Home > News > July 2005 > 01-Jul-2005

LSC runs leadership development programme for top managers

The Legal Services Commission, the public body responsible for legal aid, is running a Leadership Development Programme for its top 160 managers, including the executive team, business unit heads and their senior management teams.

The programme features 360 degree feedback, development centres and a three-day workshop. Roffey Park is running the workshop and the development centres, which involve no rating of the participants.

"We wanted to incorporate development centres into our leadership programme to give people an opportunity to experiment as part of their development," said Alan Littlefield, HR Consultant at the LSC. "Roffey Park designed the centres around our Leadership Profile - a competency framework for leadership. Their approach to development centres is different from the more rigid, time-tabled format. It is very much focused on development. The centres themselves are almost like a laboratory, where people have time and space to try new approaches."

The two-day development centres are held at Roffey Park. Participants attend in groups of 14 each time and undertake group exercises on visioning and strategic planning as well as individual exercises based on the LSC’s Leadership Profile. The participants are observed by Roffey Park coaches who provide qualitative feedback on their behaviour.

"Roffey Park is a wonderful learning environment and they have the space to run development centres effectively," said Alan Littlefield. "For us, having external coaches gave the participants real freedom to experiment. The Roffey Park coaches have been outstanding. They provide challenge and support that helps the participants to draw out the learning."

Following the development centre, Roffey Park runs a three-day workshop for the participants, called Leaders for the Future. This examines issues including culture, working relationships, making a personal impact and influencing others.

Alongside the leadership programme, the LSC is providing a range of development initiatives around managing performance. It is also introducing a coaching and mentoring framework and it is accrediting managers to act as peer coach-mentors for others in the organisation.

"These initiatives have greatly benefited the organisation," said Alan Littlefield. "Leadership is now firmly on our agenda and people understand that it requires a mix of people skills and task skills. There is already a real sense that our senior managers are developing their leadership capability."

The LSC, who employ around 1,900 people in 15 offices in England and Wales, is now considering running a leadership programme - involving development centres - for its high potential middle managers, with the aim of promoting effective talent management.

External links

Roffey Park

The Legal Services Commission

Training Reference is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

Related Information

For related news, case studies, articles and research, visit our management and leadership development home page

Training and development books

Discover books on a variety of training and development topics at the Training Reference Bookshop

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

Sponsored links

Back to top