Nigel Hughes, G2Energy Ltd, Greg Clements, Sport England and Kevin Read, Dairy Crest have all attended the Cranfield General Management Programme.
my concerns in various ways to ensure that the Board listens. I had undertaken other management courses while within the British Army, however these were focused on getting the job done rather than any human aspect. I joined the programme to better understand how to deal with people to further my career and empower those reporting to me.
Attending the programme helped me understand that everyone has their own agenda and although everyone wants to succeed, personal goals may not be aligned with mine or the company’s. The politics of work was new to me and I understand the value of utilising this. Since the programme I have been able to concentrate on other areas of the company and take time to develop clients, which has opened up new areas and sectors. I look at how we do business and ensure that time is set aside for further development giving more flexibility to the business.
Nigel Hughes, Operations Director, G2Energy Ltd
I now spend my time on the important strategic issues I didn't used to have time for and have got rid of my tick list of operational tasks that added no value.
Greg Clements, Strategic Lead, Sport England
Kevin's reason for participating on the CGMP was not unusual; he had performed well in the business but realised that to move on from the role of Site Operations Manager he needed to demonstrate an ability to think beyond his immediate responsibilities.
"I was looking for some time for reflection, to evaluate myself and how I could make my next move" says Kevin. "The programme provided exactly that and forced me to undertake some substantial reflection about the things I do well but what I needed to do differently if I was to add more value across the business outside of just my site role." The quality of the Cranfield ideas and the wide diversity of participants from different backgrounds enabled him to be more open to new possibilities and curious about other positions and roles.
"The feedback was clear: I needed to stop limiting my thinking to just operational matters and network more broadly across the whole business. Being more interested in other’s viewpoints has enabled me to develop more collaborative outcomes for the business as a whole; it became much easier to get buy-in and commitment to cross functional plans."
This new broader outlook has helped Kevin gain promotion to Manufacturing Improvement Manager working across all the Dairy Crest sites and his new approach has enabled him to deliver substantial improvements such as a business wide waste reduction strategy. Now having being promoted to Site General Manager he is able to bring this broader perspective to his own business unit.
"In essence I found the programme inspirational, if you want to develop as a leader I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it."
Kevin Read, Site General Manager, Dairy Crest