25 years with Phoenix! A personal reflection – Bill Osmond
As we approach our twenty-five years in business, I wanted to examine the reasons as to why I have spent those years doing what I do and enjoying it (mostly!) I want to start by examining the "why". Whilst we were undoubtedly naïve and overly optimistic in the early...
Phoenix – Looking back on 25 Years
The Start Phoenix Training and Development has been running for almost twenty-five years. The first 'paid for' training course - and I wouldn't describe it any other way - that we delivered was on October 5th 1995 and that has always been the day we recognise as our...
Growing a business? What’s your people plan?
I have been working with small to medium-sized businesses for many years and I often begin with them at the point where growth has been rapid, business has been good, financial targets are getting hit but there is an emerging problem. As the growth has been quick,...
Making the most of a launch event
More and more clients are recognising the value that a good launch event can bring to any development programme. So, what are the 5 key things you should consider that ensure it makes the best possible impact: Get the backing right - make sure that a very senior...
The ‘Pioneers’ of Learning and Development
Last week we attended the Promote Network Summit 2018, held in Stockholm, Sweden. It is hosted by our partners - Promote International and was designed to provide the opportunity for all "Promote partners" to meet, exchange ideas and to learn new techniques and skills...
How to choose the right training provider
As Sales Director at Phoenix, I spend a lot of my time talking to potential clients about the various merits of all types of training and development. Whilst those of us who work in this industry are pretty well-versed in what makes a 'good' development partner, those...
Phoenix NED & Senior learning consultant to judge national sales awards
Anna Britnor Guest has been announced as a judge for the 2018 British Excellence in Sales Management Awards (BESMA). Organised by the Institute of Sales Management, these are the sales industry's top awards which reward the efforts of individual sales professionals...
Developing leaders across the world
Whilst there are always some nerves jingling before any leadership development event, this is magnified when to be delivered overseas. Two recent and very successful trips to different parts of the world confirmed what I had probably already, subconsciously, believed:...
How L&D can help initiate cultural change
Traditional training tends to focus on a relatively small group of people within any organisation. The best example of this is to provide specific training for the sales team. Logical, sure, but effective? - not always. The training understandably focuses on the...
More than a date in the diary!
I have written and spoken many times about the need for training and development not to be viewed as a single event. It does now seem that there is a growing consensus that a one-off training course, intervention or event - call it what you like - will not work as...