ILM: Recent Episodes
ILM in collaboration with business leaders
ILM is the UK’s top specialist provider of leadership qualifications. Over 70,000 ILM qualifications are awarded each year and over one million people hold an ILM qualification. We are passionate about harnessing the power of leadership to transform people and businesses for the better. Our purpose is to enable people and organisations to develop their leadership skills for personal and economic growth. We do this by helping employers and training providers to develop, assess and accredit leaders with the right blend of skills. As the UK’s top leadership and management qualifications specialist, we help to develop more talented leaders than anyone else, giving them the skills to make a real difference in their organisation and beyond.
We were truly honoured to share an enriching discussion with Credly CEO, Jonathan Finkelstein, in the most recent of our podcast series, and equally delighted by the insights he shared. Credly is the world’s largest network of verified talent, helping people make trusted decisions around what they know and what they can do, and helping people to find happiness at work.
Jonathan explains that skills are constantly changing – developed through learning, enhanced through experience, and even taking shape outside of the workplace. Through technology and digital credentialing, Credly brings real-time data to conversation and decision-making about hiring and growing skills. They also assist companies who are in the position to develop or assess skills with the means to create new credentials internally.
Listen to the podcast
Jonathan points out that when a business starts out small, consisting of only a few people, company values often exist informally, through the natural living-out of what is important to the members – which is the way that Credly operated when it was first founded in 2012.
“He goes on to describe what happens when a business grows, saying that the need for formalised values usually develops over time: “As a business grows and welcomes more people into the workforce, your circle of influence grows along with it. This growth introduces differences, diverse points of views and beliefs, small nuances – at a certain point, it makes sense to step back and assess who we are, and how we work. In this way, creating values is a reflective process.”
When Credly developed their values, they did not try to differentiate between right and wrong. “Things like being kind and honest, working hard, are a given. These are simple right,” says Jonathan. “We had to determine what was unique to Credly – for example, how to respond when faced with two right decisions. What is the best Credly way?”
The resulting company values provide a powerful compass for employees to follow:
- Pursue happiness
- Foster empowerment and ownership
- Bring data and take action
- Learn, adapt and grow
- Honour achievement and show humility
- Earn trust every day
In this highly engaging podcast, Jonathan shares with us how company values impact Credly internally, as a team, as well as externally in the way the company interacts with the outside world through products, and customer and community interactions.
To listen in on the conversation, access the full podcast.
Continuing our podcast series, we were honoured to interview Kate Ross, Learning Leader and Development Coach at IBM UK Early Professionals Programmes.
In a global organisation comprised of approximately 300,000 employees, and in an industry undergoing constant change, Kate points out the importance of defining pivotal elements that remain constant – despite changing work climate and evolving company culture.
“In the midst of change, you need at least one common thread that stays the same,” says Kate. Something that gives people a firm foothold to rely on, even when the world around them is going a little crazy. It could be a new habit or shared common values. I believe these consistencies are comforting and help us to be productive.”
IBM’s core values form this foundation. Discussed in the ILM Leading Through Values report, in which IBM participated as a case study, these values are:
- Dedication to every client’s success
- Innovation that matters for our company and for the world
- Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships
**“Kate notes that IBM’s three values underpin the way that IBM employees (affectionately called “IBMers”) work on a day-to-day basis. She goes on to say that the organisation has endeavoured to create a workforce that can be recognised by their behaviours, through practising these values.
Clarifying this statement, Kate points out, “We are not being told how to act. IBM values give us a guideline, an anchor, to guide our behaviour. How these manifest daily, across countries, cultures and departments, is diverse.”**
Far from being restrictive in nature, IBM’s values are designed to give its employees the security and broad guidelines to go out, take calculated risks, be courageous and resourceful, and create and innovate. These values are further designed to break stereotypes about the industry, stir a love for technology, and encourage people to pursue their passions both professionally and personally. They are intended to inspire “IBMers” to exploit their own curiosity, while working toward the organisation’s ultimate purpose: that of making the world of work a better place.
In this mind-opening podcast, Kate shares how IBM drives its values – and instils dedication in its people – using technology and AI, reward and recognition, a from-the-top-down embodiment of values and behaviours, and a culture of mentorship coaching.
Listen to the full conversation – rich with anecdotes and stories – with IBM’s Kate Ross and ILM’s Anna Sheard.
As we continue to explore and examine how different organisations in vastly different industries apply company values, we spoke with Candice Gardner, Education Manager for renowned global skincare group, Dermalogica.
“As a brand, which started in education long before we went into product development, Dermalogica’s purpose has always been to uncover and share the science of healthy skin with our therapists and consumers,” says Candice. “The Dermalogica brand encompasses health, self-care and wellbeing, more than just ‘beauty’ and ‘the bottom line’.”
When asked how company values drive this purpose, Candice shares the simplicity of Dermalogica’s values. They comprise of three key elements:
- Education: At its core, the company is an educational institution. Dermalogica believes that knowledge not only empowers its partner entrepreneurs, but also the consumer.
- Personalisation: As advocates of individuality and diversity, Dermalogica embraces the uniqueness of its people – from how business is run internally to the advice given and products recommended to the end-user.
- Human touch: Human contact, human intention, and being present is a core value at Dermalogica. Professional skincare is driven by a sense of wellbeing and connection that only human, interpersonal contact can truly deliver.
Applied internally with employees and partners, these powerful values underpin the organisation’s purpose and create an engaging company culture.
Candice elaborates: “In terms of a human-focused industry, if employees can work without feeling like they are working – enjoying the process and the people around them – it can have a really stabilising effect on the organisation and how it serves its customers. From that perspective, values are important to culture and purpose, which gives the company strength. If an organisation faces external market pressures without that internal strength, you’re either imploding or moving backwards. And that's not good for business, or the industry, or the economy.”
In this podcast, Candice Gardner and ILM’s Anna Sheard uncover the methods that Dermalogica uses to ensure that organisational values reach all corners of the business. They also provide practical advice for businesses – both large and small – who wish to implement their own unique values more effectively.
Access these insights – listen to the podcast.
To kickstart our ILM podcast series, we spoke to Judith Barton, Founder of the British School of Coaching – market leaders in providing accredited courses for coaches, mentors and trainers in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
In our compelling conversation, Judith begins by noting that companies may experience “wobbles” during the peaks and troughs of running a business – whether related to finances, confidence or customer service – particularly when values are not anchored in the very foundations that make up the organisation. Without values, foundational integrity is shaky at best.
She goes on to say that environments in which business is conducted may change on a day-to-day basis through legislative changes or market changes. However, it’s the company values that holds an organisation firm, giving it stability and steadfastness, enabling leaders to make values-led decisions during difficult times.
Judith notes that organisations often approach their values by creating a list of words – typically qualities like integrity, ethics or professionalism. However, she points out that this is just a starting point. Organisations would do well to explain those values further to their employees, removing any possible ambiguity about how those value-words apply to work and customer service delivery.
For the British School of Coaching, values are summed up effectively:
- Rigour (how work is done)
- Recognition (attained through referral, recommendation and revenue)
- Reputation (being a market leader)
These values form a part of the organisations DNA and underpin everything that its members do, from how its people show up every day to how mistakes are managed and achievements celebrated.
In closing, Judith leaves us with a pearl of wisdom, encouraging leaders and teams to “listen to their heads, their hearts and their guts” – to remember that when something feels “off”, it’s very often an indication that values are being challenged, stretched or even broken.
Access this delightful conversation with an industry leader in coaching and mentoring.
In this podcast we spoke to Lee Edwards, Head of Human Resources Strategy for Veolia - the UK’s leading resource management firm.
With over 14,000 employees in the UK and Ireland, an HR team of 120 have their hands full in ensuring that the people who comprise the organisation are involved, nurtured, and working in union toward the company’s end goals.
In the podcast, Lee points out how HR, in general, has evolved into a more people-centric role than ever before. According to Lee, HR has been elevated to a more commercial and strategic function, with a focus on developing people, identifying talent and setting people up for the future.
For the people at Veolia, this meant re-defining the company values to unite a massive workforce, which was a journey that Lee and the HR team launched in early 2020. In the podcast, he shares insights on how Veolia’s values were defined through involvement from over 40 managerial staff and their teams, how the final values were launched, and how they continue to embed those values at all levels. He elaborates on how these values, underpinned by certain behaviours, become a measurable quality by including them in performance reviews.
Veolia’s company values are simple, largely self-explanatory, and strongly linked to employee behaviour:
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Customer focus
- Innovation
- Community spirit
The success of Veolia’s company values structure is tangible and measurable, as seen in a recent internal survey. An astounding 78% of employees responded to the survey, with significant results:
- More than 80% felt that values were effectively in place
- 93% felt that their work contribution was valuable and connected to the company purpose
Lee discloses valuable advice with organisations embarking on establishing, re-defining or implementing clearer, more impactful values. Then, drawing our conversation to a close, he shares, “The only way to start is to get started. No matter where you are in your journey, know that there are people around you who will want to form part of the process.”
Listen to the full podcast to hear more from Lee Edwards and ILM host Anna Sheard.
Continuing our podcast series, we were honoured to interview Kate Ross, Learning Leader and Development Coach at IBM UK Early Professionals Programmes. In a global organisation comprised of approximately 300,000 employees, and in an industry undergoing constant change, Kate points out the importance of defining pivotal elements that remain constant – despite changing work climate and evolving company culture.
“In the midst of change, you need at least one common thread that stays the same,” says Kate. Something that gives people a firm foothold to rely on, even when the world around them is going a little crazy. It could be a new habit, or shared common values. I believe these consistencies are comforting and help us to be productive.”
Far from being restrictive in nature, IBM’s values are designed to give its employees the security and broad guidelines to go out, take calculated risks, be courageous and resourceful, and create and innovate. These values are further designed to break stereotypes about the industry, stir a love for technology, and encourage people to pursue their passions both professionally and personally. They are intended to inspire “IBMers” to exploit their own curiosity, while working toward the organisation’s ultimate purpose: that of making the world of work a better place.
In this mind-opening podcast, Kate shares how IBM drives its values – and instils dedication in its people – using technology and AI, reward and recognition, a from-the-top-down embodiment of values and behaviours, and a culture of mentorship coaching.
We were truly honoured to share an enriching discussion with Credly CEO, Jonathan Finkelstein, in the most recent of our podcast series, and equally delighted by the insights he shared. Credly is the world’s largest network of verified talent, helping people make trusted decisions around what they know and what they can do, and helping people to find happiness at work.
Jonathan explains that skills are constantly changing – developed through learning, enhanced through experience, and even taking shape outside of the workplace. Through technology and digital credentialing, Credly brings real-time data to conversation and decision-making about hiring and growing skills. They also assist companies who are in the position to develop or assess skills with the means to create new credentials internally.
In this highly engaging podcast, Jonathan shares with us how company values impact Credly internally, as a team, as well as externally in the way the company interacts with the outside world through products, and customer and community interactions.
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In this podcast we spoke to Lee Edwards, Head of Human Resources Strategy for Veolia - the UK's leading resource management firm.
With over 14,000 employees in the UK and Ireland, an HR team of 120 have their hands full in ensuring that the people who comprise the organisation are involved, nurtured, and working in union toward the company’s end goals.
In the podcast, Lee points out how HR, in general, has evolved into a more people-centric role than ever before. According to Lee, HR has been elevated to a more commercial and strategic function, with a focus on developing people, identifying talent and setting people up for the future.
Listen to the full podcast to hear more from Lee Edwards and ILM host, Anna Sheard.
We are kicking off our Leading through values partners’ podcast with a compelling conversation with the founder of British School of Coaching, Judith Barton, on how company values are the anchor for the foundations of an organisation.
In our compelling conversation, Judith begins by noting that companies may experience “wobbles” during the peaks and troughs of running a business – whether related to finances, confidence or customer service – particularly when values are not anchored in the very foundations that make up the organisation. Without values, foundational integrity is shaky at best.
Access this delightful conversation with an industry leader in coaching and mentoring - listen to the podcast here!