Symbian
Recently, we got a call from our friends at specialist development consultancy, HRworkbench, who provide development solutions for leading mobile software licensing company, Symbian.
Symbian develops and licenses Symbian OS™ — the market-leading open operating system for advanced, data-enabled mobile phones known as smartphones — to the world’s leading handset manufacturers.
To give you an idea of the scale of its business, by 30 September 2007, 165 million Symbian smartphones had been sold worldwide to over 250 major network operators, over 20 million of those within the previous three months alone.
Symbian places people at the centre of its business and the management development centres designed by HRWorkbench seek to help participants not only enhance the way they communicate and people manage but also learn about themselves and how they are perceived by others.
One of the ways HR Workbench encourages this sort of self-assessment is by recording delegates doing live roleplay sessions. They are then able to watch the session back and draw their own conclusion as to what helped and what hindered the interaction.
By using live roleplay as part of the programme, Symbian and HRworkbench also give delegates the chance to put their communication skills to the test. The scenarios include managing change, peer group coaching and managing conflict. One involves two actors at loggerheads over an internal matter, requiring the delegate to mediate. By handling the dispute sensitively, they will hopefully help both parties to acknowledge eachother’s point-of-view and accept the need to reach a compromise.
The use of professional roleplayers from CentreStage adds value on many levels. First of all, it adds realism and believability to a format that may otherwise seem false and awkward. It also brings a level of consistency which allows a delegate’s progress and development needs to be measured against their colleagues’. And then there’s the understanding of the key competencies being assessed and tested. Professional roleplayers challenge without over-challenging, and use ‘hook lines’ to put key competencies to the test.
CentreStage will continue working with HRworkbench on the programme throughout the year.
HRworkbench
HRworkbench is unique in blending years of HR experience and practical market knowledge with online technology. The company uses an indepth understanding of a customer's environment to provide automated measurement and development solutions that compliment and extend existing good practice. Its platforms allow companies to concentrate on the work of performance improvement and eliminate administration hassles and end-user barriers. Find out more at www.hrworkbench.com.