Until the onset of digitisation, the demand for analogue TV was fairly stable, as it was for audio-visual content, such as films, series and live programmes. However, this environment was seriously disrupted by the proliferation of digital alternatives, including video-on-demand and live streaming. Advertising revenues were about to dramatically fall and all of this at a time when in 2007 the financial crisis loomed on the horizon.
It was in this scenario that I was called in by Atresmedia, a leading European media group that is headquartered in Madrid (Spain), to create and lead the English language training programme for its management team. Although, like many large organizations, the group was about to undergo extensive restructuring, the top executives had decided to invest in the upskilling of their management team. In total 185 people signed up and were assigned to small groups of between 6-8 participants according to their level of English.
To my mind, the vision and leadership shown at Atresmedia is exemplary: they demonstrated they believed in their people, the future of the group, and all of this at a time of great uncertainty. From the very first day, and throughout the 8 years that I led the programme – which I am pleased to say is still running – I knew I had the support of a wide cross-section of the group’s business units and divisions, especially Human Resources and the Financial Department. Whatever was needed was provided, from well-equipped rooms (with natural light) to textbooks, as well as reliable access to online resources.
It is unusual, in my experience, to find this level of commitment to a training programme which, in itself, posed numerous challenges for me as the lead trainer. Among these is the fact that the audio-visual sector is characterised by its creativity, fast-paced pressure to deliver, ability to effectively communicate and engage with large audiences, and excellent business acumen. From the outset, I knew that their training programme needed to factor in all of these aspects.
Before the programme was launched, I had the opportunity to freely discuss the preliminary arrangements with members of the Human Resources Department. These included identifying the programme objectives, schedule for each group, as well as the levelling tests and interview timetables that were needed to assign each participant to a specific group. As time went by, this support was always at my disposal.
The choice of textbooks was left up to me. I knew, though, it would be necessary to take a flexible approach to these because every participant had different key competences to develop. From negotiating the purchase of film rights and striking deals with suppliers, to the development of the participants’ interviewing, public speaking and presenting skills, to name but a few. With these objectives in mind, I devised numerous role-plays that simulated real-life situations. For example, the advanced groups regularly participated in a fluency activity that centred on watching a daily news summary online, after which they briefly summarized and discussed the news stories that had been presented. The pace of classroom activities was dynamic and thought provoking, which facilitated the expansion of the participants’ vocabulary range, the development of their listening and speaking skills, knowledge of grammar in a meaningful manner. In addition to all of this, each group forged a new team spirit.
The decision to provide an English training programme to an entire management team at a time of serious financial instability not only served to upskill an entire management team, but to strengthen interdepartmental relationships, create new friendships and spaces for enjoyment at a very tough time. For all these reasons, I would encourage decision-makers to look beyond the bottom line when considering English language training alternatives as so much more can be gained than a good grasp of the four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) when all stakeholders are truly committed.
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