News@the-centre

June Jubilee special offer 17/5/12

With just a couple of weeks to go until the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of her reign, everyone is getting geared up for the celebrations: street parties, cream teas, and not forgetting the four day weekend!

And would jubileeve that the Centre is marking this momentous occasion by offering a sparkling £60 discount off the following courses taking place during the month of June:

Marketing in the not-for-profit sector 6 June
Writing speeches 8 June
Training the trainer 11 & 12 June
Moving into management 13 & 14 June
Supervision skills 13 & 14 June
Handling difficult people and situations 15 June
Networking and representing your organisation 15 June
Strategy: an introduction 18 June
The effective learning and development administrator 18 June
The Executive PA 19 & 20 June
Project management 20 & 21 June
Business writing skills 21 & 22 June
Essential skills for administrators 22 June
Time management for administrators 27 June
Finance skills for non financial managers 27 & 28 June

To read more about each course, just click on the course name above.

If you wish to book a place, you can also do so via the above links, or by calling us on 020 7490 3030. Just remember to quote "Jubilee" when booking to ensure you receive the £60 discount!

To discuss your training needs with a member of the team call us on 020 7490 3030 or email info@the-centre.co.uk.

Terms and conditions
Offer subject to availability. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer including 4 for 3, vouchers, recommend a friend, £50 voucher or any other promotional discount. Offer only applicable to bookings made after 10:00 on 17 May 2012 for the above courses and dates. "Jubilee" must be quoted at the time of booking to take advantage of this offer. Discount not applicable to existing bookings or those which are transferred to the above dates. 

National Learning at Work Day 2012 9/5/12

Did you know that 17 May is National Learning at Work Day?

National Learning at Work Day is the biggest celebration of learning and development in and through the workplace.

We think this is a great opportunity to offer you a discount on the Centre's training courses, so you are able to join the thousands of organisations getting involved, and see how you can develop yourself or your organisation through our training.

We're delighted to be able to offer you a 20% discount off any Open Programme course in the Centre's catalogue, when you quote "Learning at Work" when booking before 5pm on 17 May.

Read more about our courses through each category link below, where you can also book your training.

Management courses
Communication courses
Personal effectiveness courses
Writing courses
Administration courses

To ask us anything about any of our courses just call us on 020 7490 3030 or email info@the-centre.co.uk.

Terms and conditions
Offer subject to course availability. Cannot be used retrospectively for training already booked. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer including 4 for 3, recommend a friend, vouchers, £50 discount, or any other promotional discount. Offer only applicable to bookings made by 5pm on 17 May 2012 quoting "Learning at Work".

The Centre at HRD 2012 20/4/12

For the fifth year running, the Centre is delighted to be appearing at HRD 2012, the learning and development conference and exhibition taking place at London Olympia on 25 & 26 April.

We've got another fantastic stand location and will be at stand 411 which is just on the left as you arrive through the main entrance. This year there will be a brand new networking lounge and the Centre will be right opposite that!

Speaking about the Centre's presence at the prestigious exhibition run by the CIPD, the Centre's Managing Director, Jan Burnell said "I am really looking forward to meeting some new and old clients at this year's show. We will be launching my brand new book on Project management and I will be on hand throughout the show to answer any questions visitors may have on delegation, budgeting, supervision, handling difficult staff, or any of the Centre's other areas of expertise."

The Centre will be giving stand visitors the chance to win some free in-company training or vouchers for our Open Programme, as well as some yummy (edible!) treats!

We look forward to seeing you there. If you would like to pre-book an appointment with one of the team please call us on 020 7490 3030 or email info@the-centre.co.uk.  

Training during the Olympics and Paralympics - London 2012 14/3/12

The Centre is delighted to announce that we will continue to run training courses throughout the Olympic and Paralympic periods during London 2012.

Following a survey carried out with a wide range of our course delegates, the majority vote was that people would continue to attend training during this period, and would not be put off travelling through London.

We do, however, advise delegates to check their routes before they travel, on the Get Ahead of the Games site, and allow extra time as journeys are likely to take longer. You may also wish to consider walking part of your route, or using one of the "Boris Bikes" - a docking station is located just a few minutes from the Centre, by Old Street tube station.

Please note that our standard transfer and cancellation policy will remain in place throughout this period.

If you have any questions or would like help planning your route, please feel free to call us on 020 7490 3030.

The Centre comments in Guardian article on training cuts in the voluntary sector 6/3/12

Today the Centre was delighted to appear in The Guardian's article 'Cuts to charities' training budgets could harm service provision' where Lasa's research has shown that, despite budget cuts, demand for professional development is still high.

Jan Burnell, the Centre's Managing Director, was invited to comment on the findings, which show that, of the 446 charity sector professionals who participated in the research, the majority felt that training was essential.

Jan said "These results don't surprise us. Our delegates are finding that cuts and redundancies mean that everyone else has to work smarter – making training even more important as the sector gets leaner and is forced to get more efficient.

"As management teams take on more responsibility and front-line workers find their workloads increasing all the time, the question is not 'can we afford the training?' but 'given that we've got to make the most of our people - how can we get the best value from our training?'"

Read the full article on the Guardian's website.

Most businesses continue to invest in training, despite the recession 4/5/11

78% of organisations polled by The Ken Blanchard Companies in their latest annual Corporate Issues Survey say they will be spending the same or more on learning and development initiatives in the next financial year.   

These results are surprising given that 40% of the organisations surveyed admitted they are cautious about the economy, and 60% saying they are facing economic difficulties.

The survey also revealed that the two main areas of interest when it comes to training are managing change and creating an engaged workforce.

This reinforces that training continues to be a priority for companies and that in the face of difficulties, the training should reflect the needs of the organisation.

Find out more about the Centre's training courses.

Charity donations have dropped since the recession 3/5/11

More than a third of the UK public have given less to charity since the beginning of the recession.

In a report commissioned by the charity Pennies Foundation, it was found that 35% of the people questioned donate less than they used to because of the recession, 4% have stopped all donations and just 8% have increased their charitable donations.

When asked what would encourage them to give more to charity, the top answers were not having to commit to regular donations, and being able to donate privately without others knowing.

Learn more about dealing with the recession in the Centre's Managing a restructure course.

Meetings: do you write or type your notes? 28/4/11

Do you use a notebook and pen or are you increasingly using your laptop, tablet for all reminders, notes, and calendars? In meetings does your laptop come too?

It has been announced that Court stenographers are being phased out in England and Wales with the last contract at the Old Bailey ending in 2012. Experienced stenographers can input 180 words per minute! Journalists using shorthand can take notes accurately and fast but what about the rest of us who have not been taught to type, write shorthand but at meetings need to record vital decisions?

Taking and writing minutes is often felt to be an unenviable task, not something most people feel they want to volunteer to do. Yet for meetings it is vital for any organisation to record decisions and has a chairperson managing the meeting and a confident minute taker working with them.

A minute taker's role is NOT about noting down everything everyone is saying at the meeting. You DO NOT have to be able to write or type at 180 words per minute.

At the Centre our Taking and writing minutes course aims to encourage people to really understand the role of the minute taker. We offer strategies on how to be efficient and effective, confident that the vital decisions and information are recorded....either by pen in hand or straight in to your computer. 

The Centre at HRD 2011 4/4/11

The Centre will be exhibiting at the HRD Exhibition and Conference at London Olympia this week.

Taking place on 6 & 7 April (this Wednesday and Thursday!), the show will host a number of organisations and activities in the areas of learning and development.

The Centre will be at stand 520 and will be giving away free chocolates, travelcard holders and plenty of other goodies! We will also be giving visitors to the stand the opportunity to win free training on the Centre's Open Programme, and one lucky winner will receive a free day of in-company training for their organisation.

The Centre will also have lots of other exciting things going on: two of our trainers will be giving a presentation at the Topic Taster arena on the subject of Managing a restructure, we will be launching our newest management course on Delegation skills and we will also be lucky enough to have round-the-world yactswoman and trainer, Paula Reid at the stand on Thursday.

So all in all an exciting show! We hope to see you there.

Study shows fall in staff turnover 31/3/11

A new study by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has unearthed a decline in staff turnover over the past year with fewer employees resigning, retiring or losing their jobs.

Employee turnover reached 10.5% in 2010, down from 12.3% in the previous year amid rising unemployment, according to the study of 350 organisations.

The proportion of employees resigning declined to a five-year low of 3.9%, while only 0.2% decided to retire last year.

However, employee loyalty was not being rewarded with huge pay increases, with average rises at 2.2% in the past year.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of CMI, said: "It seems that UK employees are more content to stay in their current jobs. Despite increasing demands on time and pressure to deliver more for less, employees have retained some sense of loyalty to their employers and their efforts are being noticed.

"It's reassuring that employers have been able to offer modest pay rises, something we hope indicates that the era of pay freezes may be about to thaw. Of course, no-one should believe that the only way to retain employee loyalty is by throwing money around." 

Strategic planning training.

Groundwork 'crucial to interviews' 30/3/11

In order to ensure that a job interview process is beneficial for the candidate and recruitment team, both sides should be well prepared for it, according to a report.

Research involving 3,400 jobseekers and 240 interviewers showed that many candidates fail to cope with fear and stress associated with work interviews, with one in seven even being reduced to tears.

Some managers struggle to remember a candidate's name, with many asking irrelevant questions to the jobseeker, the study by recruitment firm Monster.co.uk showed.

More than 50% of recruiters said they took an instant dislike to someone they were interviewing.

Isabelle Ratinaud of Monster UK & Ireland said, "It is apparent that both candidates and interviewers are not putting in the necessary groundwork to ensure a smooth, productive interview process.

"It's no wonder that candidates are so stressed out if nearly a third of employers can't even be bothered to remember a candidate's name before an interview.

"Unless an interviewer takes the time to absorb the candidate's CV, they will find it hard to establish whether they are right for the role."

Recruitment and selection training.   

Employees 'face age discrimination' 29/3/11

A new poll by the Employers Forum on Age suggests that a third of employees feel they have been discriminated against while applying for a job, due to their age or company bias towards another candidate.

Employees in the north of England are most likely to suffer from favouritism, according to the poll of 2,000 people.

Denise Keating, chief executive of Employers Forum on Age, said: "Whilst age is the biggest discriminator in the workplace, it is important not to overlook other biases, such as favouritism or gender.

"There seems to be a very high instance of people being selected for a new job or promotion if their face fits, which unfortunately means some people feel that talent isn't enough to overcome prejudices.

"Whilst many companies have solid diversity policies, this may not run throughout the company down to individual team level, which is an issue that needs to be addressed." 

Recruitment and selection training.

Firms 'against retirement changes' 28/3/11

Only one in four employers agree with the abolition of the default retirement age of 65, while even fewer have made provision for it, new research has shown.

Law firm DWF carried out the study, finding that only 24% agree with the new regulations that come into effect on April 6 this year, and only 16% have made preparations for the change.

Following the research findings, DWF held an HR directors' forum in conjunction with the Employers Forum on Age. The forum brought together a cross-section of employers to discuss the results of the survey and the implications of the default retirement age.

In contrast to the views of the majority of employers in the initial research, the forum overwhelmingly supported the Government's proposal to abolish the default retirement age.

The view was that employers will deal with each employee on a case-by-case basis - a consensual retirement policy will be adopted, working with employees to help create realistic solutions for working beyond 65.

Kirsty Rogers, head of employment at DWF, said: "Employers might have real concerns about the default retirement age - but if they plan and prepare, the process of change can be well managed.

"Our forum recognised the abolition of the default retirement age is treated with a cautious optimism - employers might be worried about cost but they are embracing the opportunity for implementing flexible working practices." 

HR skills training.

Firms warned over web attack risks 25/3/11

Companies have been urged to plan ahead to tackle unexpected threats such as cyber crimes after a study found that a number of firms are finding it difficult to cope with the issue.

According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) report, nearly two-thirds of managers believe that an increase in online security breaches is a growing threat to their firms.

One in three of over 1,000 bosses surveyed said their companies were affected by some sort of attack in the past year, which included losing top-secret information.

The study added that more than half of firms were not well prepared to deal with issues such as bad weather, sick staff or online security threats.

The CMI is calling on businesses to introduce stringent measures combat the problems, warning that a 'blinkered' approach could prove risky for them.

Chief executive Ruth Spellman said: "Every time an unexpected event interrupts or halts the operations of a business, charity or public sector body in this country, UK plc suffers - yet with good management, this could be avoided.

"With so many organisations now relying on online networks and systems to function, cyber security breaches have joined extreme weather, contagious illness and transport disruptions as one of the top risks to businesses performance.

"Managers need to ensure that they have proactive plans in place to deal with the potential threats that could impact their business."  

Business planning training.

Succession planning 'not popular' 24/3/11

The smaller the firm the less the likely it is to have carried out any succession planning, research shows.

XpertHR said around a quarter of companies operate one formally and around three in 10 operate an informal process.

Larger organisations are more likely to have a formal succession planning process in place. The survey shows 44% of companies with more than 1,000 staff have a formal process, as do 22% of companies with 250-999 staff and 13% of companies with fewer than 250 staff.

Succession planning is also secretive and homogeneous in its nature, XpertHR said. Fewer than half of employers believe their processes to be transparent and only one in four believe their succession systems to be effective in terms of diversity.

Commonly, such planning operations mostly cover management, professional and skilled jobs.

Companies who do not operate succession planning blame a lack of resources or HR expertise; low staff turnover; or that the small size or the nature of their operations rendered the process irrelevant.

Some firms also admit that such moves were not a priority for them.

Interviews were carried out with 146 firms for the survey.  

Diversity training with the Centre.

NCVO guidance needs clarification 23/3/11

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has claimed that the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit for fee-charging charities is not clear and subsequent assessments have created confusion and uncertainty.

Bosses at the Charity Commission are to consider a reference by Attorney-General Dominic Grieve next month asking it to clarify how the public benefit test will apply to fee-charging schools.

The NCVO is also putting forward a witness statement on behalf of chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington which claims that it believes the commission has not "misdirected itself as to the law" but does think its guidance on public benefit and fee-charging charities is unclear.

It added: "Rather than promoting awareness and understanding of the public benefit requirement, the guidance and assessment reports have created confusion and uncertainty."

The witness statement also added that there is "an apparent mismatch between what is said in the guidance and the way in which the commission has applied the guidance in its public benefit assessments".  

Administration skills training.

Staff 'unaware of standards code' 22/3/11

Almost a quarter of employees have never read codes of conduct from their employers or their industry body, a new survey has found.

On top of this, a quarter have knowingly crossed professional guidelines at their workplace - with men (30%) more likely to do this than women (19%) - according to the study for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Just over a fifth of the 74% who belong to a professional body did not realise there was a code of conduct that they were required to follow.

But more than 60% of the respondents to the survey said they would hold a manager in higher regard if they made more of an effort to toe the line of professional guidance.

The survey comes as the CMI looks to freshen up its Code of Conduct.  

Management training with the Centre.

New guidance for managers published 21/3/11

New research has found that the extent of guidance, feedback and freedom provided to staff by managers plays a key role in the individual performance of employees.

The practical guidance, published in a new report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is aimed at improving the performance of managers in encouraging employees to go that extra mile for the organisation.

Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser, CIPD, said: "The central role of managers in boosting individual and organisational performance is well recognised - with the recent government commissioned MacLeod review of employee engagement making the point particularly well.

"But managers need more specific, tried-and-tested guidance on what they can do on a day-to-day basis to fulfil this key role well. Our new research is designed to fill that gap.

"The research findings may seem on the face of it simple, common sense recommendations. But it is precisely that kind of plain-speaking common sense that managers need. Our findings shine a light on what managers can really do on a day-to-day basis to ensure employees will go the extra mile."

Mr Willmott added: "In today's tough economic environment how managers manage is even more important in supporting employee commitment and motivation in the face of job cuts, pay freezes and cuts to training and development budgets." 

Senior management training.

29% of NHS staff 'suffer stress' 18/3/11

Levels of stress-related illness among NHS staff have risen slightly and it remains the main cause of illness or injury among the organisation's employees, a survey has revealed.

The NHS staff survey indicated that 29% reported suffering with work-related stress in the past year, which represents a 1% rise from the previous year. According to the study, 10% of NHS workers had suffered from moving and handling injuries during the same period, making it the second most common cause of work-related injuries or illness.

The survey also revealed that 8% of NHS staff admitted experiencing physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public in the past 12 months. Front-line staff (12%) and those working in mental health (15%) and ambulance trusts (19%) were more likely to be physically assaulted.

Meanwhile, 1% of all staff said they had experienced violence from colleagues.

Around 15% of staff reported they had experienced bullying, harassment or abuse from either their line manager or other colleagues. As the wording of the question has changed since 2009, no direct comparisons could be made.  

Handling difficult people training.

Stress management training.

Social worker 'stress' highlighted 17/3/11

Unison has highlighted the escalating levels of work-related stress suffered by many social workers as demand for services rises.

The union called for improved support systems to be implemented in a bid to help workers deal with traumatic cases.

It said it had been contacted by many social workers who were having difficulties coping amid cuts to staff and services and rising demand for services.

Helga Pile, Unison national officer for social work, said: "Workloads have spiralled out of control, and staffing levels in social work departments are woefully inadequate.

"The clear message is that stress rates are high and climbing. The toll this takes on social workers' health and on their family life is huge.

"We are also calling on employers to make sure proper support is available to social workers dealing with the fall-out from traumatic cases.

"Counselling should be made available to any social worker who needs it, for as long as they need it. Proper support plans need to be there to ease the way back when people return to the frontline. Councils and Trusts need to develop pro-active strategies to tackle the burn-out that is driving social workers out of the profession."   

Diversity training courses.

Charity workers face burnout risk 16/3/11

Voluntary sector workers are facing a rising risk of work-related stress and burnout, a new study has warned.

The report, The State of Employee Engagement in the Third Sector, claims third sector staff receive less support in their jobs compared to other workers, despite being more engaged on an emotional level.

The study leader, Hannah Law of YPeople at London's Central YMCA, said: "The negative impact of high levels of stress and burnout on the health and wellbeing of individuals, and ultimately on the ability of not-for-profit organisations to fulfil their collective missions, is clear and worrying for third sector leaders."

She called for better feedback systems among managers, with confidential surveys and more supportive management techniques.

This comes as the Charity Pulse survey, which invites workers in the voluntary sector to grade their employers, is launched.

The online survey seeks to show what working life is like in charities and to drive up management standards. The anonymous poll took in more than 650 responses from 160 charitable bodies in 2010.  

Improve your internal communication.

Fake smiles 'worsen workers' moods' 15/3/11

Workers can worsen their mood by faking smiling through the day, a trait which can also make them withdraw from work which affects productivity, a study has suggested.

However, those who smile due to cultivating positive thoughts boost their mood and withdraw less, concluded the American study which could be particularly significant for such industries as hospitality, retail and customer service.

It is not necessarily the case that just getting staff to smile is good for the organisation, said Brent Scott, Assistant Professor of Management at Michigan State University, where the research was carried out.

"Employers may think that simply getting their employees to smile is good for the organisation, but that's not necessarily the case. Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal, and that's bad for the organisation," he said.

The research involved studying a group of city bus drivers over two weeks, examining the effects of surface acting, or fake smiling, and deep acting, or cultivating positive emotions by recalling pleasant memories or thinking about the current situation more favourably. The results were stronger for women bus drivers. The study was published in the February issue of the Academy of Management Journal.

It is believed to be one of the first of its kind to examine emotional displays over a period of time while also looking into gender differences.

Prof Scott added: "Women were harmed more by surface acting, meaning their mood worsened even more than the men and they withdrew more from work. But they were helped more by deep acting, meaning their mood improved more and they withdrew less."  

Team building training.

Charities 'must work with business' 14/3/11

Charities must make an effort to understand the business with whom they have a corporate partnership to get the most out of them, a consultancy has said.

The business consultancy Deloitte issued a report advocating an approach with three stages for getting the most out of corporate partnerships. They are: mutual understanding of the different cultures and strategic priorities; a joint approach instead of the charity driving the partnership, and open dialogue and monitoring.

"To truly reap the benefits of corporate social responsibility programmes, charities need to invest in understanding the businesses' strategic motivations, aims and strengths and then forge a partnership based on a far more creative alliance," said the report, Emerging Partnership Models Between Business and the Third Sector.

It added: "A partnership that doesn't make a real and obvious connection to the core products and services of the business will only generate a general 'feel-good' association and is at risk from any other cause that can just as effectively tug on the heart strings."   

Managing diversity training.

Employers 'want changes in law' 11/3/11

Many employers would back a change in the law to make dismissing staff easier, new research suggests.

More than two out of three of the 250 employers surveyed by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said they felt they had no effective protection against staff taking "unjustifiable" claims to employment tribunals.

And three out of five said staff claiming unfair dismissal had added a discrimination claim in a bid to get more compensation.

Around 55% said they had received a complaint on "malicious grounds", while 52% called for the law on unfair dismissal to be amended.

Mike Emmott, CIPD's employee relations adviser, said: "This survey reflects the strength of feeling among employers about the failings of the current system for resolving workplace disputes. Despite many attempts in recent years to find a solution, the volume of tribunal claims has increased and employers believe they have no protection against weak or speculative claims.  

Recruitment and selection training.

Funders 'should share expertise' 10/3/11

Charity funders and decision-makers should make more of an effort to share their expertise with the wider sector, according to a leading think-tank.

New Philanthropy Capital revealed that the study - by Foundations for Knowledge - found that funders are quite often not sharing their skills and knowledge despite being in a unique position to do so.

The report said: "Their independence, resources and long-term approach enables them to build expertise and share messages in a way that others cannot."

There is a feeling across the sector that the sharing of knowledge is malfunctioning as charities do not want to admit when their schemes have gone awry.

It added: "A culture of 'good news stories' means that valuable lessons about what doesn't work are rarely publicised. The infrastructure for sharing is underdeveloped and initiatives to improve it are fragmented and poorly resourced."

The report claims that funders have a responsibility to spread their expertise. The NPC is looking to run a website in conjunction with the City Bridge Trust.

In a bid to urge funders to take more responsibility regarding the sharing of charitable objectives, the NPC and others will run a website along with the City Bridge Trust and the Association of Charitable Foundations to push this vision through. 

Influencing skills training course.

Women 'stick with unsuitable jobs' 9/3/11

Women are more likely than men to stay in a job they are unhappy in, according to a new survey.

A poll of 3,400 executives across 29 countries found that there was little difference in attitudes towards the workplace, with 43% of women admitting to not liking their jobs, in comparison to 42% of men.

However, some 70% of women claim they would stick with their job despite not being happy, compared to 42% of men.

The poll, carried out by Accenture, also found that more women are unhappy with their salary, 47% in comparison to 44% of men.

Women were found to work harder at their careers, despite fewer having any kind of leadership ambitions, the survey found.

Some 66% of women said hard work was the key to moving forward in their company, while just 55% of men agreed.

However only 22% of female respondents said they hoped to achieve a position of leadership, compared to 28% of males.  

Leadership training for women managers.

Volunteering guidelines drawn up 8/3/11

Cancer Research UK, St John Ambulance, Citizens Advice and Scope are among nine charities to have agreed to a new set of standards to govern volunteer management.

One trustee at each charity will now be responsible for monitoring complaints from volunteers and will give them a hearing if they are unhappy with the way they have been treated under the new Volunteering England guidelines.

Other areas covered by the new standards include setting out a charity's responsibilities towards volunteers, best practice in volunteer management and making sure all staff are aware of how to proceed when volunteering goes wrong.

Volunteering England chair Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs said: "This is an important step forward in improving the conditions for volunteers where, in some instances, they fall short of expectation.

"This approach will ensure that any steps taken are proportionate to need, respect the reciprocity of volunteering and promote parity of esteem between paid and volunteer staff."  

Training in internal communication.

Young people 'lack basic training' 7/3/11

Britain's economy is being hampered by failures in the education system, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has warned.

A poll of almost 600 managers revealed that nine out of 10 felt that young people often required basic skills training when they left school and began their working life.

Almost three out of four employers questioned believed that failures in the education system were damaging the country's economy. Most called for changes in the way skills were developed among young people, and believed education ministers should make it their top priority.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of CMI, said: "Bad management is already an issue in the UK, with only one in five managers having a professional management qualification, but we can't let this become a pattern defining future business generations.

"The cycle has to be broken and the only way to do so is for schools and employers to work together. This is how students will learn to lead and the UK can develop the leadership skills needed to make Britain competitive."

The report was published to mark the launch of Campus CMI, a programme developed with employers to improve the management skills of young people.  

Training the trainer course.

'Lack of support' for women leaders 4/3/11

Talented women are not being developed into leaders because there is a lack of programmes to train them, a survey has revealed.

According to research conducted by Mercer, 67% of companies questioned do not have a defined plan for maintaining women in leadership positions.

The Women's Leadership Development Survey also found these organisations lacked the ability to identify early career potential, conduct diversity sourcing and recruitment or create learning that is gender specific.

Around 41% of the 450 firms admitted that they do not provide activities that address the specific needs to support the development of female leaders.

One in five organisations said they offer some programmes that include mentoring and flexi-time, while a further 11% said they are planning to add these in the future - surpassing a global average of 6%.

When asked how well the organisational climate supports the development of women, 48% of respondents said to a moderate extent, while 14% said to a great extent, and 25% said to a small extent. Eleven per cent said it is not supported at all.

"While there is an apparent lack of concern around most aspects of women's leadership development, there are signs that this is changing," said Dagmar Wilbs, a Senior Partner in Mercer's Human Capital business.

"Women's leadership is increasingly being discussed throughout the business world and starting to gain a foothold on CEOs' strategic agendas. Many countries are also considering establishing requirements for female representation in senior management as part of a larger diversity goal." 

Training for women managers. 

Few firms aware of new agency laws 3/3/11

Very few firms in the UK are anticipating the Agency Workers Regulations coming into force from October this year.

Only 7% have assessed the likely impact of the regulations, recruitment firm Randstad said.

At least one in three bosses admit to not knowing what the regulations will mean for their business because they have yet to even familiarise themselves with them.

The legislation has been designed to create better working conditions for those employed by agencies, although many of its benefits will only take effect after 12 weeks of continuous working for any given employer.

Randstad's Shifting Sands report notes that the companies which are aware of the new regulations mostly want clarification on how pay and bonuses will be affected, the 12-week qualifying period, and what "reasonable steps" they need to take to avoid breaking the law.

The regulations mean that, as of October 1, agency workers will be given the same access to facilities and job vacancies. If they have worked in the same job for more than 12 weeks, they get the same basic working rights and employment conditions as staff on proper contracts.

The UK has the highest proportion of agency workers than any other country in Europe, at around 4% of the entire workforce. According to Randstad, at least half of them will be affected by the new law.

Randstad UK's Brian Wilkinson said: "With the implementation of the AWR just a few months away, it is a concern that such a high proportion of organisations are so unprepared. We urge all users of agency workers to conduct a thorough assessment of their human capital resources and the impact of the regulations. Doing this properly will enable organisations to optimise the structure and efficiency of their workforces."  

Assertiveness skills training.

Private schools put under spotlight 2/3/11

The forthcoming hearing to establish how private schools benefit society may end up damaging the public's trust in charitable bodies, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has said.

The case will be heard by the Upper Tribunal in May and centres on an application from the Independent Schools Council.

The council wants a judicial review of the Charity Commission's guide on how fee-paying schools can demonstrate they benefit the public.

A reference by attorney-general Dominic Grieve relating to the same subject will be also feature in the tribunal hearing.

NCVO is an independent party to the proceedings, as is the Education Review Group which comprises lawyers, voluntary sector leaders and academics. Both could give evidence at the hearing, as well as providing written submissions to the judge.

NCVO's Belinda Pratten said: "We want the charity tribunal to ensure it considers the wider impact of its decisions, in terms of how public benefit is perceived by members of the public and what this might mean for charities more generally."  

Parliamentary lobbying training course.

60% of people happy at work: survey 1/3/11

Around 60% UK workers are happy at work, with 10% claiming to be "extremely happy", a new survey has revealed.

NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) questioned more than 1,000 people for the poll, which also found that 22% of workers are not happy with their health and well-being, but only 13% have received advice from their employer on exercise or healthy diets.

Just one in five (21%) of people questioned said they had been provided with work-based information, guidance or training on how to a avoid stress.

Results from the survey revealed that feeling happy at work is not linked to pay level or job type, with 61% of higher managerial and professional workers stating they are happy at work - the same percentage as semi and unskilled manual workers.

NEBOSH chief executive Teresa Budworth said: "Although the majority of people in Britain are happy at work, 40% aren't. Happy workers tend to be more productive, so it's a good idea for employers to take steps to ensure people feel good about work."  

Managing stress at work.

Ignorance over internships revealed 28/2/11

Only 12% of senior and middle managers know that that unpaid internships may be illegal, according to new research by social enterprise Internocracy.

The study, carried out by YouGov, also revealed that 10% of 18-35s who have heard of internships are aware that unpaid internships may be against the law.

Of almost 2,000 surveyed, some 84% of people who have worked in a business which employs interns considered them to be useful.

Meanwhile 59% of people who have heard of internships believe that companies exploit interns as a source of free labour.

On the other hand, 9% agree that firms should not pay their interns.

Internocracy CEO, Becky Heath, said: "When such low numbers of young people and employers actually understand the rights interns have in the workplace, it's no wonder that exploitation is rife in popular sectors where competition for experience is fierce.

"The reality is that if an organisation takes on someone to do work for them, whether or not they are called an 'intern', they should be paid at least national minimum wage if they are being given responsibilities and are expected to work set hours.

"'Intern' isn't code for 'free labour' and it's time companies stopped profiting from exploiting young people."

72% 'want to hear music at work' 25/2/11

Most staff would enjoy listening to music while they work and 18% think doing so would make them more productive, a survey by Mind has found.

Some 72% of those surveyed said they would like to hear music at work and 52% of employers allow staff to listen to tunes in the workplace, the mental health charity's research found.

The survey, of 1,117 people, found 36% think listening to music would make their working environment better, 32% think morale would be boosted and 26% said there would be fewer arguments and less stress at work with music playing.

A lot of staff listen to their favourite songs on the way to work (74%), and 52% said it gives them a positive outlook on the day ahead.

The survey found people use music to cheer them up when they feel negative about work and 23% said their music session on the way to work is relaxing.

Mind's chief executive Paul Farmer said: "When you're tackling a heavy workload, music can be a great motivator and boost productivity. It helps to eliminate distractions around you such as noisy colleagues, machinery or phones so that you can focus on the task in hand. While listening to music may not fit in with the culture of every workplace, we urge employers to be flexible in their outlook and create dialogue with their staff about their preferences."  

Creative thinking and innovation toolkit.

Call for more female board members 24/2/11

A review into gender equality in the workplace has said that businesses should set themselves a target of having a board on which at least one in four of its members are female.

The Government-commissioned review, led by former trade minister Lord Davies, into how leading companies can eliminate the metaphorical glass ceiling for women in the workplace recommended that boards for UK-listed companies on the FTSE 100 should be comprised of at least 25% female membership by 2015.

However, the review did not recommend the use of quotas in order to enforce this after there was revealed to be much resistance towards such a proposal.

It was suggested by the review that chairmen should set out the targets within the next six months and chief executives should review the percentage of women they aim to have on their executive committees in 2013 and 2015.

Lord Davies said: "Currently 18 FTSE 100 companies have no female directors at all and nearly half of all FTSE 250 companies do not have a woman in the boardroom. Radical change is needed in the mindset of the business community if we are to implement the scale of change that is needed." 

Women in management training.

Targeted mail 'key for charities' 23/2/11

Many people would consider supporting a charity if they received relevant and well-targeted information from it, according to a survey.

Nearly half of 1,200 people polled online said they would consider donating to a charity if it received such communication.

However if these materials are poorly addressed, they could do more harm than good with 15% saying they would disregard such mail and 10% admitting it would tarnish their view of the charity, the survey found.

Overall the survey, carried out by direct mail specialists Onepost, W8data and Fast.map, found people still prefer to receive letters from charities over emails, phone calls or social networking websites.

Adam Bryan, director of partnerships at the Institute of Fundraising, which supported the research, said: "The research highlights the preferences of the modern direct mail donor and provides an opportunity for us to build even stronger, long-term relationships," he said. "We should look to continually update our approach to managing both our data and our engagement with donors."  

The Centre's training in managing your organisation's reputation: building your brand and values.

60% concerned 'by underperformance' 22/2/11

A total 60% of workers believe their bosses are incapable of dealing with underperforming staff, according to a survey.

The 2011 XpertHR managing underperformance survey also discovered that 80% of organisations believe that underperformance is a problem in their workforce to some degree.

In contrary to these particular statistics, many of the 165 employers who responded to the survey are optimistic about their overall ability to deal with underperforming members of staff.

Sixty per cent of employers believe their organisation is quite effective at tackling low performance levels, while a further one in eight describe themselves as very effective.

The five main performance problems employers face are: failure to meet set objectives; poor quality of work; poor attitude or behaviour to colleagues; the capability of the individual; and high levels of sickness absence.

Regular informal feedback and guidance to the individual is considered by employers as the most effective strategy in managing underperformance.

More than 90% of organisations said that management take the lead in dealing with unsatisfactory performance.

Rachel Suff, author of the report, said: "If line managers are going to be up to the task of effectively managing performance - and underperformance - they need the support to discharge this responsibility.

"Appropriate training in the necessary skills is the bedrock of that support."  

Women board members 'must increase' 21/2/11

More women could be seen in boardrooms over the next two years as part of a call by Former trade minister Lord Davies of Abersoch.

In a report, due to be released this week, it is thought Lord Davies will call for a fifth of FTSE 350 board members to be women by 2013, increasing by 25% by 2015.

However, it is not expected that he will suggest quota enforcements are introduced until voluntary measures have been trialled first.

The measures are expected to include a new code of conduct for head-hunters and shareholders to agree to, and chairmen will be urged to take more risks when employing non-executive directors.

Companies are also likely to be encouraged to draw up their own targets on employing women, with bosses expected to give an explanation to shareholders if they have not been met.

Women currently account for only 12.5% of directors of FTSE 100 firms, and based on current trends it is thought that it would take 70 years before women held half of all posts at blue chip companies.

The situation is even worse in the FTSE 250, with only 7.8% of board posts filled by women, while half of firms have no female board members at all, according to Cranfield School of Management.

Last year only 18 out of the 135 new non-executive directors who were appointed were women.  

Social enterprises 'lack support' 18/2/11

A lack of support and funding are some of the hurdles public sector works face when trying to launch services into social enterprises, a report has claimed.

The study by the Third Sector Research Centre looked at case studies of NHS staff in the West Midlands who were attempting to set up social enterprises through Labour's 'right to request' scheme.

The scheme, introduced by the former government, allowed staff the opportunity to alter the services they give into social enterprises.

Health service experts Robin Miller and Ross Millar, from the University of Birmingham, the report's authors, supported 12 groups trying to use the scheme, but the majority did not complete the process successfully, they found.

An absence of guidance from senior managers and commissioners was found to be one cause for the entrepreneurs' failure and the report also highlighted that many social enterprises lacked time to create an effective business model, or did not have enough funding to see the work through to the end.

Meanwhile, the closure of Labour's £100 million Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which was axed after the election, also affected the success of health social enterprises.

Mr Miller said: "The experience of the West Midlands region shows that there is a long way to go before there is widespread unleashing of entrepreneurial clinicians who set up their own social enterprises.

"Perhaps the greatest challenge is enabling clinicians to see themselves as entrepreneurs and take the risks and opportunities that business will present them."  

Morrisons courses at cricket ground 17/2/11

Managers at Morrisons will be able to train at a home of sporting legends when they undergo coaching courses.

Chief executive Dalton Philips is sending 1,000 managers on skills courses run at Headingley, home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and former training ground of cricketing legends Geoff Boycott and Darren Gough.

Bradford-based Morrisons is working with Leeds Metropolitan University sports coaching professor Pat Duffy in a bid to transfer skills learnt on the cricket pitch to its stores.

Mr Philips said the company, which is investing £1 million in the staff training, wanted to "supercharge" its current tradition of training its managers up from the shop floor in order to keep up with its strong growth ambitions.

He said: "If we want to take people to the next level, managers have got to become great coaches. The top 1% influence 134,000 staff and this is about bringing coaching to life."

The courses teach managers how to challenge and motivate people, as well as team-building skills and ways in which to develop new skills among their staff, said Normal Pickavance, HR director at Morrisons.  

Warning over employment new laws 16/2/11

New employment laws coming into force over the next four years will cost industry a "staggering" £22.8 billion, a leading business group has warned.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said a raft of new measures were being introduced despite a pledge from the Government to cut red tape after being warned it was stifling job creation.

Firms will be hit by seven major changes in 2011 alone, including the Agency Workers Directive, which the BCC said will cost business £1.5 billion.

Giving workers the right to request time off to train will cost £174 million a year, while pensions reforms will have an annual recurring cost of £4.5 billion, said the BCC.

Three changes were being planned to parental leave in the coming few years, with every change coming at a price to businesses, according to the chambers.

David Frost, Director General of the BCC, said: "The Government claims business growth is top of the agenda, yet UK firms will be hit with huge costs once these new regulations come into force.

"Companies cannot generate growth and create jobs when they are facing a £23 billion bill, just to implement new employment legislation. Unless the Government reduces this kind of red tape, we will continue to have high levels of unemployment and could end up derailing the recovery.

"These new regulations, such as changes to the right to request flexible working, paternity leave, and the abolition of the default retirement age, will leave employers confused, and distract them from growing their business.

"The Government must use the upcoming Budget to act on its promises and deliver concrete reductions to the regulatory burden faced by the private sector, so that it can deliver a year for growth in 2011." 

Leadership training with the Centre.

Training still priority for firms 15/02/11

Employers remain committed to training their workers new skills despite the economic downturn, a study has found.

Researchers at Cardiff University and the University of London found that firms are saving money by adopting a more focused approach to training and holding more in-house courses.

The study of 52 businesses discovered that the recession had forced many companies to cut their training costs, but warnings that skills training would take a massive hit due to budget restrictions were wide of the mark.

Companies canvassed included those in the petroleum, construction and retail industries and a range of public and private sector employers.

The study findings suggest that the UK has seen a slow decline in training from a peak in 2001/2, rather than a recession-related crash.

Total expenditure on all company training in England amounted to £39 billion in 2009. This was only 5% less in real terms than in 2007.

The study concludes that an "overwhelming majority" of employers recognise that some types of training are essential, even in a recession.

Charities urged on impact reporting 14/02/11

Less than one in 10 charities provide information on the impact of their work in their annual reports, according to research.

A survey of members of the Charity Finance Director's Group along with an assessment of 75 charity annual reports found just 8% revealed information on their long-term achievements, while 68% reported on the short-term impact of their work.

Paul Breckell, managing director of corporate resources at the RNID, compiled the report, called Impact Reporting in the UK Charity Sector, with the help of Kate Robinson and Nicola Rovert, who graduated from the Cass Business School.

"There is a gap between the theory of impact reporting, in which the Government and sector specialists suggest that all charities can and should measure and report on their impact, and what is actually happening in practice," the report says.

"This reinforces the view that the sector and the Government need to reassess expectations of what is practical or desirable for charities to measure on a regular basis."

<http://www.the-centre.co.uk/courses/detail/marketing_in_the_not_for_profit_sector> (Marketing in the not-for-profit sector: a beginner's guide)

Police 'gobbledegook' criticised 11/02/11

Two police forces have been accused of trying to bury bad news behind gobbledegook and jargon, according to a group which campaigns for better use of English by public bodies.

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire police incurred the wrath of the Plain English Campaign (PEC) for a joint statement they released about changes they wish to implement regarding the method of carrying out checks on gun owners.

The PEC accused the forces of one of the worst examples of "corporate managementspeak" it had seen.

Hertfordshire Police's "Corporate Communication Dept" issued the statement on Wednesday which was 351 words long and began: "Collaborative initiatives between Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary have succeeded in delivering enhanced services, whilst realising considerable efficiencies in a number of areas."

Planned changes to gun checks were not mentioned until the 75th word. They were outlined within a 91-word paragraph which was nine lines long.

Essex Police, which is planning similar changes in an effort to save money, explained its proposals in a two-line statement.

<http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/> (Plain English Campaign)

<http://www.the-centre.co.uk/courses/detail/writing_effective_english_essential_tools_and_techniques/> (Writing effective English: essential tools and techniques)

Plan UK advises on disaster appeals 10/2/11

Aid agenc