BBC Execs Bond on Emotional Intelligence CoursesThe BBC has sent 40 managers on a residential course to improve their "emotional intelligence". In what appears to be a throwback to the Lord Birt regime, the four-day courses have gone down so well they are to be offered to more staff.
 The course, run by a former member of staff at the Cranfield School of Management, aims to improve managers' understanding of each other. According to reports, it allows departmental bosses to share their experiences of their troubled childhoods and to bond with each other in intense workshops. A spokesman for the BBC said the feedback from those who had attended was "good" and two more courses would be run this autumn. But he denied staff were wasting licence payers' money on luxury hotel accommodation. "The hotels are two star," he said. About 40 managers have gone on the course as part of their leadership development. The same course has been used by other companies like Price Waterhouse, Citibank and South African Breweries. "The BBC values its staff very highly so, like other employers we invest in leadership training. We look for training that delivers value for money and delivers results. This course, run by a clinical psychologist with over 20 years' training experience does both," the spokesman added. The away-day culture at the BBC was fostered by Lord Birt, the former director general. But he was heavily criticised for wasting money on outside consultants and unnecessary out-of-office courses. Since Greg Dyke took over, the number of consultants used by the BBC has been reduced. The corporation said it spends about £2m a year on staff improvement courses ranging from MBA courses to IT training. |
