Friday Footnote # 66

Each week we share loads of content amongst Team ION and with our network. Content that inspires us, which we find helpful, or just makes us smile. We thought we would start sharing these insights every Friday. Welcome to Friday Footnote.

Adult Learners Week - #alwayslearning

This week is Adult Learners Week in Wales. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the value of adult learning, celebrate the achievements of inspirational people and projects and motivate people to discover how learning can positively change their lives'. At ION, we are all about learning. It's the reason we started #FriayFootnote in the first place - we needed a hub to share the things we have learnt, the webinars we've attended and the things which have inspired us. Therefore, this edition of #FridayFootnote is a learning special.

ION Open Doors - Hybrid Working

Our next #IONOpenDoors learning session takes place on Thursday 7th November and we will be joined by Rachel Wilson from Chwarae Teg to share how Chwarae Teg have supported Welsh businesses with hybrid working. Hybrid working has become an even more important issue in the workplace over the last 18 months, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and as things start to get back to 'normal', we very much look forward to hearing from Rachel who will share real-life case studies of how they have supported Welsh businesses with managing hybrid working.

You can sign up for the session here.  

Inspiration

• How to get better at receiving feedback (TED)
• How do I grow my business? Become a learning organisation (ION leadership) 
• Firm appointed to lead £750m Swansea regeneration (Insider Media)
• The importance of self-reflection for trainers and coaches (Panda Education)
• 11 biographies that will teach you more than any business book (Inc)
• 4 ways to get more done in less time (Harvard Business Review)
• Support your people's CPD. Everyone wins! (ION leadership)

Institute LM webinar: New leadership for a new era

This week Adam attended an Institute of Leadership & Management webinar discussing 'New leadership for a new era: altruism, compassion and empathy' (ACE).  The session started with a quote from the Financial Times in May 2020 discussing compassionate leaders, saying that "90% of participants felt such leaders improved their work-life balance and job satisfaction. And 70% of those who worked for compassionate leaders were more productive than those who didn't".

During the session, the many benefits of organisations implementing the ACE leadership model were discussed - including the innovation benefits. The host discussed the importance of creating psychologically safe spaces where innovation can thrive, explaining that if workplaces have a toxic environment, innovation will be negatively affected. This was backed up by Amy Edmondson, who said that "the fearless organisation is one in which interpersonal fear is minimized so that the team and organisational performance can be maximised in a knowledge-intensive world".

The session ended with the host sharing their 8 key actions to develop empathy in organisations. Another great session from the Institute with some fantastic takeaways.

Arriva Decci Pauline

It's been a sad week this week in Team ION as we said goodbye to Pauline, our leadership development specialist in Bangor. As Bangor Programme Manager Lorraine explains, Pauline has made quite an impression:

"Pauline has been a font of knowledge when it comes to Leadership Development and particularly the topic of Mental Toughness and Resilience. Her contribution to the programme has been immense. Well respected by business owners and managers who have taken part in her masterclasses, Pauline has created a significant following, gathering remarkable feedback from participants along the way. We are very sorry to lose her but at the same time, we are excited for what the future holds. Pauline is pursuing a PhD in the high-value topic of leadership and gaming. She is also investing time in her business venture and we wish her every success along the way. We don’t expect this to be goodbye, more “Arriva Decci Pauline!”

Thanks for everything Pauline.

Become an extraordinary leader

This Adult Learners Week is the perfect time for you to continue your leadership journey. Our leadership programmes that start before the end of March 2022 will be fully funded, and we have just announced details of our next ILM Level 5 Leading Growth programme, starting in February 2022. You can find out more about our latest programmes on our courses page.

Missed previous #FridayFootnotes?

Diolch. Team ION