We believe everyone at Audley is talented and that all employees should have the opportunity to develop their career and achieve their ambitions. Our Rising Stars programme has a single intake each year, and everyone works through their studies together. The programme has been designed to equip our employees with the skills, behaviours, and mindset needed to progress. Some of the topics covered include self-awareness, building relationships, business transformation, and decision making, all delivered in a course that blends e-learning, virtual simulations, and gamification, supported by 1-2-1 sessions with a dedicated coach.
Once our employees have graduated from the 14- or 16-month course they will attain either, a Level 3 team leader / supervisor, or a Level 5 Operation / departmental manager qualification.
If an employee is interested in taking part in the Rising Star programme, we ask for them to speak to their manager who will be able to answer any questions about their personal development and support them in their Rising Stars application. We would also recommend speaking to an employee who is on, or who has completed the Rising Stars programme, so they can hear first-hand what it’s like and the commitment involved.
Q&A with Lydia
Why did you choose to apply for Rising Stars?
The applications for Rising Stars opened not long after I started a new role as a Global Travel Manager, it felt like the perfect time to get stuck into the programme and develop my managerial and leadership skills.
Before applying I made sure to understand more about what was required of me during the 14 months of studying; I spoke with colleagues who had recently graduated from the previous Rising Stars cohort, their positive feedback and clear development within their own role made the decision extremely easy and I came away excited to apply.
What does the programme involve?
I was on the Level 3 programme which took place over 14 months and aims to provide the core skills to prepare someone who is aspiring to be a manager in the near future.
It is broken down into four modules:
- Transforming Self: which covers self-awareness, time management, diversity and inclusion, and career planning.
- Transforming Relationships: which covers communication, feedback, meetings, influence, and stakeholder relationships.
- Transformational Leadership: which covers leadership, strategy, culture, and operational management.
- Transforming Business: which covers finance, governance, decision-making, and project management.
Each module is made up of different ‘missions’ where you focus on a topic (e.g. developing your self-awareness) and submit a piece of coursework where you evidence what you have learnt and how you have put it into practice within your role. You have access to a range of resources to support you with your coursework too, these could be podcasts, videos, or knowledge articles, so plenty of choice to pick whichever you find most engaging.
At the start of the programme you meet your coach, who provides you with 1-2-1 support from start to finish. I built a great relationship with my coach, Lorraine, who delivered consistent feedback on my missions and guided me through coaching sessions, where we would discuss how I could develop certain skills or navigate situations at work.
What have you taken from the programme over the last 14 months?
I have really enjoyed the programme and cannot believe how quickly it went.
As a new manager, Rising Stars has been incredibly valuable to my professional growth, aligning with my own development journey. I was able to weave my learnings into my annual objectives and weekly catch ups with my manager which kept me motivated and on track. One small but valuable learning I have taken is that many of the missions required me to research other areas of the business, including our Finance and HR departments for example. As a result, I have a much better understanding of how other departments operate at Audley and have since built great relationships with individuals I would not usually encounter.
One mission I gained a lot from was the Leadership mission, during which I learnt more about my own leadership style and how this impacts my decision making. It was valuable to learn how to adapt my leadership style in different situations, for example, using coaching techniques to empower and promote engagement when needed. I have since shared these, as well as several other learnings with colleagues who have also benefited.
You've now completed the course: how did you do?
Incredibly happy to say I passed with a distinction.
