Background: In 2002 Halifax General Insurance (HGI) carried out a succession planning exercise with senior managers, in order to identify their readiness for progression and specific development needs.

An assessment centre process was used as part of the exercise and included the completion of verbal and numerical ability tests, together with a problem solving analysis. This was followed by a presentation and interview. Each of the 45 senior managers who took part in the assessment was given feedback and a development discussion was held to identify their needs. Across the population 3 consistent development areas were identified;

1) Strategic Development.
2) Leadership.
3) Personal Impact.
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What happened:
Q Learning were asked to design and deliver a programme to enhance the senior managers’ strategic thinking, influencing and planning skills, with a view to improving their strategic capability and have a greater influence with the General Insurance Management Board (GIMB). To support this development, members of the GIMB provided ‘live’ topics of discussion and asked the participants to present a strategy for addressing them.

The programme consists of two, 2-day modules. Module One has a focus on enhancing strategic thinking and influencing skills, using a variety tools and techniques. Module Two provides the opportunity for the participants to put their skills into practise by handling ‘live’ strategic topics.

During the programme participants learn how to;

· Create future scenarios and visions
· Be comfortable operating at a strategic level and free the mind to have space to think
· Create a strategic plan
· Create good collaboration, co-opetition (collaborating with the competition), partnerships, mergers and acquisitions.
· Understand cultures and manage change in appropriate ways.
· Create and monitor management information for early warnings.
· Use language to influence and gain buy-in.
· Create compelling messages to sell the strategy.
· Influence at executive level.

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Comments of participants:
'I learnt some very interesting and useful tools on the Strategic Development course that open the mind to really considering the longer term plans in our business area' - Grainne Power, HR Manager, Halifax Insurance Ireland.

'Provided us all with the tools and the opportunity to think differently about our approach to real strategic issues' - Peter Yarrow, Learning & Development Consultant, Halifax General Insurance.

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