The approach of our programs is to recognise that the management team of an organisation holds most of the knowledge necessary to lead that organisation successfully. However, the problem that most managers face is that they are inundated with other demands on their time. This tends to mean that they do not get the time to develop their own skills, let alone contribute to the development of others.

Each person’s journey through the program will be quite different, but below are some case studies and comments from participants.

Case study 1: David

David is a respected senior manager, who had attended many courses, but because he was working in a remote location, had very few opportunities to interact with fellow managers. He felt removed from the rest of the management team—and was frustrated that there was no mechanism to allow him to share his extensive knowledge with others.

The program offered David the chance to pass on some of his knowledge and experience to more junior managers, something that both he and the other managers found very useful. In addition, David discovered some new development areas to consider.

At the end of the program, David’s comment was: ‘I’ve been on many programs—but this was the first time I was able to share my knowledge and experiences’.

Case study 2: Mark

Mark was a new manager who became part of a syndicate which mixed junior and senior managers. He found the exposure gained in the syndicate invaluable. While many of the topics raised by others did not directly relate to his current situation, he felt that he learnt a lot about the challenges which he might face as a manager.

Mark commented: ‘It’s a bit like Campbell’s soup—a condensed real life work experience of accomplished managers and leaders’.

Case study 3: Kevin

Kevin is a senior manager. He did not participate in the syndicates, but he did observe both their progress and their impact.

At the time, the organisation was going through significant changes. On reviewing the impact of the program, Kevin stated, ‘This program directly contributed to the long-term improvement of the organisation—In fact, without it, the organisation could not have made the changes that were needed’.

Case study 4: Megan

Megan was a junior manager. She had enjoyed working in a technical area, but was struggling with the people management issues. Megan became part of a mixed experience syndicate and explored her concerns and some of the problems she was facing.

At the end of the program, Megan told her boss: ‘Before the program, I wasn’t sure that I was cut out for managing people, but through the course, I’ve realised that I am pretty good at it–and I have a renewed energy to excel’.

Case study 5: Jo

Like many managers, Jo thought that the challenges he was facing were unique to him and his situation. In exploring some of those challenges with the syndicate, he found that others were either experiencing similar problems or had done so in the past.

Reflecting at the end of the program, Jo said, ‘It was good to realise that I had similar issues to others—and it helped me to put my own problems into perspective’.