London Electricity Group’s middle managers are giving schoolchildren lessons
in business.
The scheme, which is linked closely with the firm’s corporate social
responsibility (CSR) charter, aims to give middle managers skills to become
senior managers.
The company hopes the exercise will improve managers’ presentation,
communication and time management abilities.
To date, 10 managers have each given lectures on issues including the
electricity business and employment legislation to primary schoolchildren.
The managers say the scheme has helped with problem-solving, thinking on
their feet, communication and simplifying complicated issues. Two-thirds claim
it has made them feel better about working for the company.
Isabel Brown, employee community involvement co-ordinator at London
Electricity Group, believes the scheme has helped improve the retention of
middle managers: "It has proved very successful and I think has helped the
company not only to retain managers but to improve their skills and helped make
them better managers."
Next year the project will be rolled out to the company’s graduate trainee
scheme to teach them management skills while managers may be given the
opportunity to become school governors.
Other aspects of the firm’s CSR include giving staff two days a year off
work – if they commit two days of their own time – to get involved in community
projects.
