Friday Footnote # 80

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.

Looking back at 2021, ahead to 2022, and beyond 

Yesterday we released our latest analysis report summarising delegate feedback from 2021. As Project Lead Suzanne says in the blog, 'As all reflective, progressive teams do, we look for evidence that we have achieved our goals and objectives. The most important measure of this for us is the experience of our delegates - they are at the heart of everything that we do'.

In the blog, Suzanne delves into the feedback further, identifies key themes, and provides insights into how we will be using the information to plan for 2022 and beyond. You can read the full blog in our blog section. 

Inspiration

• Could the four-day week become the new normal? (World Economic Forum) 
• Why a company is not a family - and how companies can bond with their employees instead (TED)
• How to create an innovation strategy from scratch (Raconteur)
• How good is your business at killing ideas? (Forbes)
• The surprising toll open plan offices have on our mental health (World Economic Forum)

Developing an entreprenerurial mindset event 

Our next #IONOpenDoors learning event takes place on Thursday 10th February and we are deligthed to be joined by friend of the programme Kelly Jordan, Senior Enterprise Officer at Swansea University. Kelly manages the enterprise team, responsible for developing entrepreneurship across the university, and has so far supported over 200 students to develop start-up businesses.

During these unprecedneted times, the right mindset and set of skills that will enable people to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings, is crucial. 

In what promises to be a hugely engaging session, Kelly will share 15 considerations all businesses should make, no matter what stage of business you are in, to cultivate a more entrepreneurial mindset.

You can sign up to join this free session on our events pages. 

New programmes kick off

This week saw 2 new leadership programmes kick off with our Swansea team.

Wednesday was the foundation day for our latest New Leaders programme, with 17 delegates taking part. According to ION's very own Andrew Veevers, one of the deliverers on the programme, it sounds like the delegates have already thrown themselves head first into the programme - "My highlight of the morning was absolutely the Team Challenge and the rich conversations that followed, with a great creative touch already in the ION poem!".

Thursday saw the first day of our latest Leading Growth programme take place with 18 delegates from companies as varied as Cultech, The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen, Effective HRM and LHP Chartered Accountants taking part. 

Welcome to ION everyone, and best of the luck on the rest of your programmes. 

Just 7 fully funded spaces left 

We now only have 1 fully funded leadership programme left in our Swansea team, and there are only 7 spaces available (correct at time of writing this blog). Starting at the end of March, the ILM Level 3 New Leaders programme is designed to develop and enhance the leadership and management skills of those in the early stages of developing their leadership skills. Delegates will be encouraged to understand their own approach to leadership, and then consider their team roles and tasks required to create a strong business framework for the growth and sustainability of their organisation. You can find out more about the programme, including those all important dates, here. 

Missed previous #FridayFootnotes?