The Leadership Pickles
Produced by Media Partners
Distributed by Video Arts
Purchase price £799
Rental price £279
Contact www.videoarts.com
This training package drips with every schmaltzy, sugary and quirky trick in the book – and it is terrific.
Customer service guru and presenter Bob Farrell opened 150 restaurants in the US, including Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour.
His catchphrase “Give ’em the pickle” referred to those special things that keep customers coming back: in this case, free pickles with burgers.
He then took the pickle concept further – this is America – to symbolise the guidance and values that employees need from their leaders.
In the DVD, we see the genial showman explain what he calls the four leadership ‘pickles': enthusiasm, confidence, self-confidence and integrity.
Farrell is an engaging presenter who, unsurprisingly, doesn’t take himself too seriously. He delivers his messages with focus and conviction. And giant green gherkins.
He also uses memorable aphorisms on leadership such as: “A leader is a person you would choose to follow to a place you would not choose to go by yourself”. All are delivered with great humour.
The DVD comes with a leader’s guide on a CD, which allows the user to read and print self study options or class setting options. It offers half-day workshops or 90-minute mini-modules, and there is also plenty of advice on customising the programme and running a summary game.
This is not a package for senior people, but it would be a lively introduction to responsibility for a newly-appointed supervisor or manager in a service environment. Farrell’s warmth and wit may help take the fear out of management responsibilities.
The package is accompanied by ‘training condiments’. These include pocket cards on leadership principles, gherkin shaped lapel pins and pickle notepads. These are light-hearted learning aids, and why not? We’d all rather laugh at a gherkin than eat one.
A central training department could get plenty of use out of the package and have some fun at the same time.
Relevance? four out of five
Interactivity? four out of five
Value for money? five out of five
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