We hear from programme graduates about how IMNZ courses helped them grow their leadership skills
Very few professionals who sign up for an IMNZ course do so on a whim. Most have a clear idea of the areas where they want to develop. But all our students get more than they bargained for with programme graduates consistently telling us how they have applied new skills in other areas of their work and life.
We hear from a few recent graduates on how IMNZ programmes have led to unexpected benefits.
Christine McGinty – increase in productivity
Christine McGinty was brand new to people management when she took on the role of fire risk management officer at the NZ Fire Service. She signed up for the Team Leader Essentials course to kick-start her skill set in this area. She wanted to grow her confidence, but didn’t realise this would have other positive side effects on her team.
“A really important change in my management style from the course, and one that had a positive impact on my staff’s productivity, was the introduction of one-on-one meetings,” says Christine. “One of my team preferred the one-on-ones. It gave him the ability to understand what I wanted and his productivity went through the roof. It was great!”
Michelle Poulton – casual connections
Michelle Poulton was working as a chief operating officer at Alpha Cert Labs when she decided to take on the ELEVATE (Leadership Essentials) programme. Michelle’s main challenge was finding new ways to connect with her team, discover what her new role entailed and how she was to operate in it.
“I realized my first step was to knock down any barriers I was inadvertently putting up in my [team’s] way,” she says.
Michelle said her ‘ah-ha’ moment came from learning how her people skills could be used in her new managerial role, and this extended from her team to her clients.
“One of the biggest impacts of having done the course was how it enabled me to engage with our clients,” she says. “Not only navigating how to talk to my team and motivate them for change, but also applying that to my clients and authentically listening to them. What were their issues? What were their constraints? What are the challenges they’re facing and then what could we do as an organisation to address that?”
“There were a lot of tools that we were learning that can actually be used on an everyday basis with teams and workshops and meetings,”
Amanda Wolak – stepping up
When Amanda Wolak signed up for the Think on Your Feet course, she could see that it would provide her with skills that would improve her effectiveness in meetings and other work conversations, especially under pressure in her role as BNZ bank Planning Manager.
“I really enjoyed the look of the IMNZ course,” says Amanda. “I could see that some of the elements that were my weaknesses, or areas to grow on, were going to be part of the course.” The structured but interactive nature of the course offered Amanda a chance to learn new skills and practice them in a supportive and relaxed environment.
At BNZ Amanda is often involved in the process of bringing change to people’s roles and she found this a real challenge before attending this course.
“I sometimes found it difficult to bring people along on that journey,” she explains. “The course has helped me overcome a few challenges that I face in my role on a day-to-day basis, and that’s telling the story of—it might not impact them, but what does it mean for the organisation and wider as well?”
Check our testimonials page to see what other students think of our courses or contact us for more info about how we can help you and your team.
