Chamber leadership campaign gets underway
A major leadership and people management campaign delivered by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce gets underway today.
Growth Through People is an annual campaign designed to help firms boost productivity through improved leadership and people management skills.
It takes place throughout March.
Coming up in the first week of the campaign are two webinars.
The first, tomorrow, is led by Dr Daniel Wheatley from the University of Birmingham 's Work Inclusivity Research Centre, and will focus on managing flexible working post-pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic precipitated seismic shifts in the way we all live and work.
For many, this included a rapid adjustment to remote and flexible working, and for managers, a rapid adjustment to managing remote and flexibly working teams. This workshop will explore what the future of working might look like and how delegates can ensure they are effectively getting the most out of truly flexible teams.
Daniel Wheatley (pictured) is based in the Department of Management at the University of Birmingham.
His research focuses on workplace well-being including job quality, work-life balance and flexible working arrangements, spatial dimensions of work including work-related travel and other aspects of time-use including leisure time and the household division of labour.
Daniel is author of 'Time Well Spent: Subjective Well-being and the Organization of Time ' and editor of the Edward Elgar Handbook of Research Methods on the Quality of Working Lives.
His work has appeared in a number of edited volumes and in peer-reviewed journals.
Daniel will be joined by speakers providing a range of business perspectives Paul Birt (head of HR for Siemens Smart Infrastructure Division GB&I, Siemens), Zoe Whatmore (chief of staff at Deutsche Bank) and Michelle Yeoman (COO for UKI COO, Deutsche Bank), Andy Nabbs (Microsoft Consultancy Services lead, SSC UK Services) and Tara Tomes (managing director, East Village Agency).
The second Growth Through People webinar this week will take place on 3 March.
Led by Diane Rance and Fiona Anderson from Work Horizons, it will look at tricky conversations, sharing techniques and expert advice to help delegates prepare for, approach and have difficult conversations at any level of their career.
This workshop will discuss how to deal with unexpected topics and emotions, and manage these conversations in a productive way.
Growth Through People workshops will continue throughout the month, ending with a virtual conference on 30 March.
The online conference will focus on topical leadership and people management challenges following the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19, featuring keynote addresses from Jess Phillips MP and Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE on empowering individuals to reach their full potential and authentic leadership in times of change.
It will also feature practical workshops and thought provoking panel discussions, and provide an opportunity to network with other local leaders, managers and decision makers from businesses looking to grow through the adoption of new, best-practice ideas.
Both the conference and virtual events are free for Chamber members. Conference tickets are £15 for non-members.
Aston University, BMet College and the University of Birmingham 's Work Inclusivity Research Centre (WIRC) are headline sponsors of Growth Through People 2021.
Emily Stubbs, policy and projects manager, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said: “We are incredibly excited that the Growth Through People campaign has officially begun!
“We have a brilliant series of expert-led workshops taking place over the next four weeks, alongside a whole host of digital, thought leadership content from blogs to podcasts featuring best-practice from businesses across the region in responsible leadership, attracting and engaging talent, unlocking potential and harnessing resilience.
“The campaign will end with our second annual Growth Through People conference and we 're very much looking forward to (virtually) welcoming delegates and sharing some incredible perspectives on and practical approaches businesses have been taking to the key challenges leaders and managers are facing during these difficult times.
“I highly encourage interested readers to register their place and share the campaign with colleagues interested in boosting their leadership and people management capabilities. ”
Click here to register to virtually attend upcoming Growth Through People workshops.
Click here to register to virtually attend the Growth Through People Conference on 30 March.
There are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remaining for the Growth Through People conference.
To find out more, contact Emily at [email protected]