Over 15 development sessions have been held for senior management since Leadership Development Gold Standard training was launched last November.

Following on from the Employee Engagement Survey and last year's Audit Scotland Report, Organisational Development (OD) devised training to cement the new Council values - Responsive, Innovative, Trusted and Ambitious (RITA).

Five key areas were targeted, and over the past 12 months Service Managers and Chief Officers were asked to attend one half-day workshop on each theme. Gold Standard action plans were then issued to those in attendance.

The areas covered by the training and examples of their Gold Standard aims are:

• Change – The seminar focused on inspirational talks from speakers on the subject of change, with the Gold Standard looking for management to utilise the Change Agent Network and involve and seek commitment from their wider team.
• Communication – The workshop looked at the findings of the Communications Working Group and asked attendees to think about how communications could be improved for all employees. The Gold Standard requires management to implement a team/division communications strategy to keep staff up-to-date with developments and relevant news.
• Leadership & Vision – Using a TED talk on leadership as a talking point, the seminar challenged attendees to think how they could embed RITA in their work. The associated Gold Standard requires back-to-the-floor visits and attendance at Leadership Forums.
• Recognition – Training in the form of a vlog with supporting research will shortly be launched, with the Gold Standard highlighting the need for 1:1s, to review flexible working arrangements and staff work/life balance as well as provide thanks to staff face-to-face.
• Skills Development – At the workshop, speakers encouraged attendees to think about their responsibilities in relation to risk management, capital financial planning and personal development. Although a Gold Standard was not produced, participants were given a list of actions to work through.

Doug Maden, Senior Organisational Development Adviser, Organisational Development said: "If we want to be Responsive, Innovative, Trusted and Ambitious (RITA), and make the Council Fit for the Future, we need to take that seriously. To do that, we need to keep listening to our staff and benchmark where we currently are with each value. What the training aims to do is help people really think about how they can embrace and embed RITA not only in their interactions with staff, but how they transform service delivery."

Leadership Development Gold Standard Training is part of the Council of the Future’s Fit for the Future project.