What is the Business Consortium?

The Business Consortium is an association of blue-chip organisations who collaborate in delivering an innovative development programme for their senior and middle managers.

The main objective of the programme is to expose managers to the issues and challenges facing other organisations, enabling them to gain experience and an understanding of techniques and approaches across a range of industries.

The Consortium operates its own self-financing fund to run the scheme, and direct costs are kept very low. As a result, this high-impact, high-quality management development programme is also extremely cost-effective.

The Consortium offers a Core Programme, Alumni Seminars, and Business Networking.

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Focus & Objectives

The Core programme focuses on providing broad management and strategic experience. The objectives are to help delegates to:

• Make more effective management decisions through wider knowledge and experience of techniques and processes in a range of organisations.
  
  
• Manage change and uncertainty through an understanding of best practice.
  
  
• Understand why and how systems and processes are applied in a variety of businesses and industries.
  
  
• Appraise their personal strengths and limitations and apply this knowledge to their career development.
  
  
• Identify relevant learning points and decide how to use them in their own situation

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Consortium Activities

Core Programme
A modular programme of training events for high-potential senior and middle managers.

Alumni Seminars
Periodic meetings of past Core Programme participants, aimed at extending development opportunities and networking.

Business Networking
Informal opportunities for the exchange of information and experiences.

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The Core Programme consists of our or five modules, each hosted by one of the member companies. Designed to create a less competitive and more co-operative environment in which to learn, the Programme allows privileged access to a diverse range of business issues. It’s aims are:

• To promote commercial awareness and understanding of the business environment outside delegates’ own companies
  
  
• To offer opportunities for cross-company networking
  
  
• To allow delegates to benchmark themselves against their peers
  
  
• To allow delegates to observe best practice in a variety of areas
  
  
• To develop delegates’ team skills and encourage them to be self-directed and to take responsibility.
  

The Core Programme is demanding and highly participative, with each programme being designed and organised by the delegates themselves. This approach has proved remarkably successful in maximising the effectiveness of the group’s self-directed learning.

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The modules take place over a period of ten to twelve months. Each two or three day module is built around a theme such as marketing or managing change. Each is based at the site of a different member and includes a ‘shop floor’ visit relevant to the module’s theme, so that over the whole programme delegates gain exposure to five different business environments. It is therefore vital that delegates are able to commit themselves to attending the entire programme.

The content of the Core programme is not prescribed, but decided by the delegates during the first module. The introductory module is devoted to team-building, planning a programme that takes account of the motivations and needs of all participants, and opportunities for you to reflect on how the programme will work in your situation. The objectives are:

• To ensure that all participants understand the purpose and design of the programme, their obligations to each other and the commitment required of them.
  
  
• To provide a process for creating an effective work and learning group for the duration of the programme
  
  
• To plan for the future modules and to develop an effective network for the exchange of information between participants.

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Here is a typical programme content. Remember each programme is different and the content of each module is determined by the participants......

Introductory Module: Team-Building, programme planning and personal reflection

Duration: 2 full days.

Held at a geographically convenient location.

N.B. The first module is facilitated by an independent consultant and a member of the Consortium Steering Group who ensures that each new programme 'kicks-off' in a similar and consistent fashion.

Module 1: Change Management & Acquisitions

Duration: 2 days

Host: BT Cellnet - Leeds

Visit: BT Cellnet Lumina Headquarters, Preston Brook Warrington.

Module 2: Identifying the Customer and Satisfying Needs

Duration: 2 days

Host: Standard Chartered Bank - London

Visit: Dealing Room and Video Conference with Hong Kong

Module 3: Motivation, Reward and Leadership

Duration: 2 days

Host: Rolls Royce – Derby

Visit: Hucknall site & Derby Head Office

Module 4: e-commerce

Duration: 2 1/2 days

Host: Willis - Ipswich

N.B. Final 1/2 day: Programme review and presentation to Member Company Consortium Representatives.

Examples Of Module Subjects From Previous Programmes:

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Nominees for the programme should be senior or middle managers with high potential and a minimum of three years’ experience at middle management level, and in need of broader strategic development. The delegate should be given a clear understanding of the programme and why they have been nominated for it. Potential delegates are strongly advised to discuss the programme with previous participants from your organisation if possible.

(Details of previous participants from each company are listed in the Alumni section)

Nominees should fulfil the following requirements:

• They must be well thought of within their organisation and capable of gaining significant benefit from the practical, broadening experience of this type of programme.
  
  
• They must be considered capable of achieving promotion to at least one level, and probably two, higher than their present position.
  
  
• They will be familiar with the operating and cultural style of their organisation, as they will have to articulate these to others.
  
  
• Their current responsibilities are concerned more with the interpretation and implementation of strategic decisions than with making them.

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