In House Training: Cogent Skills

Nikki – People & Culture Director

For Cogent Skills, the priority was to ensure its own people had the skills needed to manage and lead effectively, while embedding the organisation’s culture and ways of working.

With a number of different business units facing different challenges, an off-the-shelf leadership programme wouldn’t have been the right fit. Cogent needed development that could reflect the organisation itself while remaining flexible as its needs evolved.

“What’s really special about this programme is that it’s very much tailored to us”

Michelle – Head of New Business Development

Michelle had worked in management previously but had never undertaken formal management training. Having recently joined Cogent Skills and moved into a management role, she saw the programme as an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and practical tools needed to progress.

A particular focus was understanding how to manage different people more effectively rather than assuming everyone communicates and works in the same way.

“I knew I was going to learn knowledge, skills and tools that would help me develop how I manage people”

Emma – Head of Development & Delivery

Emma already had experience and knowledge of leadership, so the development need was less about learning leadership from scratch and more about applying those principles more personally and effectively.

The programme encouraged her to consider how she communicates with individuals, builds relationships and is perceived as a leader, as well as how those behaviours influence her wider team.

“It really got me thinking about the gap between how I perceive myself and how others perceive me”

Nikki

Cogent Skills chose a bespoke leadership development programme with InPD rather than a fixed, off-the-shelf solution.

The ability to tailor the programme around Cogent Skills’ different business units, culture and changing priorities was central to the decision. InPD’s flexibility also meant the programme could continue to evolve as the organisation learned more about what its managers needed.

“The beauty of this programme with InPD is that it’s tailored to us completely”

Nikki

The programme was designed as an evolving partnership rather than a fixed training package. Cogent Skills and InPD regularly reviewed the content after individual modules, allowing the programme to be adapted according to feedback and changes within the organisation.

This iterative approach meant the training remained relevant to both Cogent Skills’ strategic priorities and the practical needs of delegates.

“We could review after each module and tweak things. That level of responsiveness has been really useful”

Michelle

Michelle found the training highly applicable to real management situations. Topics such as influencing and communication styles encouraged her to think differently about the people she was speaking to and what they needed from each interaction.

The shared learning environment was also important, creating conversations between colleagues and business units that may not otherwise have happened during everyday work.

Emma

Emma was able to take learning from the programme and apply it to her team almost immediately.

Communication styles and leadership identity were explored in a way that encouraged delegates to reflect on their own behaviour, while learning alongside colleagues from other areas of Cogent Skills created valuable opportunities to network and collaborate.

“I took that knowledge back with me into my team and started applying it”

Nikki

For Nikki, InPD’s value came from the flexibility, responsiveness and level of personal service provided throughout the partnership.

Regular communication and a genuine effort to understand Cogent’s needs made it possible to adapt the programme as those needs changed. This gave the organisation confidence that the development remained relevant rather than becoming a fixed programme that no longer reflected the business.

“Nothing’s too much trouble. You feel like you’re getting actual customer service”

Michelle

For Michelle, the value was in gaining practical management tools she could use immediately.

The programme helped her better understand different communication styles, recognise the strengths and needs of individual team members and adapt how she communicates to create more effective conversations.

It also strengthened collaboration beyond her immediate team by creating space for colleagues from different business units to understand one another’s ideas and perspectives.

Emma

Emma saw tangible value in the immediate impact the learning had on her relationship with her team.

Applying different communication approaches helped strengthen those relationships, while the leadership development prompted greater self-awareness around how she wants to be perceived as a leader.

The programme also created connections with colleagues she would not ordinarily work with, opening up opportunities for greater collaboration across Cogent Skills.

Nikki – Learning is cascading through the organisation

Managers are taking concepts from the programme back into their teams and applying them in practice, helping embed leadership development more widely across Cogent Skills.

“You hear them say, ‘I learnt that on the programme,’ and then apply it”

Michelle – Better communication leads to better management

Michelle’s biggest takeaway was learning to adapt her communication style to different people, helping her understand what individuals need and get the best from her team.

“It’s really helped me understand how to communicate with different team members”

Emma – Greater self-awareness strengthens leadership

Emma’s key takeaway was understanding her own leadership brand and the gap between how she sees herself and how others may perceive her, helping her become more intentional in how she leads.

“It really got me thinking about the gap between how I perceive myself and how others perceive me”

Learn more about our In-House Training here