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This is my first blog post since August. Where on earth have I been?.... More on that soon! In the Honne Store there are now new dates for late winter / spring 2023 for the in person courses in: Serious Breaches and Practising Certificate Conditions (SRA Firms) and Acting on both sides (SRA and CLC firms) We have date and venue options across the country - in London, Birmingham, and Leeds. If you have a location we are not offering and can't make it to one of those cities, please get in touch and we'll consider whether we can offer it. Right now I am working on a new course. It will be uploaded to the Honne Store soon. It is one of our reflective 'At Your Desk' range of courses, covering an important aspect of client instructions.

A book and a course

The story of women's football is an important one in management. England ladies have just won the Euros and asked after the game what made the team so special, their manager Sabrina Weigman said 'How long have you got. Have you got half an hour?' A very supportive and positive mental attitude from the manager, with a detailed knowledge of the team and their dynamics. In a game where managers come and go quickly, and criticism is levelled at players in the national media for everyone to read, it's a fantastic team building and tournament winning response. Well said. My own experience in ladies football comes from my school days; when I was part of a team that we (the players) set up and ran ourselves outside of school. We entered into a league in Leicestershire which was supported (very slightly) by the County Council; they allowed us to play matches on their pitches and arranged our fixtures. The fixtures were funny - there was only one other team in the league and we played them every other week - necessitating a 45 min drive across Leicestershire to the pitch. They were a school team, we weren't. I think even the Council thought it was funny (it was hilarious). If we contrast this to the boys set up, there were a number of established clubs, regular games, coaching, balls, and kits. We didn't have a coach, or a pitch to practice on - just our own back gardens and our own footballs. As we grew up we became eligible for proper ladies football where the atmosphere was very different - run by an established group of much older players - it was quite intimidating.  I don't play anymore, and those of you who know me will realise I have a metal fixed ankle now, but I am still surprised by how well I can kick a ball. I also initially chose a career in public services - perhaps in part due to the wonderful attitude of Leicestershire County Council all those years ago. Let's hope the investment in ladies football continues to grow and to support those with an interest. Let's also hope we see more supportive professional management examples in the media, in sport, and generally, like we saw last night.

There is a new course in the Honne Store - Beginning Management is a course for those taking their first steps into a working life perhaps beyond initial qualification; following experience in the workplace; or as a new career development opportunity. The course is designed as a program of work, exercises, and activity to support the learner in taking those first steps, over a period of time. Suitable for one manager and up to three learners in your organisation, the course also offers a certificate for the learner in Beginning Management, and another one for the supporting manager in Supporting and Coaching Staff. The course is intended to support those organisations who would like to offer development opportunities to their staff members, with a designed package of exercises, and a progress plan to forward plan, undertake, and reflect at each stage of development. If you are interested in the package, and would like to know more, please contact Katie at hello@honne.co.uk for an informal discussion. This course is part of the 'At My Desk' range which are designed as reflective learning.