The Carnegie Club – Management Development Programme

Background and challenge

As one of the world’s most prestigious private clubs, the Carnegie club – based at the stunning Skibo Castle – were keen to ensure that the quality of their management and leadership was every bit as good as their levels of service and hospitality.

We were delighted to be selected to partner them on this journey which would begin with a development programme designed for any staff with people management responsibilities.  The participants worked across a range of vital services, including food and beverage, greenkeeping and housekeeping.

As this was the first initiative of its kind that the organisation had undertaken, it was vital that it was well received and had some immediate results that were visible across the organisation.

Format

In line with our preferred way of working, the stakeholders at the Carnegie Club agreed that the programme needed to be modular as this would not only provide the participants with the best chance of using their newly learnt skills but it would also fit nicely around their busy schedules.

Furthermore, the programme would be underpinned by our unique learning transfer platform – PROMOTE which not only increases levels of application but also provides complete visibility on what’s being used and by whom.

The programme would also benefit from a launch event to ensure that the participants make the most out of their training, as well as one aimed specifically at their managers who would play a vital role their colleagues’ ongoing development.

As this was the first organisational-wide management training, we agreed that the first session should be face to face which helps to maximise the levels of engagement and create a strong bond with the trainer going forward.

Thereafter, we ran a series of virtual modules which were efficient and cost effective and yet still provided a brilliant, interactive experience.

The programme culminated with a review session, which not only helped maintain momentum but also provided a great opportunity to assess progress and address any new challenges that had arisen.

Results

As we would expect, the overall feedback and levels of engagement were extremely high and we’re delighted that we will continue our work with Carnegie Club in 2024 and beyond.  Even more importantly, here are a few specific examples that we’ve captured from the participants themselves that demonstrate the programme’s impact.

‘Since the last session, I used the continue/change approach on what was good/bad and snuck in an ‘and if’ to relay how possibly they should have gone about a certain task.  I felt we both left the service debrief on a positive note which has led to the team member asking good, constructive questions on shift while previously they might not have felt comfortable to approach me’

‘Previously, I dealt with everyone with the same mindset in terms of performance.  Now, because of how you guys have delivered the sessions, I have adopted a more flexible approach and no longer avoid certain situations.’

‘Reflecting on what we discussed, I will now stop and take time to plan rather than just go along and judge on the spot situations.’

‘In approaching an awkward conversation, I would normally feel a bit of anxiety & nervousness which is why I’d try and steer clear of it. Since the training, I have applied facts instead of opinion which has helped me stay calm and focused which in turn has enabled me to deliver evidence based feedback to the individual helping them to understand the situation better and improve their performance.’