News Stories: Woodside

Sundial Group puts Training top of the agenda

30 Sep 2004

Sundial Group was last week named as an East Midlands Regional Winner of the National Training Awards 2004 for a training programme designed to ensure management skills are consistent across the company, which comprises four dedicated conference venues across the UK.

The business began at Highgate House (Northampton) in 1964, and over the last ten years grew first into Barnett Hill (Surrey), then Woodside (Warwickshire).  With this expansion came many challenges, including the need to transfer management from the family’s “hands on” approach to new management teams, the creation of a new strategy for management development, and the necessity to create a learning culture for all staff.

Workshops, master classes, one-to-one coaching and ‘Teamscapes®’, Sundial’s own outdoor team-building activities, were all used by Lucy McGibbon (HR Director) and Linda Roberts (Group Training and Development Manager) to deliver the management development programme.

Said Linda: “As a large percentage of managers are appointed internally the programme is now being used to prepare potential managers with the necessary skills.

Managers have personal development plans and their training needs are reviewed every six months and they are encouraged to conduct regular team training events.  Managers have completed NVQs in management and team leadership and have also encouraged their teams to pursue other qualifications.”

One of the main outcomes of the programme has been that the family values and culture are now replicated at all four of the Group’s venues (in Bath, Surrey, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire) and, Linda adds: “The management development programme has greatly contributed to the continual success of Sundial in becoming the leader in the meeting venue industry.”