Blog and News

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

Being both one of a team and a supervisor brings unique challenges. Supervisors can feel burdened by conflicting pressures and it can be hard to know when to step away from 'doing' in order to focus on 'managing' and vice versa.

Dartington Crystal emerging managers receive their certificates after completing a six day management development programme endorsed by the ILM...

LinkedIn is the most powerful corporate social network for anyone in business or looking to forward their careers. Whether you're looking to generate leads, position yourself as a thought leader or simply improve your online CV, this course will help you immensely.

Our Learning Passport is increasingly becoming one of the most popular ways for our clients to plan and book their open course training - and with good reason - at 15% off the standard daily rate it makes sound financial sense [read more]

When asked this question, Thomas Edison, one of the most prolific American inventors, had the perfect response ...

People with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence, talents and other abilities are set in stone. They believe that they're born with a particular set of skills and that they can't change them - as a result, they plateau early and achieve less than their full potential in life...

Every now and then we notice a pattern - an increase in the number of clients interested in a specific programme of training - and right now, we're taking a lot of bookings for our 'Being A Leader' programme.

Many of you have asked about our 2018 course dates, so we got our skates on and put our calendar of open courses together earlier than usual.  Click here to find out what we have on offer next year...

New manager?  Finding yourself increasingly involved in managing people?  It can be a minefield, learning how make decisions and manage emotions all whilst remaining professional and being mindful of the law.  We'll provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to tackle HR issues confidently and efficiently...

Back by popular demand - we're running our 'Transform your Organisation with Appreciative Inquiry' Masterclass again in Exeter this month.  Learn techniques to reframe your language, focus on excellence (not perfection) and instigate oganisational change...

We have the experience and expertise to work with you to tailor our training to create a transformational, memorable programme of learning that will focus on getting the results you want. 

There is very often a disconnect between what we want to happen in life and what actually ends up happening.  Whilst our conscious mind might be expecting success, our unconscious mind is responding in a way that’s not conducive to success – it’s creating behaviours based on what might be our flawed, biased or pre-supposed interpretation of information - and this can have a negative effect on the outcome...

"...a team can have everything going for it - the brightest and most qualified people, access to resources, a clear mission - but still fail because it lacks group emotional intelligence..."

The GROW Network offers small businesses the opportunity to access vital business skills training, in everything from Time Management, Assertiveness and Dealing with Difficult People to People Management and Coaching Skills. With a substantial 55% off our non-membership rates, this scheme is designed to help small regional businesses grow their staff alongside their business.

The GROW Network provides leaders and employees with access to our Open Course training days at highly competitive prices. Your membership will provide you with exclusive ‘members only’ events and offers, unlimited discounted rates for additional Open Course, In-House, and ILM training and Coaching.

"We are so thrilled to have been chosen as the new Charity of the Year of Crisp Professional Development and can’t wait to get started! We rely almost entirely on the support of teams like Crisp, so without their support we couldn’t continue to be there for the families who need us the most..."

We've chosen to support Children's Hospice South West this year.  They operate the only three children's hospices in the South West.  We recently met up with Naomi Dymond from the charity who told us all about the invaluable and inspirational work her team do 24/7, 365 days of the year. 

Enjoy double savings on your 2017 training by buying our Learning Passport in the next few days.  You'll get a discount on 4 days of training anyway but also, if you buy your passport at the 2016 price, you'll benefit from 2016 course rates for your training in 2017.

The days of a leader ‘telling’ a subordinate what to do in a hierarchical structure are fading fast. As a leader, providing good coaching to your team will bring far more benefits...

Our variety of open training courses offer something for all areas of your business - whether you are looking to support managers and team leaders or improve skills in Excel or communication.  Click below to find out more...

Devon-based training provider Crisp Professional Development is to run a transformational masterclass in Plymouth next week on Thursdsay 3rd November - there is still time to grab your space...

Appreciative Inquiry, developed by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva at Case Western Reserve University in 1987 is a methodology for bringing about organisational (and human) change which seeks to identify, then amplify the positives in people and in businesses.