously it felt as though we were always so busy that decisions would be made quickly which then the best decisions are not always made.”
“Yes definitely, I think that she has learnt a lot about different ways of managing situations she seems more confident now and I think above all else this course has given her the opportunity to discuss with other colleagues best practices and look at different ways of managing people. In some cases this has confirmed that she was doing things correctly but I think she has also learnt from others within the group. It has also given her an opportunity to spend time with her peers that does not regularly happen.”
ICAEW – World Class Accountancy Body
Key Data
Client: Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales
Focus: Leadership Development
Objectives: Enable delegates to recognise, practice and transfer leadership behaviours
Delegate Number: 200+
Venue: Brecons Beacons, Lake District, Peak District,Central London & Tanzania
Background
Call of the Wild were invited to tender for a leadership development programme by the client. Having been invited to present to the tender panel, Call of the Wild were awarded the contract to design and deliver the intervention.
The Objectives
To provide the delegates with the opportunity to identify and practise positive leadership skills in a challenging, competitive environment and to begin to transfer those skills back into their places of work.
The Programme
The programme design was intended to offer a unique combination of media including:
- Experiential learning workshop
- Leadership Master Class
- African Project
The design provides the opportunity for delegates to explore their own leadership capabilities in a real environment, to learn from world-class leaders and to practise leadership skills in delivering a project that has real benefit to the people of Arusha in Tanzania.
The delegates explore key leadership concepts and models, supported by the Call of the Wild facilitation team, they are encouraged to show initiative and learn from the actual process of leading. Delegates maintain a learning log to record their personal reflections and observations on leadership and to serve as an aid to the transfer of skills.
The Master Class is delivered by Alan Chambers MBE and John Neal and provides delegates with an insight into the performance of leader and teams under extreme pressure. The Master Class offers a unique and powerful learning experience and enhances participants understanding of effective leadership behaviours.
Delegates are also able to further develop and practise the skills of leadership in a truly inspirational and challenging environment in delivering a charitable project in Africa, providing a real experience of what leadership and team work is all about the project is designed to embed core skills.
Staffing
Facilitators
Dave Thomas MIC CIPD
Dave is an outdoor management development professional of 15 years experience, he is an accredited CIPD coach.
Alan Chambers MBE
Alan demonstrates the determination and focus it takes to lead the first British unsupported team to walk to the Geographic North Pole, he facilitates thought provoking exercises and discussion, designed to stimulate and enlighten
John Neal
Psycho-physiologist, businessman and performance coach delivers a highly interactive coaching session based on the lessons for business from high performance sport.