Scott Alexander: Learning Record 2014
* 25 March: Invest NI Leadership Conference with Padraig Canavan, Mary Spillane, and Sir Tim Smit.
Key Lessons: 1. Mary Spillane pointed out that your 'brand' - personal or organisational - is well encapsulated in the phrase 'what people say about you when you're not in the room'. So think about that - what would you like them to be saying about you when you're not in the room? Are you happy with it? Could it be improved? How might you find out?
2. Padraig Canavan said the best way to lead is to give key targets and let individuals and teams achieve those aims in their way - creating teams to deal with big problems or targets results in great ideas being generated. His firm achieved their biggest sales this way and broke into really difficult markets by releasing the energy and ideas of others without much management interference. Get the right people and let them work things out.
3. Sir Tim Smit proved that swearing is funny. He also showed that there are many exceptions to rules but that luck - serendipity - has a lot to do with success. He got away with things but I wouldn't advocate telling huge lies as a business mantra. His luck could have been bad and he's ridden it a few times. I doubt he'll be prepared to risk everything in his next venture.
* 5 March: “Coaching in the New Normal”
A masterclass by Oliver Johnston, Director, Penna. Organised via the Association for
Coaching in Ireland.
Key Lessons: VUCA applies to business life (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous),
so planning long term is pointless. Individuals need resilience to cope with
these uncertain times, which will continue from now as normal, due to big
technology changes, demographic changes, climactic change and energy changes.
Scott Alexander: Learning Record 2013
* 12/12/13: TUPE Update with Dr John McMullen, Wrigleys solicitors LLP, Adam Brett, Jones Cassidy
Brett and Roger Watts, C&J Black.
Key Lessons: SPC Regulations to stay, TUPE changes to apply in GB from Jan 2014
* 5/12/13: Transfer Regulations in Ireland Update with Dr John McMullen, Wrigleys solicitors LLP and Breda O’Malley, Partner,
Hayes Solicitors.
Key Lessons: Problems associated with Suzen case continue to apply in ROI and EU,
except UK.
* 2 /8/13: LRA Conference: International Perspectives on Employment Relations with Scot Beckenbaugh, Dep Director, Federal Mediation & Conciliation
Service USA; Kirsty McManus, CBI; Eugene McGlone, NIC-ICTU; Peter Harwood,
Acas; Panel from Australia, Canada, NZ, NI, ROI, RSA, GB, USA.
Key Lessons: ADR structures and services differ greatly between countries. USA is
built on collective agreements and breaches of same, with large penalties for
non-compliance; Canada has enormous mix of options, depending on the Province;
RSA focus is on arbitration and compulsory ADR for collective issues; Oz focus
on compulsory ADR but moving towards voluntarist system; NI, ROI and GB
undergoing reviews and focus on early resolution but possible compulsory
referral but not to actively taking part in ADR.
* 25/6/13: Common issues facing the examination of Experts in the courts with Hon. Justice Weatherup and panel of barristers from the Academy of
Experts. Organised by Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Key Lessons: ‘Hot tubbing’ - concurrent evidence given by independent experts is
increasingly used by courts. There is an E&W but not in NI, although it has
been used here with Counsels’ agreement.
Scott Alexander: Learning Record 2010
* 6-10 Dec short sessions throughout week. Legal-Island Training Centre. Legal-Island Training Week (Legal-Island holds two staff training weeks every year).
Trainers: Linzi Conway, KTS Consultants and Ciara Fulton, Tughans
Most of the events I attended were internal development meetings about our 2011 plans. Other staff members enjoyed external trainers JJ Lynch and Elaine McCann. I attended Linzi Conway’s group and team building session. She was excellent, from the voice exercises to the lost at sea challenge. We really should plan more! And some should listen to their team mates. Ciara’s session to the HR network that week was another excellent session on varying contractual terms. The questions just kept on coming from a very participative group.
* 30 Nov all day. Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin. Legal-Island Annual Review of Employment Law 2010
Multi Speaker event
Chaired event. Really enjoyed it, despite the awful weather that kept 30% of the delegates away. Audience much more participative and Ger Connolly from MOP was very funny and very good. Always take port tunnel toll when snow hits south Dublin!
* 23 Nov all day. Ramada Hotel Belfast. Legal-Island Annual Review of Employment Law 2010
Multi Speaker event
Chaired event. Didn’t enjoy it much. The hall felt ‘flat’ and, although most delegates enjoyed it, few of the speakers seemed as engaged as they did last time. Very few questions asked – audience just didn’t seem to participate much. Will have discussion on this internally.
* 18 Nov all day. Radisson Blu, Dublin Airport. Legal-Island Annual Review of Employment Law 2010
Multi Speaker event
Attended main hall sessions. Great day on Irish employment law developments. Eilis Barry BL was very funny. Few others could get away with her comments!
* 10 Nov all day. Culloden Hotel, Hollywood. Legal-Island Annual Review of Employment Law 2010
Multi Speaker event
Chaired event. Great atmosphere. Dr Tony McGleenan was outstanding, although all of the speakers were impressive.
* 4 Nov 1 Day. Red Cow Moran Hotel Dublin. Legal-Island Annual Review of Employment Law 2010
Multi Speaker event
I looked after parallel sessions. Julia Rowan was particularly impressive. Also liked her sister Sophie’s use of positive statements as an ice breaker training aid.
* 2 Nov & 1 Dec 2x half days. Cullybackey High School. YENI
First two volunteering placements. Great fun. The students were all around 14 years of age. First session looked at personal finances and which incomes go with various jobs. All the kids ended up in debt due to their outlandish materialistic wants! The second session involved the students creating a board game they could sell. I got to choose the winner in a Dragons’ Den-style challenge. It went to a shopping game but was run close by a game called ‘detour’, where kids got sent to detention if they landed on a teacher.
* 21 October one day. Dublin Castle. Equality Authority’s 10th anniversary conference
Multi speaker event
Very little of relevance to employment. Noticeable how the ECNI has more powers that its ROI counterpart. Equality law seems much more developed in NI and the Irish spending cuts have severely hampered the EA’s chances of driving the agenda forward. Very decent organisation
* 20 October half day. Westbury Hotel Dublin. Transfer Regulations in Ireland: Legal-Island in association with Hayes and Short Richardson Forth
Speakers: Dr John McMullen, Breda O’Malley & David Phelan, Hayes
TUPE equivalent in Ireland. Not very different, given the European history of the acquired rights directive. Speakers very good. Much more responsive audience, though.
* 12 October half day. Hilton Hotel Belfast. TUPE Update: Legal-Island, in association with McGrigors and C&J Black
Speakers: Dr John McMullen (SRF), Adam Brett (McGrigors), Roger Watts (C&J Black)
Great update on TUPE developments for experienced practitioners from three first-class presenters. John McMullen is Mr TUPE, having written the leading book on the matter. Insolvency and service provision changes are the big growth areas.
* 23 September 1 Day. Stormont Hotel, Belfast. Employee Relations in the Next Decade: Labour Relations Agency
Multi speaker event
John Taylor from Acas was the pick of the bunch. I wish they’d put him on first – we might have had more relevant presentations that ran to timetable.
* 7 September 1 hour. Firmus Energy. Legal-Island HR Network presentation
Speaker: Harry Harpur, The Loop Training
A session entitled ‘Change & You’ from Harry ‘The Loop’ Harpur. Very funny use of driving skills development to highlight how we need to continue to challenge ourselves in order to develop.
* 27 August half day. Antrim Forum. Legal-Island v Abacus Recruitment
A sporting competition, where Legal-Island gubbed Abacus at table tennis, badminton and rounders and let them win at hockey. Good team building fun with a similar-sized organisation.
* 4 August 2 Hours. Legal-Island Training Centre. Young Enterprise NI
Speakers: Laura Kerr and others, YENI
YENI representatives set out the functions and activities involved in volunteering in schools. I signed up to help on enterprise programmes at Cullybackey High School once my police clearance came through
* 28 June – 1 July & 6-9 July / 8 Days. Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick. Certified Mediation Skills Programme. Workshop
Trainer: Gerry Rooney, Polaris HR
Great course. Felt like ‘death by role play’ at times but it challenged every one of us and you could see improvement in all the trainee mediators as time progressed. We followed a facilitative system but drew on other types of mediation where appropriate. The 8 days out of 10 was intense and left all of us very tired but it got the training out of the way (provided I pass the accreditation process).
* 25 June / ½ day. Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast. Implications of GB Equality Act for NI. Workshop organised by NICEM
Speakers: Barry Fitzpatrick, NICEM, and Declan O’Dempsey BL of Cloisters
A practical exploration of the Equality Act, led by NICEM’s Deputy Director Barry Fitzpatrick and Declan O’Dempsey BL, who was the barrister in the Heyday and Azmi cases, amongst many others.
Most of the Act comes into force in October, including perception and association in discrimination (‘Bernard Manning’ cases covered again); hybrid claims; reversal of Malcolm; ‘protected characteristics’ to cover all categories; duty not to discriminate or harass in performance of public functions across all grounds (some exclusions for GFS). Some changes arise from EU legislation or case law (e.g. Coleman and associative discrimination). The DDA applies in NI – discussion on how to progress issues in NI without explicit legislative changes. Several anomalies between specific discrimination jurisdictions noted. Discussion on how to progress equality agenda in NI.
* 21 May: Expanding Equality Protection in Goods and Services: an Irish and EU Perspective; Equality Authority Conference; Royal College of Physicians of Ireland: Dublin
Speakers: Mary White TD, Minister of State; Prof Mark Bell, University of Leicester; Geraldine Hynes, solicitor, Equality Authority; Garrett O’Neill, solicitor, Equality Authority; Carol Ann Woulfe, solicitor, Equality Authority; Dr Tony McGleenan BL; Lilla Farkas, Migration Policy Group; Colm O’Cinneide, University College London.
The sound system was not working very well in this venue, although two speakers – Geraldine Hines and Tony McGleenan came across well. The Minister is very enthusiastic about her brief and is keen to extend the equality agenda throughout Irish society.
* 20 May: Employment Law in the Public Sector; Legal-Island Seminar;
Speakers: Terence McCrann, Mary Kelleher, Deirdre Mulligan, McCann FitzGerald; and Conor Power BL.
Employment rights in the public sector in ROI are very different to those in NI and there have historically been national agreements that apply. Until recently, most of what we might term civil servants were excluded from unfair dismissal legislation but had security of tenure and only ministers could dismiss them. That situation still applies to principal officers and above. The state sector has had a moratorium applied to all recruitment (with minor exceptions) since March 2009 and many have faced pay cuts because the law allows the state to reduce salaries. Many of the speakers and the audience considered things are stretched to breaking point. It is something we should brace ourselves to face in the UK, now that the coalition government has sign-posted cuts and a freeze on recruitment.
A number of state organisations have tried to get around the moratorium by engaging ‘consultants’ to do jobs in vacant posts but this is unlikely to continue for long – the government is wise to the attempt to circumvent spending cuts.
We had many interesting discussions in relation to fixed term contracts and the continued use of waiver clauses in Ireland.
* 30 March; Pareda and Stringer – your questions answered; Legal-Island Breakfast Seminar; Legal-Island Training Centre
Speaker: Ciara Dooris, Partner, Tughans
What can you say about Ciara? So insightful, her annual review paper was quoted in tribunals and we were asked to provide copies for all full time industrial tribunal chairmen. Four months on and the tribunal decisions from GB back up her position last November: the Working Time Regulations might not have had their wording changed but the law has changed and courts are giving a purposive reading to the Pareda/Stringer decisions. Employers must change their procedures and practices or face losing at tribunal – and claims can be made going back six years because failure to pay unused holidays due to sickness absence is being viewed as an unlawful deduction from wages.
* 25 & 26 March; High Impact Presentations; Dale Carnegie Training, Bewley’s Hotel, Leopardstown, Dublin
Trainers: Barbara Moynihan & D’Arcey Jackson
Fantastic course – very challenging, even for someone like me who gives presentations for a living. You could see all of us improving as performers, no matter where we started off from. Great experiential exercises throughout, all filmed, with one-to-one feedback in separate room. Terrific bunch of trainees to work with and the trainers were first class – flexible in their approach, positive throughout and full of good advice, pitched at the right level. Highly recommended. There’s a chance Legal-Island might be working with them this year. I’d jump at the chance.
* 12 March; Legal Update; A&L Goodbody, Europa Hotel, Belfast
Speaker(s) Various partners from A&L Goodbody.
This was an update briefing for clients of A&L Goodbody. Very well organised, the sessions covered lots of topics of interest to employers, from employment and commercial law to company law updates and insolvency. The firm also launched an online information service for clients. This firm clearly have people who ‘know their stuff’ and are very innovative in helping their customers. Extremely impressive set up.
* 9 March; Workplace Investigations; Antrim/Ballymena HR Network, Consilium Technologies, Antrim
Speaker: Mark McAllister, LRA
Every 6 weeks or so I chair a meeting of local HR professionals. We meet to discuss issues of interest and usually invite a guest speaker to start us off. Mark discussed practical tips on conducting workplace investigations, based on the publication he had written. Great session, with an enormous number of questions dealt with openly and fully.
* 9 February; Event Pro Training, in-house, Legal-Island
Trainer: Matthew Jackson
Event Pro is the system we use for online bookings. The training was more useful for those conference and administrative staff who process bookings and put the information online but it is an extremely powerful and time-saving system once you get used to it.
* 2 February; Fast Coaching Techniques; Legal-Island Breakfast Seminar, Legal-Island Training Centre
Speaker(s) Melanie Donnelly
A clever session that advocates a quick and effective way to deal with performance issues. FAST stands for:
Focussed
A
S
T
The idea is that you do not shy away from the problem but put it quickly into context. You can’t learn coaching in an hour or so but this was a good little session and ideal for supervisors who have difficulty in confronting poor performers.
Scott Alexander: Learning Record 2009
* 13 Jan 2009; The Psychology of Persuasion, BEN & B4B
Speaker(s):
Philip Hesketh, Heskethtalking.com
Interesting points about selling techniques and building business. 14/1 – circulated information and re-read notes. Make note to call customers to see how they are and to emphasise value, not price.
* 27 March 2009: Telesales Training
Speaker(s):
Paul McWilliams, Parity
Focus on customer needs and desires and offer to meet those needs. Used techniques in sales calls in following weeks.
* 19 Feb 2009: Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace
Speaker(s):
Michele Groves, Charis Consultancy Services
Focus on NLP and understanding how others learn and pick up “hidden” signals not obviously contained in words, including maps of reality and
Sight Visual V
Hearing Auditory A
Feeling Kinaesthetic K
Smell Olfactory O
Taste Gustatory G
Used in conversation and sent email on same via HR email service.
* 25 & 26 Feb 2009: Mediation Skills for Managers
Speaker(s):
Ray Flaherty, Polaris HR,
Michele Groves, Charis Consultancy Services
Very useful introduction into mediation and mediation techniques in the workplace. Delegates were very happy and I updated skills.
* 11 Mar 2009: Preparing for an Industrial Tribunal
Speaker(s):
Martin O’Brien BL,
Michelle McGinley, EEF, Maxine Murphy-Higgins, LRA
Mock tribunal event stream. The best ever event? Great set up. Need to trim the paperwork slightly but otherwise very good, from preparation to advocacy tips. As close to being in a tribunal as you can get without actually being there.
* 25 Mar 2009: NI HR Conference
Speaker(s):
16 speakers
Chaired plenary sessions and public sector afternoon sessions. Good structure, well-received event with many contacts made and ideas for other events, including possibilities for next year.
* 2 April 2009: How to Generate Low Cost No Cost Publicity
Speaker(s):
Carol Anne Dornan: Angle PR, Richard Clements: Goahead Marketing,
Deric Henderson: Press Association
Fantastic, practical event. Wrote press statement re NI employment law changes and made contacts with PA and others.
* 29 April 2009: How to Deliver Professional Workplace Investigations, Legal-Island Event
Speaker(s):
Michele Groves, Charis Consultancy Services
Very practical course, with several templates that could be used in investigations. Also discussed investigation techniques and undertook group exercises.
* 14 May 2009: Employment Law in the Public Sector
Good mix of legal and non-legal speakers. Major developments in equality promotion - esp procurement requirements and new generation guidance & equality schemes & drafting action plans. May add HRA & equality requirements and split into parts 1&2 next year.
Also check out get safe online for govt guidance on data protection for small employers. FoIA applies worldwide, in that anyone in the world may ask for info to be provided. Dead employees are not covered by DPA but would move to FoIA.
* 6-9 July 2009: Legal-Island’s Training Week
* 6 July 2009: Marketing Training: Internet Tools for the Office
Pamela Park (Legal-Island)
Covered use of:Google; Twitter; Live Chat; SkypeBit.ly; Google Analytics; RSS Feeds
Bit.ly is brilliant and is perfect for use with Twitter due to 140 character limit. Use Google.ie to search for Irish employers. Google analytics is a great free tool that highlights success of your website, where visitors are from, who referred them and much more.
* 6 July 2009: Events Pro training
Heather Stewart (Legal-Island)
EventsPro is the software package we use for administration of events. Tricky to get used to but very powerful.
* 7 July 2009: HR Training
Elaine McCann (Legal-Island)
Focus on internal policies:- Absence Issues- Policies- Return to work interviews- Conducting Performance Reviews
The new appraisal system requires employee self-analysis before referral to line manager.
* 8 July 2009: “The Winning Mind”
Dr John Kremer, QUB
Analysis of sports psychology and its application to the workplace. Particularly interesting to those of us who enjoy sports. Interesting angle on the need for diversity, difference and conflict in strong teams to avoid “groupthink”, where mistakes are made because the members of a team are too similar and no-one is prepared to challenge the accepted mores or views.
* 8 July 2009: Meetings Skills
Sue Mulhall, regular L-I trainer from Republic of Ireland
Challenging and involving, this training resulted in several new principles being adopted by Legal-Island to ensure meetings are more effective and efficient.
* 9 July 2009: “The Effective Communicator – Key Steps to Achieving More”
Colm O’Kane, Language Teacher and Coach
By a country mile the most popular and inspiring training of the week for most Legal-Island staff. Useful visualisation, inner voice and NLP self-analysis techniques. Some links to john Kremer’s training were complementary. Very funny use of French to aid learning. Too much to cover in a half day but left us wanting more – always a good sign.
* 9 July 2009: Networking and Update on Legal-Island Developments
Pamela Park and Barry Phillips, Legal-island
Networking has transformed our business. Pamela highlighted how all staff could network almost anywhere, from spotting a sale for things used in the office that will save the organisation money to asking the right questions to develop previously unseen links and business opportunities.
Barry covered new events this autumn from Legal-Island, including criminal and family law, education law, “CPD fest”, practice management & client care, and Section 75.
* 17 September 2009: Equality Law in NI Update
Speakers: Michael Black, CFR; Maxine Orr, Worthingtons; Adam Brett, L'Estrange & Brett; Rosemary Connolly, Rosemary Connolly Solicitors; Dr John Sharkey, Consultant Psychiatrist; Stella Gilmartin, Gilmarting Consulting; and Sinead Mulhern, Equality Trainer.
Great range of speakers and there's always a good atmosphere at this event, which is geared towards experienced practitioners. Nice mix of case law and subjects and I enjoyed Rosemary's tale of getting lost at the House of Lords. Doubtless the new Supreme Court will be a breeze to get around. Things to watch out for:
1. The Heyday High Court decision appeared a couple of weeks after this event and, as expected, the government's decision to bring forward the review of the default retirement age got it off the hook, although not for long anf the DRA looks to be doomed
2. German case of Hutter is challenging the compatability of NMW and equality directive in relation to younger workers' wages
3. The gassmayr case confirms that pregnant workers need receive only SSP equivalent when off sick - there is no requirement to pay performance bonuses etc
4. The UK Govt signed up on 8 June to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The new single equality bill must comply with requirements
5. The revised equal pay code of practice is still with OFMDFM. It may, once introduced, allow tribunals to make recommendations beyond the individuals concerned
* 26 October 2009: People Matters – Tomorrow’s Leaders
Speaker: Norrie Gilliland, People Matters (Europe) Ltd
Interesting Breakfast session run by CIPD and Chief Executives’ Forum about delivering services via partnership and enhancing community leadership skills. Very good ice breaking exercise using statements on cards that had to be put in order of importance by groups by guest speaker Norrie Gilliland of People Matters (Europe) Ltd. The package of support produced to develop skills in the community groups was excellent.
* 10 November 2009: Mainstreaming Equality
Speakers: Prof John Field, Stirling University; Sean Haughey TD; Dr Helen Russell, ESRI; Fiona Hartley, County Wicklow VEC; Eddie Higgins, EQUAL Ireland
This useful conference was run by the Equality Authority on how to mainstream the equality agenda into education and work in the ROI. Unfortunately, my work group focussed mainly on developing education rather than equality but a lot of good points were fed back to the Equality Authority on the need to identify return on investment etc if employers/educators are to buy into the equality agenda.
Fantastic presentation by Prof John Field of Stirling University on promoting equality through life-long learning. Interestingly, taking part in education and training boosts confidence and capability and increases your chances of employability and increased wealth but the uptake in society is unequal and therefore the rich and educated get richer and more clever, whilst the poor get poorer and (relatively, at least,) less well educated. This was used as an argument for the need for government to ensure that disadvantaged groups, such as Travellers and older people, who are less likely to engage in formal education, receive extra resources to reduce inequality: left to the market, education will increase inequality and the uneducated/untrained will become even more isolated, inefficient and vulnerable.
Eddie Higgins was very impressive. The Essentials Skills Certificate is so effective it is being rolled out to several EU countries.
* 5 & 18 November 2009: Annual Review of Employment Law (ROI)
Speakers: Around 20 split between main hall employment law topics and HR and management parallel sessions
Obviously, Legal-Island’s Dublin reviews are great and the feedback from delegates is terrific. On 5 November I looked after the parallel sessions. On 18 November I stayed in the main hall sessions and help out. The quality of parallel speakers was superb. Bernard Foley gave us a couple of sessions on mind mapping and even created a mind map of the pensions development session in the main hall. I used his techniques to create a mind map for my introduction at the Belfast review and found it a lot easier and more natural than trying to memorise a list or read from a script. The audience laughed, which always helps. Jennifer Cashman’s presentation in the main hall was fantastic and her paper on how to avoid turning agency workers into employees is the most considered and practical I’ve encountered – don’t invite them to the Christmas Party, folks! The Stringer and Pereda cases are worrying Irish employers and lawyers as much as they are UK (and Spanish) ones. It will be different to watch how the different domestic courts interpret these decisions and how employers implement the fall-out.
* 12 & 26 November 2009: Annual Review of Employment Law (NI)
Speakers: Around 20 split between main hall and parallel sessions. I chair the main hall and did not get to see the parallel speakers.
What a chairperson! Brilliantly funny, yet did not hog the limelight and ran the timetable with an iron fist! I really enjoyed the day chairing the main hall sessions. The speakers were great and the subjects were interesting throughout. This year has been dominated by important case law and I enjoyed Mark McAllister’s top ten cases of the year run down. I don’t agree with all the positions but I enjoyed the presentation. I didn’t get to the parallel session on how to challenge doctors’ lines but it was way over-subscribed, so it is clearly a subject to watch. All of the parallel sessions this year were suggested by Legal-Island customers and we sold out four of our five reviews throughout Ireland (and the fifth did extremely well), so a big thank you must go to all our customers for their help and support in this rather tough year for training organisations. Roll on 2010!
* 2 December 2009: Mind Mapping
Presenter: Ann Forsythe, Orchys
Useful follow-up to sessions with Bernard Foley in Dublin. Ann is also licensed to train in Buzan mind maps. I have mind-mapped meetings instead of using linear notes or minutes and it works really well. It seems particularly good for project work and developing training courses.
