Claire Donald, financial director at Four Cladding Services, tells how the Hull University Business School programme gave her greater confidence to make leadership decisions
I joined the Help to Grow programme because I was promoted to director very recently and I was completely new to management, so I wanted to know how to take the company to the next level.
We want to remain small and keep our ethics while still growing. I needed confidence in my own abilities and to help me settle into a new leadership role.
All of the Help to Grow topics were useful to me, as I felt quite naïve to leadership. I found the HR modules particularly useful to expand my knowledge and enjoyed the finance topic, given that is my area of work within the company. It has set us challenges around looking at our values, which I have taken back to the company and the other directors. The content of Help to Grow is enjoyable and informative in just the right amounts.
The programme has supported my needs very well. I feel completely comfortable with the tutors and able to ask any questions without feeling silly, and they are always available if we need them. The content is manageable and not too in depth, given we also have busy jobs to do around the course. Learning from the rest of the group was one of the best bits, as there was plenty of information sharing about how they are trying to grow their own businesses. Whether it be the financial side of things, or experiences with a mentor but especially digitisation, which we weren’t even thinking about but now I’m excited to look at.
I would definitely recommend the Help to Grow programme, just to give yourself the confidence to lead. Even if you are already doing these things, there is always more to learn. Whether you are from a big or small company it is worthwhile.
Help to Grow has given me confidence with meeting any resistance to growth from our staff. We need to develop our employees’ capabilities and our own, which might upset people, but we cannot please everybody. I have learnt that I need to take emotions out of my decision making, which is hard because we are like a family, but we hope all staff will want to come along with us on the journey for the greater good of the company.
I have really enjoyed meeting others on the course from all walks of life. We are all from totally different businesses, with some having 10 employees and others having 200, so it has been great hearing what procedures and processes they have put in place and learning how they have grown. They are all really nice people, and we will definitely keep in touch.
- To apply and see the full programme timetable, register at execeducation.hull.ac.uk/help-to-grow-hull. Alternatively, email help-to-grow@hull.ac.uk to find out more about what the programme involves and about how the Business School can support your business to grow and innovate.
