Investment in management development
Between March 1997 and March 2005 CRI increased its incoming resources from £414,000 to £11.5m, with the quietest of those years showing an increase in turnover of 32 per cent. Since almost 80 per cent of resources expended relate directly to staffing costs, the financial numbers act as a suitable indicator for the increasing complexity of an organisation whose geographical spread extended from its Sussex base and carried it west into South Wales, and as far north as Stockton-on-Tees.
Public investment in the voluntary sector has made such growth patterns possible, especially in the social care and community safety fields in which CRI operates and many organisations made the journey, changing out of all recognition. But whilst every one recognised its importance, not quite so many have been investing in management development.
Since 2003, the organisation has put 70 plus managers from all levels in the organisation through an intensive six-day programme that was originally designed for 20 senior managers at the higher levels in the organisation. Since 1999, CRI has sponsored eight managers on MBA or other Masters level programmes directly relevant to the pursuit of charitable objects.
Despite the pressure and the geographical distances that separate project offices, the CRI trend has been one of improving management performance, higher outcomes, higher levels of expectations, high staff retention rates, unity amongst colleagues, and the sharing of best management practice across the organisation. This is the result of a deliberate plan to invest in sustaining and developing people and culture.
In seeking a spirited, energetic, lively response to the strains and tensions that rapid growth was about to bring, it was necessary to have available a group of managers that could get the best from their teams.
The obvious place to look for a quick solution is the labour market. There are times when this is entirely appropriate and absolutely necessary, but if sustaining and developing the existing vibrant culture is a priority, as it is in CRI, then it makes absolute sense to have available a group of ‘oven ready’ managers.
As with culture or the business model, the requirement to be able to explain the management development model is a factor that contributes toward its success. There are obvious gains for both individuals and for the organisation.
| Personal benefits | Organisational benefits |
| Grow yourself; open up your career options. | Deliver better services; increase the positive impact; chase the charitable objectives. |
| Thrill of exceeding personal expectations; going further, faster and to greater effect; empowerment. | Growth of reputation is sustained; stable growth of the organisation occurs. |
| Inspire colleagues in the team and identify the aspirants; influence the next generation of managers. | Sustain the best of the culture, move it forward and respond; stay alert, vibrant. |
| Recognised, appreciated and rewarded for personal contribution. | Succession planning and talent management is alive and well at CRI. |
| Managers know the CRI business model, and understand the concept and its requirements. | Oven ready managers achieving rapid response/immediate impact; reduce the induction/transition period reasonably required by newcomers. |
In CRI there exists a direct connection between investment in management development, the ability to continue to deliver services and the possibility of being able to grow rapidly cultural expectations, whilst safeguarding a good reputation. We are looking for performance and outcomes – this is a slavish focus on detail, not just a positive PR message for the purposes of internal or external communications.
As an organisation committed to equality of opportunity, the development programme is made accessible to all people employed as managers. To have maximum effect, however, the organisation’s investment must hold the promise of a return that:
- connects directly to the pursuit of CRI charitable objectives and benefits its service users
- explicitly connects time spent on the programme with the expectation of improved personal performance
CRI is presently seeking to take the six-day programme into an accreditation scheme for obvious reasons, and will continue to select and sponsor a necessarily smaller number of people through MBA or MA programmes.
The internal programme plus the external academic element combine to ensure that the management reserves of the organisation continue to grow. We have often encouraged people to come forward and offered the opportunity to progress rapidly. Talented people inclined and able to take the opportunity to ‘step up’ have most often succeeded, and indeed exceeded their own expectations! The converse is occasionally the case, but I view that as a necessary risk that has to be managed and a consequence of the positive effects of gently nudging if not pushing people forwards.
When we look back on the first ten years of the New Labour administration, I suspect that those organisations that were able to sustain growth and a healthy, vibrant culture will be those who worked hard to establish a high level of management reserves matched by a useful level of financial reserves. These are the organisations that will survive the ‘market place shake out’ when the inevitable slowing of public sector spending occurs.
David Royce, CRI Chief Executive
