If you look at guys like Olly (pictured) and think ‘I could never do that’ or ‘I don’t have the money to do that’, well think again! Olly Hicks, son in law of our Managing Director, is going to be speaking at Royal Geographical Society in London on Tuesday 22nd November about his latest adventure – the Greenland to Scotland Challenge. Hear about the 1,500 mile kayak expedition to prove the legend that the Inuit may have found their way to Scotland in the 18th Century.
The UK’s largest skills and careers showcase, The Skills Show, will take place at the NEC Birmingham from 17 to 19 November 2016. We will be there showcasing the training we offer for both young people and business.
Last night saw the second of this year’s guest speakers at OLT. Sibusiso Vilane came fresh from off a flight from South Africa to Lydeard Farm to tell a group of Leonardo Helicopter apprentices a tale of determination, adaptability, teamwork and never giving up. It was captivating to say the least. This very unassuming, softly spoken gentleman was the first black African, to summit Everest on 26th May 2003 and subsequently each of the Seven Summits, the seven highest peaks on each of the seven continents. That is incredible enough in itself but when you think that he had never climbed a snow covered mountain before arriving in the Himalayas for the first time in 2002, it puts the whole feat into another league.
We had a truly inspirational talk from a record breaking polar explorer Ben Saunders last night here at the OLT (Outposts Leadership Training) HQ. He’s been exploring the Polar Regions for 16 years and has become a bit of an expert at “dragging heavy things on ice” as he puts it. As you can imagine it’s far more arduous than that and considerably less glamourous in reality. Nearly starving to death; on one expedition confronting a polar bear and spending days, even weeks on end looking at nothing but a stark white, ice desert. And let’s not mention the years of training and fundraising beforehand. Enough to drive anyone completely bonkers. Bearing all of that in mind, what lessons can be applied to the business world?
Whilst doing some research into this month’s newsletter topic – talent development – I found a report published by the CIPD in 2010 providing data on current and future learning and talent development issues and trends. It might not be ‘current’ anymore but 2016 is definitely the future as far as 2010 was concerned. I thought I’d read on to see if what they predicted came to pass.
Talent development as a concept has been criticised as lacking in coherence and rigour by Lewis and Heckman (2006) who suggest that, despite a growing evidence of its relevance, there is a lack of clarity regarding the definition, scope and overall goals of talent development. So what is it, how does it differ from terms which have been around for far longer such as succession planning and why is it relevant?
Corporate team-building has got a bit of a bad name in the past few years and when it’s done badly it deserves the reputation it has gained. However it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tips on how you CAN do corporate team-building activities effectively and what you need to know in order to ensure you’re getting value for money.
Whilst reading the ILM Insights blog I came across this article “Do happy managers perform better, or do good performers feel happier?” Its interesting reading and as David Pardy so rightly points out it’s rather like the chicken and egg scenario. There are very definite implications here for the provision of leadership training.
Before we discuss the relationship between leadership and employee engagement, let’s start with a definition. A quick search on the internet came up with a few but I like this one from the Business Directory: “Employee engagement is the emotional connection an employee feels toward his or her employment organisation, which tends to influence his or her behaviours and level of effort in work related activities.”
We’re going to be exhibiting at the Bath Expo on Thursday 17th March from 10am – 3pm at the Assembly rooms. Come along to the event to find out more about the leadership and team training that OLT offer.
We probably all agree that training our staff is essential yet it’s one of the first things to get axed when budgets are tight. That’s despite most of us understanding that more effective staff generate more business. It’s all a bit chicken and egg! How can we show that for every £1 we spend on training we get more back for our money? That magical thing ROI.
OLT director Fee Bellamy has just returned from two weeks in Nepal to see how our expeditions can help in the aftermath of the earthquake. Here she writes about a hugely under-reported crisis that is having an enormous impact on the people of Nepal and their ability to recover.
We have just released a new video showcasing our experiential apprentice training programmes. Find out more about what we can offer your business, how we work and what the results are.
The terms ‘Team-Building’ and ‘Experiential Training’ have been known to inspire horror and conjure up visions of being trapped in a sauna with senior management but let us put your mind at rest and correct some common misconceptions.
After weeks of training on the Quantocks, this Saturday a team from OLT (dressed in fetching camouflage tutus...) completed the 2015 10K Marine Commando Challenge on Dartmoor.
Do happy managers perform better, or do good performers feel happier? Like the chicken and the egg, it’s hard to say which comes first but it’s possible to hypothesise that the two feed on each other.
We are delighted to announce that Outposts is an approved Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Centre and as such can offer accredited qualifications in leadership and teamwork. The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) is the UK’s largest management body, combining industry-leading qualifications and specialist member services.
With the first day of the Ashes looming tomorrow, no doubt frantic last minute preparation is going on in both camps. Gone are the days when players would spend the couple of months before a series crossing the world on ocean liner and occasionally running a couple of laps around deck.
England's women are through to the World Cup quarter finals for the first time ever; what is the secret to their success?
Further to signing up to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, Outposts is now listed on the Sabre Bronze Award list of supportive employers, but what are the advantages of employing ex-forces personnel?
So you have identified a need to improve dynamics and communication within your team and, quite sensibly, have decided that a teambuilding day may be the way forward. What are the pitfalls you should watch out for?
Sometimes under performance can be due to a lack of challenge. Healthy competition can provide stimulating challenge to re-invigorate your team helping them to rise to the next level. The desire to achieve as much or more than others can be a positive driver to raising performance. This can apply to an individual or an entire team working together towards a collective goal.
I don’t know about you but I was hooked on Bear Grylls ‘The Island’ that finished recently. It was fascinating to see how the various men and women from all walks of life coped being stripped of modern day comforts. What became evident immediately was that we have well and truly lost touch with how to survive without a mobile phone let alone fresh water or food. Out of your comfort zone doesn’t even scratch the surface.
Last week Outposts Ltd exhibited at Somerset in Business 2015 at J24. It was an inspirational event, showcasing the best in Somerset businesses. From engineering to textiles, cake to cider, manufacturing to marketing, Somerset has it all.
Outposts will be exhibiting at Somerset in Business 2015 on 4th June. Why not come and have an informal chat about your leadership & management training needs, apprentice training or ILM training programmes and find out what Outposts can do for your business.
The TEDWomen 2015 conference opens today with innovative speakers from across the world, sharing insights on creating, sustaining, recovering momentum and successful leadership.
The Oxford Dictionary definition for leadership is “the action of leading a group of people or an organization, or the ability to do this”. It’s very literal though. What does leadership mean to you? Which qualities should leaders display? Which emotions does it inspire?
There are two ways to get people to do what you want 1. Compel them because you’re in a position of power 2. Persuade them because they want to follow you It's easy to see from those two options what makes a good leader but having the skills to get people to follow you, well that is easier said than done.
Outposts is delighted to have signed up to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is the expression of the moral obligation that the Government and the nation owe to the Armed Forces Community. The Covenant acknowledges that members of the Armed Forces sacrifice some freedoms and often face dangerous situations. It recognises that families play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces.
We tend to think of leadership skills only needing to be developed in our top level executives. Why would anyone else need them? We would argue that these skills are relevant to all levels of business.
According to a recent Gallup survey, 87% of employees are disengaged. No company can survive long term with 87% of their people disengaged. What are some of the reasons?
Apprenticeships are good for business and good for individuals. They are an important way of improving the UK's skills base, and giving young people opportunities beyond the classroom, particularly in the face of record youth unemployment
Everyone’s talking about soft skills, now more than ever. But just how important are they and what can be done to ensure your employees have them? Soft skills - plural noun Desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge: they include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
Recently we were invited by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce to attend an informal networking event and lecture on how to maximise your Linkedin profile.
The government published its Skills Funding Statement in February 2015 which included their plans for the funding of further education and skills for the next two years. Despite the creation of two million apprenticeships by the end of this Parliament, cuts in funding were unveiled. Fully funded apprenticeships will cease by August 2015 and see employers paying up to a third of apprenticeship training costs. A grant of £1500 will only be available to companies with fewer than 50 employees and only for up to 5 apprentices. These cuts could completely undermine advancements in the apprenticeship programme and cause small businesses to abandon schemes altogether as they can’t afford the training costs.
Get week had by all those doing their ILM Level 2 and taking part in teambuilding exercises as part of the course with Outposts. Check out the photos.
"The standard of training produced by Outposts was exemplary. Their staff worked with Babcock staff to hone the programme to an extremely high quality. Nothing was too much trouble for Outposts; they went out of their way to make a programme that suited our exacting values"
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