Sometimes accidents occur out of the blue… but, sometimes, good things come along too, by accident.
By Alex Haidar, Systems Implementation Team Manager at LGSS, Cambridgeshire County Council
Two members of LGSS were offered the chance to attend the Top Talent programme in December last year.
The course was expertly lead by Colin Litherland. The content was delivered with a light touch in a collaborative way that seemed relaxed, but was always focused. Colin moved us effortlessly through theory, exercises, discussions and introspection. We learnt things about ourselves and our general management styles in a way that allowed each one of us to stand back and look at ourselves and reconsider.
what happened
The course gave us tools and strategies to try and apply in our day to day working lives. It was also refreshing to be able to discuss more personal, thoughtful, collaborative approaches to colleagues and work situations.
Dare I say it, but especially as a man in the workplace, we are often conditioned to behave in a certain way. And not show a more considerate side for fear of how this might be perceived. It was refreshing to be challenged to think about these behaviours. Even the LGSS colleague I attended with, who Colin found to be a seriously hard case, had some moments of re-think and found some empathy he didn’t know he had ;D
Project work
At the end of the course, we split into two groups and each made a presentation. What struck me most was the way in which we were inspired by the course to work together. We were really motivated to do this, and how in small teams, some of us hadn’t met before, we worked effectively and collaboratively towards two excellent presentations.
By sitting down together during the course and discussing openly some important issues, I got a much better understanding of every person in the group I attended with. And I genuinely missed the time I spent with them and missed them when the course, all too soon, ended! My journey has been complicated by an HGV ploughing into stationary traffic on the A14 and the effects this had on my brain. The Socitm top talent course was a happy accident and I will take the learning I did with me through my professional and my personal life!
Read more about the Top Talent programme. Places are subject to availability and membership level. Check with our Leadership Academy Manager for all the information you need.