Friday Footnote # 91

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.

Make an impact in 60 seconds - 'The art of pitching'

On Thursday this week we ran our latest #IONOpenDoors virtual learning event. We were joined by Julia Perry from NatWest Business who led an interactive session on how to make an impact with your 60 second pitch.

Julia opened the session by quoting that '80% of business owners haven't updated their pitch in 5 years'. That certainly got everyone's attention! 

There were some fantastic conversations (as usual!) and some great practical advice shared by Julia, including;

• keep it simple
• the importance of body language
• identify the problem and make sure you provide a solution
• be yourself
• have a hook 

Thanks to everyone who joined us, and a special thanks to Julia for a brilliant session. Everyone left with homework as well! 

Starting your leadership journey?

Our penultiame ILM Level 3 New Leaders programme for organisations based in South and West Wales, starts in just a few weeks time. But there is still to sign up.

The 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 consider their teams roles and responsibilities, to create a strong business framework for the growth and sustainability of their organisation.

On our ILM Level 3 New Leaders programme delegates will:

• Discover contemporary leadership tools
• Discover new ways to engage and motivate people
• Design the storyboard of their future success
• Enhance business performance and drive productivity

You can find out more about the programme, including those all important dates, here.

Time to celebrate 

We attended 2 fantastic award dinners this week. Adam hasn't worn his tux for about 5 years, and this week he's worn it twice in 3 days! 

On Tuesday night this week we were honoured to attend the Swansea City End of season Player Awards ceremony at the Swansea.com Stadium. We have been delighted to be a sponsor this season and it was fantastic to celebrate the season with over 500 other guests. Congratulations to all the award winners.

On Thursday night, Suzanne and Adam attended the Swansea University Research & Innovation Awards in the Great Hall on the Bay Campus. The awards showcased the collective response to major global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic & climate change, and celebrated the impact of the amazing collaborations taking place with a wide range of organisations. We were deligthed to be joined by guests Helen Bowden and Sue Poole and Jayne Brewer from 2BEnterprising - thank you for a fun night! Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and a massive well done to friends and colleagues Chris Talbot and James Pack (and the rest of the team) for organising a great night. 

What's caught our eye this week?

• 6 signs your over-spending, plus 4 tips to get back in control (TED)
• How to master a new skill (Harvard Business Review)
• How to manage when we feel overwhelmed (Talkspace)
• Lessons on Innovation from teachers (IDEO)
• Silent killer of exploration: How culture kills innovation (Fast Company) 

NPT Innovation Exchange

On Wednesday we took part in a 'Training and Skills support' session as part of the NPT Innovation Exchange programme. Excitingly it was our first face-to-face event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With presentations from other organisations including Metal, MADE Cymru, Neath College, and Welsh Government (Flexible Skills Programme), those in attendance had the opportunity to discuss future skills, how to nurture talent and find out more about the funding and support available to them.

As part of our session, Jane from our Swansea team led an interactive session on the DISC self-assessment tool (included as part of our Level 5 leadership programme), and how it can be used to build strong teams and develop loyal customers. A big thank you to everyone who joined us, and everyone who took part in the session. Thanks to 4theregion and the NPT Business team for the invite, and for organising the event. 

Missed previous #FridayFootnotes?