Self development benefits
Odette works as Project Manager with the Performance Inspection Team at the British Transport Police (BTP) HQ. This involves conducting internal inspections and assessments, gathering evidence and facilitating external inspections, as well as internal consultancy.
She found that undertaking the CMI's Diploma in Management qualification has made her much more confident in her own abilities, more professional in her core role and more proactive in her approach to internal consultancy work. Odette implemented the new skills she developed during the qualification through practical learning exercises giving her an opportunity to take on more challenging roles or tasks.
These included giving a presentation at a workshop to encourage female staff and officers to become managers. Her interest in diversity was increased by working on these exercises and she has since taken on a committee role in a minority support group, as well as mentoring an ethnic minority undergraduate. This raised her personal profile and resulted in invitations to give further presentations. As the first member of police staff within the BTP to pass this Diploma, she has become a strong role model for others in the organisation, encouraging them to consider taking on the study and giving advice on action planning.
For her work-based project, Odette developed a plan to make better use of consultation techniques and improve decision making. She learned that while people wanted to be consulted, time was an issue, so she needed to develop alternative ways and means to this. “In essence”, she says, “there is a need to apply different techniques to different people. This is not something you can appreciate easily from only theoretical learning.”
CMI Qualifications and BTP
The Chartered Management Institute’s qualifications appealed to Odette because they provide external validation for meeting challenging industry standards and lend an extra level of quality assurance and credibilty. This gives assurance to stakeholders that managers within the police service are as effective and efficient as those in the private sector. The mix of learning methods – workbooks to read at your own pace, work-based learning, and activity workshops to consolidate learning, also appealed.
Odette describes the BTP mission as to work in partnership with others to help build a safe railway environment that is free from disruption and fear of crime. Ensuring that staff are sufficiently well-trained and supported to enable delivery of the highest possible levels of service quality contributes to BTP’s mission.
For her, the Core Leadership and Development Programme alongside the Institute's Diploma in Management contributed strongly to this training requirement.
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