Investors in People UK has launched a management framework to support its
core people development standard. The Leadership and Management Model is the
second of a series of support tools from IIP. Last year it introduced a
recruitment model, and in June this year it will launch a work-life balance
model.
"It is important that we keep refreshing Investors in People
(IIP)," said chairman Tim Melville-Ross, who insisted that pressure for
these super-standards had originated from IIP clients. "As more organisations
come through Investors in People they want to know what else we can offer. They
particularly requested something on leadership and management," he said.
"The management model is essentially about identifying leaders and
making sure they grow. It’s not prescriptive, but makes managers confront key
questions on leadership."
The model follows the basic principles governing the core standard. Organisations
have to demonstrate that top managers are committed to achieving success
through good leadership and management. They have to plan how to achieve
effective leadership, improve their leadership and management accordingly, then
evaluate their success.
Melville-Ross hoped the simplicity of the framework would win through.
"It is about simple things such as clarity. A leader has to be clear about
what he wants, put people in place to do so, then communicate… what he is
trying to achieve," he said.
He said he was keen to build up a network of business people to act as
ambassadors for the model.
A variety of employers piloted the IIP management model last year. Diehl
Controls achieved IIP three years ago and agreed the management model as a
logical next step. "IIP encouraged us to provide lots of training and
flexible working, but we had never looked closely at the management team. The
management model helped us to do that," said plant manager Steve Carroll.
The firm used it to build on its performance management system and identify
existing skills as well as help develop new ones.
The Skipton Building Society piloted the model as a way of benchmarking its
management development and mentoring programmes. "It very much fits in
with what we believe is important to us as a business," said head of
personnel and training, Ian Walker.
By Lucie Carrington
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