Graduate Development: making an impact

We all know that great feeling we get when something really ‘clicks’. A good job finished before the deadline; the big deal closed where everyone’s smiling. If you’re managing a team then you know how motivating that kind of experience can be - so why not harness the power of the positive impact and use it to develop your team members? One of the most successful elements of HPD’s Graduate Development programme is all about making that impact. People beginning their careers are full of potential, but may not have had much experience of putting theory into practice. Through our uniquely enjoyable way of learning they discover for themselves the importance of making the right impact on the right people at the right time.

Using the impact in the right way
It’s important for everyone to understand how what they say and do has an impact on other people - upwards, downwards and with peers. Getting it right is rewarding, but takes some effort and thought - and that’s where HPD comes in. Graduates on our programme are invited to take a bit of time to consider themselves and identify their real strengths and weakness: and crucially the bits in the middle.

Our programme shows graduates how to work with their strengths, and use the team to support them with their weaknesses. But there’s something extra - those ‘middle bits’ are key. We call these bits one-percenters, because if a delegate improves their performance by just one percent it has a noticeable impact on their life, both in work and play.

Emotional intelligence
Building relationships with others around you is just as important at work as it is in the wider world - but it’s surprising how easy it is to overlook this. Graduates on our programme discover how to build strong and effective business relationships by becoming more self-aware and more aware of the needs of others. Your team will benefit from members who understand the importance of connecting with other people, especially those who have a different approach to life. Delegates understand the role they play within a team – not just the skills they bring but their preferred ways of working and behavioural strengths.

There are different ways to do this, and using our psychometric profiling tools such as Insights Discovery or The Strength Deployment Inventory works well. These really help graduate delegates increase understanding of themselves and others, and show them how to adapt and connect effectively.

Pushing the boundaries
A Chinese proverb says “A peasant must sit a long time with his mouth open before a roast duck flies in”.  Graduates on our programme discover why there’s no point expecting things to drop into their lap - as more often than not they won’t. Your team will benefit from members who recognise the importance of going out to find what they want, and who understand what they have to do to achieve it.

Most of us would like to be better at what we do. A large part of this is taking responsibility - thinking about the things in our lives that aren't as good as they could be and doing something about them. Our experiential training methodology is a powerful tool to address this.

So ask yourself, could the graduates on your team benefit from some training that focuses on how they can make that positive impact? HPD will give them real experiences and knowledge to use to bring success for themselves, for your team, and for your business.