23 August 2021

High support and high challenge are the foundation for developing TalkTalk’s people leaders

Leading Edge kick off a leadership development programme for fantastic new client TalkTalk this month with a series of virtual half-day launch events. This programme touches a vast group of 450 people managers across all levels and areas of the business.

Our discovery for this journey identified four enablers for high performance leadership at TalkTalk: having a compelling identity as a people leader; being energised to self-develop; reframing time and priorities; and receiving support and challenge from a manager.

To immerse leaders in the detail of ‘Leading With Every Fibre’, we’re delivering energising launch events to fire up engagement and direct learners to a new internal portal that provides easy access to five areas of self-development. We’ll then facilitate quarterly events with a focus on building a network, continuous feedback and support from a learning buddy.

High support and high challenge are at the heart of ensuring TalkTalk’s people leaders can access relevant and effective development, and Leading Edge are delighted to be part of this exciting journey.

 

About TalkTalk

TalkTalk believes that simple, affordable, reliable and fair connectivity should be available to everyone, and it has a mission to be the only affordable scale Full Fibre provider for consumers and businesses across the UK. Its strategy is underpinned by a recent sharp growth in demand for data from both consumers and businesses.

The company entered the market in the early 2000s and is proud of its history as an innovative challenger brand. TalkTalk provides Fibre, broadband, landline, TV and mobile services to more than four million customers. It operates Britain’s biggest unbundled broadband network, covering 96% of the population. Residential customers are served through the TalkTalk brand and its business customers through TalkTalk Business. TalkTalk Wholesale Services is the wholesaler brand for resellers.

With its headquarters in Salford, Greater Manchester, TalkTalk employs more than 2,000 people. Investing in leadership development for 450 people leaders demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing tailored programmes that enable its people to learn and grow from one another.

Team Coach Insights

Mike McClellan

Leading Edge Team Coach

Mike McClennan is part of a team of Leading Edge Team Coaches supporting TalkTalk. He told us:

“It’s exciting to be at the launch stage of this leadership development programme with TalkTalk and very motivating to be working with people who have such a positive appetite for leadership and learning.

What stands out for me is how TalkTalk has embraced the opportunity to bring people leaders together from different levels in the business. It’s refreshing to see such a mix of people in the groups – all bringing different perspectives – and this creates an interesting dynamic in sessions, with variety generating vitality.

At the end of each group launch, there’s a positive feeling from attendees that they’re leaving with the knowledge of a way forward. Connecting with their programme buddy as part of these sessions has definitely been a big moment, one that strengthens how this programme is driven by both high support and high challenge.

I look forward to seeing how the engaging leadership resources and programme as a whole help TalkTalk’s people managers to develop and navigate their roles.”