Blog and News

When it comes to procuring professional development, there are just so many decisions to be made. You may be looking for training for one person or for 50. You may want accredited training. Development for your managers or for new team members. Online or face-to-face training or e-learning. Coaching. A year-long programme of development or a single half day course.

Whether you're looking for online or face-to-face training, training for one or for a team, communication skills, management skills, Excel skills or one-to-one coaching between now and December, we have you covered.

Investing a small amount of time learning how to use Excel properly, from sums, to charts, to pivot tables, will make you more efficient in the workplace and free up more time for other parts of your role.

According to their research, going outside for walks was one of our top coping strategies during the pandemic, with 45% of us reporting that being in green spaces had been vital for our mental health.

Do you ever hear yourself saying, ‘I wish there were more hours in the day’ or, ‘I don’t have enough time to fit everything in’? These are common questions people often ask themselves when faced with the daily grind. Unfortunately, we cannot create more time but there’s a number of ways to help save it, which is why we’ve listed 4 tips below to help you manage your time better.

When spending such a large proportion of time at work, it’s important for people to feel both valued and motivated. Even just the smallest changes in the workplace can help cultivate a more positive workplace, which is why we’ve rounded up 4 tips to get you started.

Are you looking for online courses for yourself or a team member? Did you know you can access our online sessions for just £99 + VAT, with our credit plan? 

It's been another busy week here at Crisp with our coaches delivering training from their homes to those of our clients. How things have changed!

Could now, during lockdown, be the perfect time to focus on your professional development?

To provide our clients with peace of mind and give as many of you as possible the chance to catch up with your development, we've made the decision to run all our January and February courses online

We'd love you to join us online on Friday 27th November 2020, as we celebrate our 30 year anniversary with a live virtual conference ...

With many delegates now re-booked for open courses that were postponed earlier in the year, coupled with our smaller group sizes, most of our September and October open courses are now nearly full.

For the first time, we'll be scheduling virtual open courses alongside our face-to-face training, giving you more choice, greater peace of mind and increased flexibility when placing bookings ...

For the safety of all of our clients and staff, we have put in some additional measures and adjustments for all events held at Compton House.

'Planning for Post Lockdown - Reintegrating the Team' is one of our new, virtual courses that address some of the most common challenges facing managers as they support their teams in adjusting to the next 'normal'.

Whether you are currently working from the office, working from home, or furloughed, you and your team can all access our virtual learning - it will accommodate everyone

We recently launched a series of half-day, virtual training sessions that focus on areas that will best support you and your team in the various work scenarios many of us find ourselves in right now. Here are the answers to some of your questions...

... for those who have less work activity at the moment, or who are furloughed, now could be the perfect opportunity to devote some time to learning

Let's stay focused, let's keep learning, keep showing kindness, help out where we can and recognise the myriad of little positives each day that we may have taken for granted before all of 'this' happened.

This week we’re running a series of FREE 30 minute virtual learning sessions to allow you to immerse yourself in the digital delegate experience. Read on to find out more and register your interest... 

If virtual learning is something you've considered for yourself or for a team that are working from home right now, jump on one of our free 'drop-in' sessions next week.

Due to increased demand, we've just added a new date for our most popular management course, Introduction to People Management. It's taking place on 23rd & 24th April, here in Exeter.

Being a middle manager can be such a challenge, requiring a particular and varied set of skills. In terms of professional development, it's a role that should be overlooked at your peril!

There was a discernable increase in enquiries and delivery across 10 particular development areas in 2020.  Here's what they were ...

... and a Happy New Year! Click below to find out about our office closure over the festive season.

As Chrismas is fast approaching, we'd like to offer you a gift - in fact not just one gift, but 15 days of gifts! Each week day for the next 3 weeks, we'll give you the chance to take advantage of a big discount off one area of professional development from our training portfolio.

Download a digital version of our two-page 2020 calendar for quick and easy access whenever you need it.  Click any course title within the document for a full description, as well as details of who each course is suitable for and all available upcoming dates.

Attracting (and retaining) the best talent is a challenge - I hear this all the time in conversations with clients and prospects. I also experience it with my own business. However over the last 12 months, more and more business owners and recruiters have also been commenting that when they have vacancies to fill, the quantity and quality of candidates available to choose from has diminished.

Dan Brenchley, Exeter Response Sergeant for Devon and Cornwall Police has spent the past 18 months studying for an ILM qualification with us...

Taking advantage of the training opportunities we have access to here at Crisp, Alex Pugh, our Client Relationship Manager embarked on an ILM qualification in April this year ...

Crisp Professional Development has become the 490th South West business to sign the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging its support for Veterans, Reservists, Cadets and the wider Armed Forces community.  We're celebrating the signing with an offer [read more] ...

If any of your colleagues were suffering from a mental health condition, are you confident you would recognise it? Know when and how to approach them about it? Know how to provide appropriate support?

We've been receiving an increase in the number of ILM enquiries and bookings.  More and more organisations are choosing to offer their team the chance to study for an internationally recognised qualification.

As we understand more and more about what it takes to be a good leader, we are recognising that the golden thread running through the various qualities, skills and competencies is 'courage'.

Most people can find 5-10% capacity in their working week. Using simple maths, on a 40 hour week, that’s 2.5 to 4 hours a week. That’s a half a day. Every week. But most people don’t... and the reason is motivation.

We deliver regular Open Course training on Excel at three different levels, as well as frequently taking it into companies and delivering it to whole teams.  Click to find out more...

If you saw our recent newsletter, you'll know that we were discussing using the (often) quieter summer months to reflect, adjust and plan ahead. This can apply to both career and personal development goals. To assist with the 'planning' phase, please find below a full list of the Exeter, Bristol and Yeovil professional development courses we have coming up

If you're enjoying a less pressured work schedule over the summer, or you find yourself on holiday with time to reflect on your current situation, you may well identify areas where you'd like to make changes. But how do you adjust and what is going to help you take the next steps?

If there are more than 50 employees in your organisation, you're probably aware that they have the right to request the set up of a process or forum that informs or consults them about issues concerning the organisation, also known as an Employee Forum...

Have you ever attended a training event that has transformed the way you think, feel or behave?  Here at Crisp, that's what we aim to do.  100% of the time.

Are you looking to upskill your team over the summer?

Here are some of our Exeter Open Courses that still have spaces ...

'Compassionate Leadership' is being embraced by an ever increasing number and range of business sectors, with leading organisations increasingly recognising the 3-way benefits of compassion - to the individual, the organisation and the team.

Beyond our extensive Open Course training events which you probably already know about (more here), our trainers and coaches spend a large chunk of their time travelling around the UK delivering in-company training.

If you tell someone how to do something and it works - congratulations! But if your advice doesn't work, then the person you've told can pass responsibility right back to you.

The large majority of our clients purchase their Open Course training with a 'Classic' Learning Passport, simply because it provides flexibility and excellent value for money and we've just gone one better with our 'Premium' Learning Passport!

If the last 35 years are anything to go by, the future of the workplace could change beyond all recognition. The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation will arguably be the driving forces, it's starting to revolutionise the way we shop, work, learn and play.

We're delighted to be bringing a selection of our most successful one day Open Courses to a fantastic venue in Bristol later this year.  Kicking off in July, our experienced team of trainers and coaches will be delivering courses on essential Business Skills, HR and Management Training.

As an employer, it makes sense to ensure that your workforce is healthy, focused and motivated, yet knowing how to provide appropriate support for colleagues with mental health problems can be difficult.

One of the biggest advantages of having time away from the office was that, free from the distractions of our phones, inboxes and our to-do lists, we were able to step back from the detail to focus on the bigger picture, namely our team, our values and our strategy for the future.

In an ever more uncertain and volatile world, it is essential to equip your managers so that they are more resilient, more confident and more steadfast.

The effectiveness of an Employee Forum meeting is almost wholly dependent on the skills of just a small, select group of people within your organisation, so it's essential to get the recruitment right, the roles and responsibilities clear and the skills in place.

Some exciting news for the coaches in your team!  We’re pleased to announce that Crisp Professional Development are now offering the above certificate as part of our qualification portfolio.

Here's a taster of what's coming up in March... and how to save 17% by booking your training with a Learning Passport.

Are you looking to upskill your team in 2019?  Here are the Open Course development opportunities we have coming up early next year.

There's never been a better time to save on your 2019 training.  Right now you can lock your 2019 training in at 2018 rates...

Having a motivated and engaged team is the single biggest factor to impact performance, so it's essential to get it right. Unsurprisingly, team climate is directly influenced by the leader's style and behaviour. 

We want to make it easier for more of you across the South West to access our training, so starting next month, we're going to be delivering further afield ... starting with Yeovil.

As summer draws to a close, we hope that you have had the chance to take time out of work to relax and reflect.

Thanks to our excellent team of trainers and coaches who, over the years, have built up a huge vault of business knowledge and experience between them, we're able to be very flexible in terms of the solutions we can offer you with regard to your training requirement.

Feedback we receive from our clients time and time again proves to us that for many people, nothing beats getting away from the office and going to a learning environment where a highly experienced trainer will provide the structure, pace and knowledge needed in order to provide a solid understanding of the subject within the allocated timeframe.

Without change, businesses can not remain progressive, competitive or even viable - but how do you communicate change in a way which brings your people along with you?

Be wary of falling into the trap of thinking that you don't have the time to delegate and that it's just quicker to do it yourself ...

Being a small company has its advantages.  We're able to - and regularly do - quickly respond to demand for training courses.

Want to save money on your open course training? A Learning Passport gives you 17% off each day of open course training...

Last night we enjoyed a glitzy night out at the Great Hall, having been nomimated as a finalist in the Education category at the Exeter Living Awards...

Huge congratulations to Roselle for committing to her own personal development and completing her ILM Level 5 qualification!

Due to popular demand, we've just scheduled NEW dates for Supervision Skills, Presentation Skills and our 2 Day Introduction to People Management courses.

If you've ever considered moving towards a continuous performance management system, join us for this Masterclass and let's look at the benefits...

Looking for personal development opportunities for yourself or for members of your team next month? Here are three great one day open courses to consider.

If our last newsletter is anything to go by, it's clear that a large number of you are looking at ways to enable your more senior colleagues to become effective leaders.

Studies over the past few years have revealed that having the right leadership talent in place is one of the key things keeping CEO's awake at night...

The GROW Network is our way of helping those owning and working in small businesses to acquire vital business skills.

Now that we're settling into 2018, you may be wondering how best to train and develop your team this year...

As it's the season of goodwill, we'd like to offer you a little something for Christmas...

"The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay" Henry Ford