… that’s my one-word summary of my feelings from last week! Just wow!

I was privileged to attend the finales of two of our First Line Talent programmes that we run in partnership with two of our clients - the ‘Ignite’ programme for Sopra Steria and ‘Springboard’ for HDI Global.

I observed individuals who have embraced the unknown, stepped out of their comfort zones to understand themselves better, to understand others and work collaboratively with colleagues from all over their organisation.

The finales of the programmes that run over 6 to 8 months are an opportunity for the delegates to present their results and recommendations for organisational critical projects that they have been tasked to research and respond on.

So, why WOW?

Well, when we design programmes like this there are two fundamental objectives we work to. Firstly, individual growth and development and secondly, ROI for the organisation they work for.

Talent development is widely researched to be beneficial to retain internal talent for succession planning, reskilling and upskilling. Our programmes typically focus on three areas:

• Individual development – understanding & developing one’s preferences and drivers, and personal resilience.

• Team development – understanding & developing team dynamics, others’ preferences, communication, and influencing skills.

• Organisational understanding – understanding & developing strategic awareness, networking and professional career development.

To support team development and organisational awareness project teams are set up to work on business-critical areas – supported by project sponsors and mentors from their organisations.

This year we have seen a wide range of project topics ranging from Embracing AI ethically to Cross Business Collaboration, and the Future of Work.

Sponsors have given up their time willingly to support these teams with their expertise. It is seen as a valuable and important piece of business work – undertaken alongside their day jobs. We know it has been challenging but ultimately rewarding for the delegates and the skills developed are far reaching – time management, relationship building, presentation skills, innovation – the list goes on!

Another WOW moment for me was the buy-in and enthusiasm from the company CEOs. Pledges of commitment to make recommendations a reality. Pledges to get project ideas onto the business agenda and even implement some of these recommendations by the end of the year! It was inspiring to see the effect these pledges had on the delegates – knowing that their hard work was making a difference – knowing that their ideas will be realities. AND – I know that there will be a tangible return on investment for the respective businesses.

All of this, coupled with the stats showing that 80% of these talent pools move into promotional roles, is a huge testament to the continued success of two of our flagship talent programmes. A proud, and yes a firm ‘WOW’ moment!

If you and your organisation want to talk about the art of the possible for your identified talent – you know where to find us!