Success Stories

below outlines a sample of successful programmes we’ve completed for some of our valued clients.

Company Name:  Allstate Northern Ireland Ltd.

Number of Employees:  16 Team Leaders attended the MDP

Previous Experience:

TLS has been working closely with Allstate NI over a period of 10 years. During this time we have gained a clear understanding of the changes and the growth the company has experienced, as well as a thorough knowledge of the management structure, operations and strategic direction.

Description of Training Program and Approach:         

Management Development Programme – Training & Learning Solutions (TLS) was contracted to manage, develop, deliver and evaluate General Managerial Skills on behalf of Northbrook Technology Strabane.

As part of the ongoing assessment of this MDP, TLS introduced the learning log to gauge the progress of managers. The learning log is the participant’s commentary upon their course of study.  It makes explicit to the participant the learning processes supported and instigated by the programme and will ensure reflective learning and continuous professional development.

Another aspect of the programme was the completion of a main management report which aimed to address a particular business problem while also assessing Team Leaders’ transferability of skills and knowledge gained throughout the programme. The report was formally assessed against set criteria and presented back to an audience of peers, programme facilitators and senior leadership.

The Workshops covered were; The Role of the Team Leader, Effective Communication, Time & Stress Management, Developing & Motivating the Team, Coaching & Mentoring, Managing Change, Managing People, Dealing with Conflict, Fulfilling Customers Requirements, Effective Meetings and Presentation Skills.

Duration:    6 months

Outcomes:

The main management report was a very useful assessment tool in ensuring the Team Leaders looked closely at themselves, their department, the organisation as a whole and challenged them to come up with solutions to existing workplace issues, problems or processes.

The presentations brought potential business solutions which in the short and long term, benefitted the organisation. Many were implemented as a result of the MDP and gave confidence and encouragement to Team Leaders to be more proactive in their roles.

Several of the Team Leaders were promoted into more senior roles shortly after the MDP.

Company Name:  Firstsource

Number of Employees:  24 Team Leaders (12-Belfast site and 12 Derry site)

(Belfast site –about 800 employees at the time of this training & Derry site-about 600 employees increasing to 1200 employees today)

Description of Training Program and Approach:         

Team Leader Induction Programme (Pilot) – Training & Learning Solutions (TLS) was contracted to manage, develop, deliver and evaluate a Team Leader Induction Programme on behalf of Firstsource Belfast and Derry.

The programme was designed to meet ILM Standards leading to a level 2 Introductory Certificate in Team Leading. TLS introduced the learning log to gauge the progress of Team Leaders.

Formal Assessment included one written Reflective Review on The Role of the Team Leader and short answer questions on Effective Communication and Customer Requirements.

The Workshops covered were; The Role of the Team Leader, Feedback-The Essence of Leadership & Management, Effective Communication, Team building, Motivating the Team, Coaching, Assertiveness, Managing Conflict, Fulfilling Customers Requirements and Performance Management

The inclusion of a presentation as an end of programme review of learning and transferability was a valuable assessment tool for the pilot programme. It provided a forum for Team Leaders to showcase the knowledge and skills they had gained as a result of the programme, and gave senior management the opportunity to witness what the Team Leaders had achieved.

Duration:   3 months

Outcomes:

The one overriding benefit to this pilot was the fact that all the Team Leaders got to know each other better over the course of the programme. The value of this bonding experience cannot be underestimated and team morale was high as a result. This was reiterated through all of the presentations. They now felt equipped and confident as a group of Team Leaders with the skills required to enable them to move forward to achieve organisational objectives, not as separate individuals going it alone under one organisation.

The 24 Team Leaders who participated on the pilot programme all successfully achieved a Level 2 Introductory Certificate in Team Leading.

Company Name:  AXA Insurance Ltd

Number of Employees:  12 Team Leaders – Customer Contact Centre Derry

(around 250 employees)

Description of Training Program and Approach:         

Team Leader Development Programme – TLS was contracted to manage, develop, deliver and evaluate a Team Leader Development Programme on behalf of Axa Derry.

The programme was designed to meet the changing needs experienced by existing Team Leaders by the introduction of a recent management restructure within the Customer Contact Centre. The Training needs analysis identified a lack of formal management & Leadership training and it was agreed that we incorporate ILM standards leading to a level 2 Award in Team Leading.

The Workshops covered were; Team building, Developing yourself as a Team Leader, Feedback-The Essence of Leadership & Management, Workplace Communication,  Motivating the Work Team to Perform, Coaching, Managing Conflict, Managing Change Fulfilling Customers Requirements and Performance Management.

Assessment included one written Reflective Review on Developing yourself as a Team Leader and short answer questions on Workplace Communication and Customer Requirements.

Once again we used the learning log to gauge the progress of Team Leaders supported by 1-1’s with the new Senior Managers and an end of programme review reflecting on the impact on performance in the workplace afterwards.

Duration:    3 months

Outcomes:

There was a lot of emphasis during the programme to work on attitudes and the inability of Team Leaders to move forward or accept the recent restructuring within the Customer contact centre.

By the end of the programme the majority felt better prepared to deal with the challenges ahead and bought into the process more enthusiastically than before. It improved morale amongst the Team Leader population and helped to forge better relationships with the new senior managers. This in return enabled them as a management team to move forward to achieve organisational objectives.

The 12 Team Leaders who participated on the programme all successfully achieved an ILM Level 2 Award in Team Leading and a few of the Team Leaders were later promoted into senior management roles.