Blog and News

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.

Your manager has been delegating more tasks to you that are not in your job description. She is giving you some of her work to do. Then, after three months, she calls you into her office and announces she is leaving for pastures new. You are being promoted. What next?

You’re a salesperson, an engineer, a software developer or an accountant.  You are good at your job.  You’ve just been promoted.  A salary bump, a new title and now a small team of people to manage.  Congratulations, you’re a team leader!

We can all remember a time when we have sat through a bad presentation which left us feeling as confused about the topic as when we had first sat down.

Having good relationships with your staff is essential for building a successful business.  Coaching and Mentoring are a key part of this in that they allow for investment in individuals, helping them to excel in their role and work more effectively as part of a team.

On Thursday evening we invited friends and clients to help us celebrate the opening of our new premises.  Our new space boasts a large, bright training space and a colourful reception and break-out area, as well as a dedicated coaching room.

To say that 'Leadership Development' is a crowded field would be a gross under-statement. The noise around leadership theory is considerable; from heroic figures to servant leadership, theories, lessons and examples abound in the training field to help develop ‘leaders’.

We've just moved!  If you'd like to come along and see our new offices and training space, we'd love to show you around at our Open Evening on Thursday 23rd June.  Click below for more details...

As a business we are ‘on the move’. This blog started life as a simple announcement of our change of address (more on this over the coming weeks). Then I got to thinking about all the ways that our business is moving. Here are a few...

In today’s busy world, it is not always easy to devote enough time to recruitment activities, however, choosing the wrong candidate can cost a business thousands of pounds in money, time and lost productivity. 

Too often I hear organisations saying how the customer is everything to them but then find that the real experience is several light years away from what any discerning customer would value

Coaching and Mentoring are being used more widely than ever before as a means of enhancing individual, team and organisational performance - and with great results

Crisp Professional Development’s Managing Director Shaun Durham has been shortlisted for a prestigious business award.

The Exeter Business Awards, organised by the region’s Express and Echo newspaper, recognises outstanding business achievements in Exeter and the local area.

Today, project management is no longer limited to civil engineers and military logistics, it’s essential for any professional organization.

Crisp Professional Development have presented their 2015 Charity of the Year, Exeter Deaf Academy, with a cheque for £1500.

The donation comes from a percentage of their open course sales throughout the year. The cheque was presented in front of students, at the Monday morning school assembly.

The idea of working for the same employer year after year is dead.  Whether we may like to think of ourselves as indispensable, no one is and all employers are constantly reviewing which staff are core and which are, well, surplus to requirements...read more from Crisp Non-Executive Director, Chris Lorimer

Following a management buyout at Foot Shop Ltd, the Directors recognised the need to enhance and refresh skills within the business.  Crisp Professional Development put together a tailored learning and development program aimed at addressing these three areas.  Read on to find out how it went...

On 25th November we invited guests to join us to help celebrate our 25th Anniversary at our offices on Exeter Business Park, marking the occasion with canapés, drinks and a celebratory cake. 

A P3 reveals a person's natural tendencies, communication styles, emotional intelligence, motivational needs, decision-making abilities, energy levels and more ...

Attend one of our Open Courses to find out if our training is the right fit for your organisation. 

If you then go on to book the course as an In-House option for your team, we'll reimburse you for the Open Course. 

Whether intended or not, we are often all guilty of being too relaxed with letting the cat out the bag.  Recognising that there could be unintended outcomes from broadcasting beyond the intended audience, could help keep you out of trouble...

If you're interested in ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management) recognised courses, we can now offer you 2.  Select 4 courses from our CPD Essentials Programme or 4 courses from our Effective Team Leadership Programme to kickstart your business training over the next 12 months

It’s a common part of many workplace roles, yet something few of us have received any training for. Project management is one of those tasks that can undo us in an instant if it goes wrong, so it pays to ensure that anyone tasked with the responsibility of managing a small to medium sized business knows what to expect and how to handle it efficiently and with a calm head.

L-3 Communications are one of the top ten defense contractors in the world working with the US government and leading corporations across the globe.  We asked Nick Jones, HR Director and Ethics Officer, to describe his experience when he partnered with Crisp Professional Development on a recent Senior Management Team Development Programme.

Supervisions skills are the tools and behaviours that should be adopted by first line managers, or team leaders, at the point at which they take on their first managerial role. It is the transition from managing self to managing others.

The Exeter Deaf Academy has a momentous plan to build a vibrant space for Deaf and hearing people to come together in the heart of a new community...

The Advanced Management Programme provides a roadmap (the knowledge and the tools) for you to become an inspiring, motivating, highly successful coach to your team and to creating a powerful, supportive, stress-free environment for yourself and your team members to thrive in.

“Great leaders do not become great by continuing to do the same things that made them successful earlier in their career.”

Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education is delighted to announce that Crisp Professional Development have chosen the Deaf Academy New Build Appeal as their Charity of the Year for 2015.

“What’s the smallest thing I can do that will make the biggest difference?”

Lloyd & Whyte is a specialist provider of insurance and financial services to professional affinity groups and their members. Since 2012, they have engaged with Crisp Professional Development to deliver a range of training and coaching services across the business

2015 marks our 25th Anniversary of trading. In 1990 we were part of a group of companies, provided only open courses and operated out of shared offices in Queen Street, Exeter. Since that time we’ve expanded to offer psychometrics, coaching, leadership development and in-house training. In the last three years we’ve changed ownership, re-branded, launched an outsourced training department and moved into new offices

We use a tool called EQI2.0 to measure emotional intelligence. It’s a scientifically valid online questionnaire that’s been accessed by over 100,000 people; its creator was one of the early proponents of emotional intelligence.

Creating the right environment is crucial. We craft ‘safe’ places for learning and by doing so hope that emerging leaders can create similar environments when they return to the work place.

Welcome to our new website! We have updated the search and course directory functionality so that you can search for all our courses, and not just those on our open programme.

A short video on the emotional intelligence competency of flexibility

“The EQi coaching sessions with Shaun have been thought provoking, honest and insightful. The walks on the beach have been inspiring. I have learnt a lot about myself and the impact I have in my role. Working with my team and in the context of EQi has been a very positive experience, the journey will continue!"

How do you become, an emotionally intelligent leader?

Leadership is a mindset; a combination of learned behaviours, that become intuitive over time. It''s not a function of job title. When I''ve asked people what they admire about their leaders, they respond with words such as integrity, vision and listening.