Managers Leading The Way

4th September 2005

Business managers, owners and managers of the future are all set to benefit from a new series of development courses on offer from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE).

The extensive variety of options in CASE's Leadership and Management programme will provide businesses, both large and small, with the opportunity to enhance their skills in various activities, from managing staff and managing projects to financial management, purchasing and negotiation and legislative topics, such as employing people.

The programme was launched at Ackergill Tower, where representatives from over 30 businesses gathered to hear details of the programme and meet two of the key training providers give a taste of their seminars.

Donald MacNaughton, originally from Brora, is programme director of The Leading Edge, which is aimed at developing and honing the essential attitudes and behaviour for successful business leaders. Donald is fast emerging as one of Scotland's most exciting and trusted business coaches. At a time when more is being asked of leaders than ever before, his distinctive approach combines a rigorous educational background in business and sports psychology with an up-to-date knowledge of organisations and current leadership thinking. The GB Alpine Ski Team, the UKs biggest banks and SPL football teams are among his biggest fans.

The programme director of the series entitled Strategic Marketing for Managers - Iain Fraser - is also a Sutherland man, now based in Dornoch. His extensive experience in both business and academia give him unique insights to share with participants on his series. Iain aims to provide practical, workable solutions and an up-to-date set of tools to formulate robust strategic marketing plans.

The Leading Edge and Strategic Marketing for Managers are both four-day seminars, with attendance one day a month, while the remainder of the courses range from half-day to three-day duration.

Anne Sutherland, head of skills development at CASE, said, "It is especially good that our principal providers of management and leadership learning opportunities are home-grown in this area, and have both worked abroad and all over the UK. I know that they take particular pleasure in working in their home territory to share their experience and expertise. Providers of our other courses have considerable expertise in their own fields and have been selected to meet some of the needs identified by our regular Business Skills Survey of the Caithness and Sutherland area".

"There is an acknowledged need to develop management and leadership capability right across the UK. Not only are we faced with increasing demand for managers and leaders - an estimated 2 million new managers are needed by 2012 according to the Chartered Management Institute - but there is also a general need to develop the skills and effectiveness of our managers and leaders. This is the context for the focus on providing learning opportunities for the managers and leaders and future managers of our businesses in the Caithness and Sutherland area."

If you would like more information, or to book a place, on any of the courses, please call 0800 0328080 or visit the CASE website at hie.co.uk/case/leadership.htm for a full listing and details of all the courses, or to book on-line.