Awards ceremonies are always great places to catch up with specialist professionals for their thoughts on best-practice approaches to the field in question. The National Management and Leadership (NML) Awards are a perfect example, and with that in mind, Professional Manager asked around some of last year’s winners to see what their awards had done for them personally and professionally.

We also soaked up some thought-provoking insights on why the judges were so impressed with their work.

Right – that’s enough from us… over to the winners!

 

The Tube experts

  Young Achiever of the Year
  Stephen McGuinness, track and design scoper, Tube Lines

 

What did you do?
Since completing my apprenticeship here I excelled, and earned a big promotion after eight months. I advanced two grades, which includes a jump in salary and responsibility.

How did you do it?
The manager of the department with the vacancy had seen that I was eager, competent and hard-working. I also had recognition from the top. Our chief executive was formerly an RAF officer and had set up a scheme where Air Force cadets and our apprentices meet to learn from each other. I worked on that programme, so the chief executive asked that I be put forward for the award.

What did the win do for you?
It was a massive boost. Although I’m proud of what I’ve done I don’t like to boast, so I took my award home, not to work. But they featured my win in the company newsletter, and I got lots of great messages of congratulations.

 

  Training and Development Manager of the Year
  Amanda Whiteford, head of learning and development, Tube Lines

 

What did you do?
We asked departmental heads what their business challenges would be, and worked back from there. Delivery teams tend to think in terms of projects – if you ask them what their skills needs are they often find the question too esoteric. Our approach helped us create a long-term skills development programme that aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation.

How did you do it?
We focused on internal learning. We urged our people to think about what our business is and how it operates, and trained them to manage within that framework.

What did the win do for you?
It was fantastic. To have that recognition for the team was great for morale. We’ve had a lot of success here making sure learning and development is at the heart of what we do, but awards like this help us maintain that momentum.

 

The transformative fireman

  Outstanding Leader of the Year
  Des Tidbury, chief fire officer, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

 

What did you do?
I joined the service shortly after it had been designated as a failing service by the Audit Commission. I took it from being an organisation with no confidence and ambition to a high-achieving community safety service during a time of reduced public spending.

How did you do it?
One of the biggest issues with the service was a lack of leadership. I instigated a programme where I spent time with the teams, asked questions and built a picture of what needed changing. I also built a stronger senior team.

What did the win do for you?
The award helped me to become a Companion of CMI, which is great recognition and something I’m proud of. But it also helped the service. Prior to the win we had gained approval for two new fire stations to be built, as well as a new headquarters. We are now in the final stages of the process. The win proved how far we’ve come and has helped me fulfil my dream of leaving a legacy.

 

The tailor-made trainer

  Outstanding Training Provider, GoMAD Thinking
  Ricky Muddimer, sales and operations director

 

What did you do?
At Go MAD Thinking we help organisations identify areas where they want to improve results, which could be business or people issues. Our team of experts then work with leaders and managers to develop and implement tailored strategies to overcome the issues raised. We were nominated for the NML award by two of our biggest clients, Kraft and Cisco Capital – both are living case studies of our achievements. Each has seen quantifiable differences since executing methods devised by GoMad. In Kraft’s case this difference was measured at $8.5 million! Similarly, thanks to new approaches in thinking adopted at Cisco, its Nordic region secured a €23 million account.

How did you do it?
Whatever the client and whatever their challenge, the Go MAD Thinking approach follows the same three steps. Firstly, we work to understand what differences they want to achieve and why this is important to them. We then create unique training solutions that complement existing company strategies and accurately target the overall goals. The final step is implementation. It is expected that participants will leave our programmes and make measurable business differences. We carry out careful assessment of their success: a check after 45 days and a full review of progress after 90 days. From there we decipher where they have been effective or, perhaps, where they have failed – and rejig accordingly.

What did the win do for you?
Undoubtedly winning the NML award has raised our profile and credibility among clients. Awards are fantastic validations of what we do – but they’re not what we work for. We work to create a measurable impact for all those we work with. Our hope is to equip all our clients with transferrable skills and strategies so that they can continue to apply them without being dependent on us.