The latest group of Team Leaders graduated from their leadership programme on Tuesday 30th June 2015. This is the 6th group at Baxter to have successfully completed a personal, team and business development course designed to aid the front line managers to become more effective at dealing positively with their staff, teams, processes and their personal organisation. So far there has been five groups at Thetford and one in Liverpool, with 70 people from across the organisation having taken part over the past three years.

Baxter, Thetford has been sponsoring the courses since 2012 in conjunction with TIPS (TIPS for Good Management) who are an approved centre for the prestigious CMI (Chartered Management Institute). The CMI is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards in management and leadership excellence. The institute also engages with government and other public bodies concerning policy on management and business related issues. The CMI also offer, through their approved centre network, a range of nationally recognised management & leadership qualifications from Level 2 to Level 7. For more information, visit www.managers.org.uk

The initiative was first championed by Helena Weldon, Human Resources Manager, who had worked with TIPS for Good Management for several years before joining Baxter. The Baxter Team Leaders study for a formal qualification, in this case a Level 3 Award in Team Leading. The programme is typically six full day sessions about a month apart.

Subject matter includes:

Session 1 – Introduction & Developing People Skills

Session 2 – Managing Indiviudals

Session 3 – Engaging with Teams

Session 4 – Effective Leadership

Session 5 – Making the Right Choices

Session 6 – Graduation & the Future

TIPS for Good Management use a ‘Brain Friendly’ approach to learning, a form of accelerated learning. Information is presented in a variety of ways, designed to appeal to the most natural way of learning for the human brain, including playing games, holding themed sessions where the whole room becomes a learning environment. Music features heavily and the learners are encouraged to share knowledge rather than compete with each other; this can take the form of learning partners and syndicate work. Stories, movie clips, game shows and Oscar ceremonies feature in this learning approach. For more than 70% of the time, participants will be involved in doing something and less than 30% of the time will they be talked at by a trainer!

Here are a few quotes from the happy TIPSTERS!

Thank you to Carl and Julian who delivered the Team Leader Course. I feel proud to express what I have achieved from this programme. I have discovered so much about myself that I never knew before. Thanks a million to point me in the right direction and help me in developing my skills to lead a team. This course has certainly changed my vision to be a Leader. I can best describe it as “You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow too… Jasmine Mulla

The course has taught me a lot about leadership that is directly applicable to my job. It was very beneficial to learn from an external training company who have previous experience of working with Baxter, Thetford and have tailored the course for us… Mark Wallage

The course opened my eyes to many ways to communicate, lead and review performance of team members. Learning has never been so much fun, I felt refreshed and more enthusiastic in my Senior Admin role at Baxter… Kelly Lane