CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, Manchester, UK, 8-10 November 2011

Citation

Robinson, V. (2012), "CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, Manchester, UK, 8-10 November 2011", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 11 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr.2012.37211baa.011

CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, Manchester, UK, 8-10 November 2011

Article Type: Resources From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 11, Issue 2

Event reviews

Vanessa RobinsonHead of HR Practice Development at CIPD.

Strong business sense and strategic thinking, linked with a real appreciation of an organization’s best asset – its people – was a key theme running through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Manchester this November. The opening key note address from Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, was an open and honest insight into the trials and tribulations of Tesco’s transformation into the UK’s number one supermarket.

Sir Terry delivered a clear message that it is the people in an organization who have the power to “make it, or break it.” He went on to divulge the key ingredients to a happy, successful business – trust and confidence – which, is the theme of a major piece of CIPD research due to be launched in January 2012. Another important factor to business success, he said, is an appreciation amongst leadership teams of what employees want, which for most people is:

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  An interesting job to do.

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  To be treated with respect.

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  A chance to get on/progress.

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  A boss that helps rather than becomes the problem.

Finally, Sir Terry highlighted the need to “get as close to customers, as close to people, as you possibly can,” stating that creating a workplace culture where everyone feels welcome can have a real impact on productivity.

A focus on innovation

On day two of the conference, the key note focused on how to create a culture of innovation. Senior HR leaders from Oracle, BT Innovate and Design, IBM and The European Southern Observatory formed an interactive panel discussion which sparked debate about what “innovation” really is.

The panelists highlighted that innovation means different things to different organizations: it is not necessarily about the latest and greatest technology, and should not be confined to those in specific innovation or design roles. Rather, it is about encouraging everyone throughout the organization to be continuously thinking of ways to do things smarter and faster and, crucially, providing a channel through which new ideas can be evaluated, communicated and executed.

Jane Marsh at IBM suggested that innovative thought requires diversity in the workplace and an inclusive environment. Vance Kearney at Oracle, meanwhile, maintained that strong leadership and vision is crucial to uniting the organization and taking it forward.

Leaders with an edge

The theme of leadership continued through to the closing key note speech, by Marcus Buckingham, global management expert, business consultant and author of Standout. He gave delegates a crash course on how to identify what gives leaders that special “edge” that makes them stand out in business. He proffered that approaches to measuring leadership and management skills have become too formulaic; in the real world, each and every leader excels in different ways and they should be encouraged to sharpen their existing strengths rather than being forced to fit a predetermined profile of what “good management” looks like. He concluded that there is no perfect profile; only perfect practices that fit your profile.

For more information on CIPD’s research on the importance of trust for sustainable business performance, please contact Vanessa Robinson at: v.robinson@cipd.co.uk.