Friday Footnote # 76

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.

#2021IONHighlights

This week we have continued to share some of our 2021Highlights, including the continuation of our partnership with Swansea City, a catch up with ION alumni Happydays Childcare in Pembrokeshire, a look back at our Bangor teams star-studded virtual graduation ceremony, a years worth of ION Open Doors virtual sessions, and today we will be sharing our video with recent graduate Emily Roberts from M-SPARC. Keep an eye out on our social channels next week for a few more highlights. 

Quiz-mas

This week we ran our annual Christmas quizzes. With Adam at the healm as quizmaster, first up was our team Chrismas quiz. After a few technical issues (standard) the team answered questions covering everything from 2021, Welsh place names and general knowledge. Llewellyn reigned supreme this year with an impressive 19 out of 30, pipping Suzanne and Shelly to victory by 1 point. Da iawn Llew! 

Thursday saw us run the 2nd ION Open Doors Christmas quiz. After 30 questions, Peter & Eric from NEI UK took the glory for this year. Thank you to everyone who has joined us for ION Open Doors this year. We're looking forward to catching up with you all in 2022 - hopefully even face-to-face!  

Welsh business growth constrained by 'accidental managers'

Adam and Suzanne recently attended the Swansea University School of Management for the launch of the Chartered Management Institute Cymru manifesto 'Delivering Success for Wales'. The policy paper discusses how 'high quality leadership will be key to deliver the Welsh Government's growth plans and to ensure that everyone, no matter what background, can achieve their potential in work'. 

We were delighted to contribute towards the report, and you can read more about the report and it's launch on the Business News Wales website.  

Inspiration

• What working parents really need from workplaces (TED)
• How do you ensure the workplace is still the right place for your people (EY) 
• Listening is key to turning the tide on the great resignation (The HR Director)
• Shifting from star performer to star manager (Harvard Business Review)
• The four day workweek is not the future of work. The future is flexibility. (Fast Company)

Become an extraordinary leader

We recently announced details of our latest ILM Level 3 leadership programme, starting in May 2022. Our New Leaders programme is designed to develop and enhance the leadership and management skills of owners, entrepreneurs, leaders, managers and supervisors who are in the early stages of developing their leadership skills. The programme concentrates on transferring knowledge and skills that enable growth and sustainability for their organisations.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we currently aim to deliver this programme through a blended approach, with sessions split between face-to-face sessions, and virtual delivery via Zoom.

Interested? You can find out more on our website, or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch by emailing ionleadership@swansea.ac.uk.  

We'll be taking a break from #FridayFootnote for a few weeks as Adam (who pulls it together) will be off from the middle of next week for Christmas. May we take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and here's to 2022!  

Missed previous #FridayFootnotes?

Diolch. Team ION