Introducing… The Edge.  A  leadership development programme from Dorset Chamber designed to equip aspiring and current leaders with the essential skills to excel in their roles.

This suite of five half day workshops provides a collaborative and interactive learning environment where participants can engage in discussions, share experiences, and gain practical tools for immediate application.

Delivered by leadership specialist, Clive Ozzard, the full course cost is £850+vat for Dorset Chamber members. Standard price is £995+vat.

Three start dates are currently available: 

Spring Programme: First workshop takes place on 9 April.  Other session dates include: 23 April, 7 May, 21 May, 12 June

Summer Programme: First workshop takes place on 26 June. Other session dates include: 10 July, 24 July, 7 August, 10 September.

Autumn Programme: First workshop takes place on 24 September. Other session dates include: 8 October, 22 October, 5 November and 20 November.

Questions? Contact the team at Dorset Chamber or the course lead to find out more. 

Workshop 1: Aspiring Directors  – the route to the board

Whatever your background, the step up to become a company director can be significant. For many it means moving on from a set of specialist technical skills, and embracing a very different way of thinking. This course provides the tools necessary to enable that transition to be as successful as possible. It covers what every aspiring director needs to know, not just the legal requirements, but the skills required, and the derailers to avoid.

Working with a group of peers, you will have the opportunity to share real life examples of your own experiences, and also learn from others who are following a similar journey.

The key areas will include:

  • Recognising your role and its demands
  • Understanding a director’s responsibilities
  • Strategic objectives and how to set them
  • Dealing with multiple priorities
  • Adapting your thinking process to a future orientation
  • Creativity and big picture thinking
  • Understanding your personal style
  • Reviewing the impact of personality
  • Communication at all levels
  • Essential motivation technique

Workshop 2: Strategic Thinking – seeing the big picture

Moving from task or project focus, requires a major change to your way of thinking. Your existing methods may need significant change, to embrace and thrive in a very different context. As a director, you must be a strategic thinker who takes a genuinely big picture view, with a future focus rather than just concentrating on the day to day.

Using proven techniques, the course allows you to review your business, identifying both positive aspects and areas for change. The focus is on planning and enabling growth and providing you with the essential tools to help you put this into practice. .

The key areas will include:

  • Defining strategy in business
  • Working with a visionary approach
  • How to undertake an effective business review
  • Identifying business challenges – both internal and external
  • Identifying key goals and objectives
  • Action planning at director level
  • Using multiple bottom-line perspectives
  • Effective tools for communicating strategic vision
  • Identifying problems before they happen
  • Developing adaptability
  • How to review business direction

Workshop 3: Influencing Skills – helping everyone win

For many new directors, the changing role leads to the first time of having to operate at board level. This often means dealing with multiple stakeholders, both inside and outside of the business.

Conflicting priorities and agendas can be challenging, needing a much different focus to more project-centred working.

As someone responsible for ensuring the delivery of business objectives, your director level role means working with others, exerting influence and maintaining good, ongoing relationships.

The course provides the tools to effectively influence at a higher level

The key areas will include:

  • Identifying the key areas of influence
  • Linking your objectives to those of others
  • Understanding your own personal style
  • Adapting your approach to suit the situation
  • The key skills of active listening
  • Communicating your thoughts effectively and with confidence
  • Consulting and collaborating with others
  • Building effective networks
  • Giving and receiving feedback effectively
  • Working with problems
  • The differences between reasoning and inspiration
  • Developing your influencing toolkit

Workshop 4: Self-development for the Senior Leader – moving onwards and upwards

A key aspect of growth in business is both self-review and personal development. Understanding yourself, and identifying your personal motivations is directly linked to business success or failure.

Many senior staff spend far less time on their own development, than they do on those who report to them. This can lead to a lack of practical skills or personal growth.

Developing the essential skills for self-understanding, and how to achieve that, will lead to productivity, profit and personal achievement.

The key areas will include:

  • Where am I now – a chance to review your own progress and position
  • Purpose – identifying my individual purpose and the vital connections to my role
  • Understanding my personal style and communication preferences
  • Identifying my own personality and the links to communication and perception
  • Using competency frameworks to build an individual learning plan
  • Essential tools for self-development
  • The differences between coaching and mentoring
  • Building a personal action plan for change

Workshop 5: Leadership – Steering from the front

As a director, it becomes essential to use your skills and knowledge to operate as an effective leader; regardless of personality or background. Taking people with you is vital to see sustainable business growth.

The techniques at a senior level are quite distinct and can require a balance not seen with a more operational focus.
 
Working with a peer group, we will look at what being a leader in the modern business world really means and how you can develop in that role.
 
  • Understanding the differences between a manager and a leader
  • The connection between personality, purpose and leadership
  • Understanding expectations and how to meet them
  • Knowing when to listen and when to act
  • Bringing balance to the leadership role
  • Task focus versus people focus
  • Identifying how to avoid firefighting in your role
  • The key skills for essential delegation
  • Mentors and where to find one
  • Leadership and motivating others
  • Self-review and understanding areas for growth
  • Action planning for self-improvement