CMI Highlights – 25 January 2023

Dear all,

Happy New Year to those of you celebrating Lunar New Year this week! All of us at CMI are excited to continue supporting the CMI community throughout 2023.

CMI data reported in HR Review shows that 71% of managers are seeing signs of stress and anxiety in their workplace, fuelled by external issues such as the cost of living crisis. Responding to this worrying data, CMI’s CEO Ann Francke talked about the options available to managers in The Times. We also approached the UK’s leading mental health platform, Kooth, for expert tips to help you and your team feel more in control. Earlier this year we also released these eight practical tips.

Closing the skills gap

In a Westminster Hall debate in January on skills and labour shortages, Patricia Gibson MP thanked CMI for our contribution and referenced data from our November Managers Voice poll. This found that 71% of managers’ organisations were experiencing ongoing difficulties in recruiting skilled staff.

One piece of the puzzle is equipping graduates with the right skillset to succeed in the workplace. CMI data, referenced last week by Forbes, found that only one in five UK employers believe that graduates enter the world of work with the right skills. That’s why all CMI courses are designed to equip learners with skills that employers have told us they want (find the list here).

Apprenticeships are another integral component to addressing skills shortages. Join us on 9 February, live from County Hall, for National Apprenticeship Week to celebrate all that apprenticeships have to offer. You’ll hear from high-profile special guests, including Dame Sharon White DBE CMgr CCMI, chair of John Lewis Partnership. For more details, keep an eye out on our social media channels and this dedicated webpage. Hope to see you there!

Boosting your skills

As a remote culture further embeds itself in the employment landscape, one of the biggest issues facing managers will be how to foster culture, connection and collaboration amid a distributed workforce; it’s harder to forge relationships and show empathy over a screen.

At CMI we’re working hard to get you the insights you need to confidently lead your teams in this increasingly digital world. This week:

• Hear from award-winning author and CMI Management Book of the Year shortlister Elizabeth Uvibenené, exploring how to bring a sense of community to employees in our disconnected hybrid world. 
• Explore how some organisations are looking to virtual workspaces to tackle this – is it a trend worth following?
• Learn how to approach performance reviews and appraisals effectively when you have to do them remotely.

Also take a closer look at leadership style, with a light-hearted take on the management mistakes from Sauron that led to Mordor’s downfall – as well as the power of a light-hearted leadership style to boost your team’s performance. 

Plus, check out Management Minutes, a new, fortnightly series of short-form videos exploring key principles of management with Professor Ajantha Dharmasiri CMgr FCMI, president of CMI Sri Lanka. The next video will be available on 2 February.

Finally, are you making the most of all the resources that CMI has to offer – from the skills diagnostic tool to events, short e-courses, member magazine and skills refreshers courses? If not, why not join our monthly Maximise your Membership events to find out more.

Kind regards,

Ian