Themis helps Burnley Council develop leadership and management skills

Burnley Council’s ‘Burnley Way’ Talent Management Programme, a joint project between the council and Themis at Burnley College, brought together nine council employees from a variety of departments, identified by their managers as the rising stars of the future, for a nine month training programme aimed at developing their leadership and management skills.

This programme, first run in 2012, was devised by the council in partnership with Themis to encourage council staff to develop their skills and to allow them to progress through the organisation and further their careers, while providing the council with new ideas and ways of working.

At the beginning of the programme the delegates took part in a series of workshops at Themis that included learning different leadership styles, how to work in teams, how to develop emotional intelligence and how to develop a variety of presentation skills. The delegates then formed two teams and put their skills into practice by handling an organisational project.

Along with the support provided by Themis, each delegate had access to a corporate Coach who provided support and guidance. Throughout the project the teams and individuals were given opportunities to demonstrate the skills they were learning and the progress of the projects to a number of groups within the council.

Tuesday’s event saw the teams come together at Burnley Town Hall to deliver presentations about how they handled their projects, the outcomes and their recommendations for the future. The event, attended by members of the council team, corporate Coaches, project sponsors Rob Dobson and Mike Waite, and Themis, was a chance for the delegates to showcase the skills they have learnt along with discussing their views and experiences of the programme itself.

Julia Schofield, programme leader for leadership and management at Themis, said: “Themis are delighted to have had this opportunity to work in partnership with Burnley Borough Council to deliver this exciting talent management programme. The delegates have had a fantastic opportunity to develop their skills and confidence. They have also been able to participate in organisational projects they would not otherwise have been involved in. "What came across strongly in the individual and group presentations was the increased confidence and new skills the delegates have as a result of the programme, as well as the impact their projects are having on the organisation."