Mental Resilience & Cognitive Agility – Leadership & Management Training for National Grid

   Case Studies

Client Profile: National Grid

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid. Formerly known as Western Power Distribution, the UK’s largest electricity distribution network serves nearly 8 million customers in the East and West Midlands, South West and Wales, delivering essential power to millions of homes and businesses across its regions.

With a distribution area of 550,000 square kilometres, it’s 6,500 colleagues are committed to providing a safe, stable and reliable electricity supply and ensuring the highest quality of customer service.

The Challenge: Building Mental Resilience

NGED sought a training partner to help them design and deliver a one-day mental resilience and cognitive agility training course. The objective of this initiative was to support managers in enhancing their mental wellbeing and overall performance levels. This would empower them to grasp the influence of their thoughts, emotions, and actions on both themselves and their team members.

The Solution: Bespoke Leadership Training by Develop Training

To enable Develop to design a bespoke mental resilience course, our organisational specialist met with senior leaders and operational managers to ascertain key business pressure points. We also undertook extensive visits to a range of sites and field activities to develop an insight into the managers’/organisation’s development needs and business ‘drivers’.

Central to Develop’s methodology is a deep understanding of our client’s environment, language and culture. This equips us with the knowledge to be able to customise all course content, material and delivery styles.

Three pilot sessions coupled with extensive review meetings and structured feedback enabled us to ‘fine tune’ the training, resulting in a programme that aims to develop mental resilience awareness and skills to reduce negative stress levels. It also highlights that not all stress is unhealthy, how to take advantage of it and how to increase cognitive agility for better personal and professional performance.

The Result: Empowered Leaders

Following the success of the initial training delivery to mid-level managers, NGED decided to roll the training out to all levels of their business. The course continues to be in high demand and valued by employees across the business. Currently, the training has been delivered to over 1,980 employees and is due to continue into 2024 and beyond.

As result of this success, Develop and NGED have continued to work together. Further organisational development needs have been identified and bespoke training courses designed and delivered. For example, Positive Impact Communication and Managing Ones Self were both delivered virtually during the Covid19 pandemic.

More recently, senior leadership and operational managers from NGED and Develop Training have collaborated closely to design a bespoke programme of training called ‘Building High Performing Teams’. The goal for this training is to elevate NGED’s operational middle managers into emotionally intelligent leaders capable of navigating challenges, fostering relationships, and driving the organisation forward.

Conclusion: A Dynamic Partnership for Leadership Excellence

The partnership between Develop Training and NGED stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, employee investment, and dedicated expertise. By crafting bespoke leadership training that focuses on mental resilience and emotional intelligence, Develop Training has not only elevated NGED’s management teams but has also contributed to building a stronger, more resilient, and forward-thinking organisation that is well-equipped to lead in an ever-evolving energy landscape.

Through their ongoing collaboration, Develop and NGED continue to shape the future of leadership, ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow are equipped with the skills, insights, and emotional intelligence to excel in their roles and drive organisational success.