NNFCC - Working with the University, University of York

NNFCC are Bioeconomy Consultants whose mission is to provide clients with a strategic view of feedstock, technology, policy and market development across the bioeconomy.

Michael Goldsworthy, who has worked at NNFCC for 5 years, and has been a senior consultant for the last 3 years, explained how having the opportunity to become an ILM 5 delegate came at the perfect time in his career. Having recently taken on a more managerial role, Michael was shifting from a focus on delivery to “people management” within the company. It was this job role progression that led NNFCC to choose the University of York’s ILM 5 course to appropriately upskill Michael with regards to leadership and management training.

“There was an awful lot that I learnt not only during the course but also through completing the assignments, as they helped me reinforce the learning and apply it into my own workspace.”

Michael enjoyed how interactive the courses were and how much he got to practice the new skills in a safe environment. He described how it wasn’t a case of simply sitting in front of someone and being lectured to, but rather days filled with activities to embed the learning. Michael found the ILM 5 assignments important to solidify the knowledge he gained from the different modules and to pinpoint specific aspects of the courses that he wanted to apply into his working life.

“I found being encouraged to proactively seek feedback from colleagues and use that, and not just your own view of yourself, a really useful aspect of the course.”

Michael appreciated how interlinked the courses were between leadership, management and communication. He found receiving positive feedback from the delegates and tutors encouraging, as he is normally quite a self-critical person. Michael explained how he has become more conscious of how he communicates and the impact that can have on others. He is now far more aware of his approach and the communication styles he uses when working with team members. He feels that this will help him be a more supportive and effective manager. Michael also enjoyed learning about the different theories of situational leadership and these have been very helpful with regards to developing his communication skills as a manager.

“As interesting as the course content was, it was having somebody as knowledgeable as Alex and as helpful as him to kind of guide us through that made the real difference.”

Michael found the university’s associate trainer Alex fascinating both listen to and engage with and this really helped Michael get the most of out the course. The course content, particularly the information on emotional intelligence and natural ego states, resonated with Michael on both a personal and professional level. Michael would definitely recommend the ILM 5 and the other short courses from the university because of how valuable he has found it himself.

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NNFCC are Bioeconomy Consultants whose mission is to provide clients with a strategic view of feedstock, technology, policy and market development across the bioeconomy.

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