Looking back at 2021, ahead to 2022, and beyond
In our latest blog, we catch up with ION Project Lead Suzanne Parry Jones who shares insights from our recent 2021 delegate feedback report.
After finding ourselves in the midst of a pandemic in 2020 we had to drastically re-design the way we work. We thought that 2021 would be the year we got back to delivering face-to-face to give our delegates the experiential, activity led learning that has such powerful impact on the way they lead. We thought we would get back to the office so that we could continue as a team to design and develop the activities, action learning sets and supportive coaching sessions we offer our delegates.
Of course, we could not offer our delegates these experiences face to face and neither could we meet physically as a team. Our response? To still offer all of these elements to our programme by continuing to adapt to a virtual world and give our delegates the transformational change in themselves, their teams and their business that they signed up for.
I am enormously proud of how the ION team adapted to the new way of working over the past 2 years.
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.
So we asked them - and all of their feedback was collated in a report by our Impact & Engagement Officer Llewellyn James.
First of all, a few highlights:
- 131 delegates completed our programmes last year
- 94% of delegates felt they achieved the aims initially set at the beginning of the programme
- 98% of delegates participating in the programme felt they had become better leaders
Variety is the spice of life
One of the things we are most proud of on our programmes is the variety of delegates on our cohorts. With peer-to-peer learning a key element of our programmes, it is fantastic that we have such a wide variety of delegates who can all share their experiences, good and bad, whilst learning together.
In the last 12 months:
- 55% of delegates were female, 45% of delegates male
- The average age of the delegates on our programmes was 39, with the youngest being 22 and the wisest being 74.
- 69% of delegates on our programmes last year had 3 years or less leadership / management experience. The level of insight and learning they would have taken from the remaining 30%, plus our leadership development specialists, is one of the key elements that ION offers compared to other management development programmes.
- 79% of delegates worked for small organisations (less than 50 members of staff). This figure not only showcases the importance of small businesses to the Welsh economy, but also highlights the importance of supporting small businesses to develop their leadership skills, enabling them to grow profitable, sustainable businesses.
- Our leadership programmes include delegates from multi-sectors. Last year, 25% of delegates were from the financial, technical, real estate and admin sector, 18% were from the arts and entertainment sector, 14% were from the retail, food and accommodation sector. There were also delegates from the manufacturing, construction, information and communication, education and human health and social care sectors. Some issues within businesses are exactly the same, some are sector specific, but there is huge benefit to all of our delegates of learning from other sectors.
Meeting delegate expectations
All delegates completing our leadership programmes complete entry and exit surveys. The purpose of the entry survey is to gauge an understanding of what the delegate hopes to achieve, the challenges they are facing and any key learning they would like to take from the programme. The exit survey aims to identify whether their expectations were met, how they felt about the programme, and whether there are any improvements we need to make to the programme.
At ION, we believe it is all about impact. We don’t want our delegates to complete the programme, get their qualifications, update their LinkedIn profiles, and then just gradually slip back into old habits.
We want our programmes to make a difference to them and their business; we aim to enable our delegates to reflect on their behaviours in business and to seek transformational change in how they lead themselves and others. We believe this is the only effective way to see lasting, impactful growth within their business. The reflections of our delegates are evidence that we achieve this.
So why did delegates sign up to our programme?
- 80% wanted to become a more effective leader
- 65% wanted to acquire new skills
- 65% wanted to increase their confidence
- 55% wanted to generate new ideas
As Eddy Lynch, Owner / Director of InSynch Business Services put it, he hoped the programme would ‘"Give me time out of the business to look at things differently, learn from others, think strategically and help me put plans in place to achieve the growth I desire".
So, did the programmes meet their expectations? In short, very much so.
- 94% of delegates felt they achieved the aims initially set at the beginning of the programme.
- 98% of delegates participating in the programme felt they had become better leaders.
These results are outstanding and demonstrate the commitment our delegates make to embracing change in themselves and others to achieve their desired outcome. We facilitate the change but it is our delegates who make it happen and we are proud of every one of them.
Feedback from delegates on the programme provides a myriad of significant changes in the way in which they perceive themselves, their role and the way in which they lead. Indeed, participants partaking in our surveys open-ended questions summarise their experience as ‘life-changing’, ‘confidence building’, ‘inspirational’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘invaluable’.
Real solutions for real issues
We pride ourselves on the fact that our programmes focus on finding real solutions for the real issues that leaders, at all levels, identify to us that they face every day. We were therefore delighted to see just that come through in our exit surveys:
- 90% said the programme enhanced their problem-solving skills
- 78% said the programme enhanced their ability to delegate
- 76% said the programme helped them introduce new processes and procedures
- 72% said the programme enhanced their innovation skills
- 68% said the programme enhanced their business resilience
During these unprecedented times, especially for those in business, problem-solving, business resilience and the ability to innovate are just some of the key skills required for businesses to not only survive but thrive.
Delegates were asked for specific examples of how the programme had directly impacted on their business.
Danni Watts-Jones, Managing Director of DWJ Wealth Management explained that “My skills and ability to manage change have improved as a result of the course. The reflective and emotional intelligence session were particularly useful when employing new staff”.
So, what does all this mean for the future?
These delegate testimonials are evidence of measurable and real change in the behaviours of those who sign up for ION. To collate a tangible return on investment on any leadership programme is notoriously difficult - this evidence demonstrates that ION is not just another leadership programme.
The learning we have taken from this report will impact on the remainder of the programme – how we deliver and what the market needs from us.
We now need to think of our legacy.
We have been very fortunate to have been supported by WEFO and the European Social Fund but our funding runs out at the end of 2023. We know that in Wales there is much more work to be done with many more businesses who need to continue to develop extraordinary leaders beyond 2023, and we are developing our strategy to make that happen.
As a leadership programme, ION has made an unprecedented impact on the Welsh economy and business markets and we intend to continue this vital work.
We have built fantastic relationships with so many individuals and businesses over the last 11 years. We want to build on those relationships – continuing to develop more effective leaders, and continuing to contribute towards growing sustainable, profitable businesses which contribute positively to the Welsh economy.
If you want to discuss with ION how we can work with you to develop you, your people, or your business, then please get in touch with us on swansea@ionleadership.ac.uk.
Sylwadau