The
page where readers expose their careers
This
month Tim Randall, age 56, group coach of the CSMA (Civil Service Motoring
Association) tells how he sailed into training from an early start at a yacht
agency
How
long have you been in this job?
Three months
How
long have you been with your company?
Twelve years, seven months
What
does your role involve?
My current primary objective is to create a motivational environment within
the company that enables individuals and teams to reach their performance
potential.
What’s
the best thing about your job?
I provide internal management development consultancy. I am also being
sponsored by CSMA as a research student at the University of Brighton, leading,
ultimately, to a PhD.
What’s
the worst?
Not enough time in each day to do all that I want to do.
What
are your current major projects?
To ensure the skills at the core of the CSMA HR programme are utilised and
not ignored at times of greatest need; to cause the techniques of assessment
and appraisal to become second nature, and to mentor the focus on the
achievement of objectives.
Preferred
terminology – training, development, education, learning, performance
improvement?
I really prefer “performance development” to “performance improvement”. I
would also, of course, include coaching.
Favourite
buzzwords?
Talent detection, talent development, talent selection, reflective
learning, self-oriented learning/coaching.
Are
you good at self-development?
Excellent, in my view.
Where
do you want to be in five years’ time?
I would like to be an authority on sports and management coaching and to
have gone a considerable way towards establishing CSMA as a leading employer in
terms of management development and detecting, selecting and developing
talented managers.
What
was the most useful course you ever went on or learning experience you ever
had?
The most useful learning experience I ever had was in winning the week long
National Sailing Championship for the International Flying Fifteen Class in
1995 at Torquay. To win I had to use or apply, under extreme pressure, most of
my management and sailing skills.
What
was the worst course you ever went on?
The first computer course I ever went on in the 1970s. The objective was to
get started on using a computer as I had been given one in my office. In
reality I did not even learn how to switch it on!
What
did you want to do for a living when you left school?
Work at the local yacht agency.
What
was your first job?
General helper at the local yacht agency.
What
was the best career decision you ever made?
Much as I enjoyed working at the yacht agency, it soon became clear to me
that I needed a professional career and chose to make this in personnel
management, as it was known then.
What
was the worst career decision you ever made?
Moving into financial services as a sales adviser. Fortunately, I only
stayed there for 12 months.
How
do you think your job will have changed in five years’ time?
It is likely to be more consultative and research based.
What
do you think the core skills for your job will be in the future?
Coaching, motivating, self-oriented learning strategies, detecting and
developing talent.
What
advice would you give to someone starting out in training and development?
Study the sciences of the profession as a basis for practising training and
development.
If
you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Coaching talented athletes/teams.
How
would you like to be remembered by colleagues?
He was open to ideas and brought the best out of me.
