With a workplace culture firmly focused on ‘he tangata, he tangata, he tangata’ (it is people, it is people, it is people), KLC places great importance on the wellbeing and success of its employees, not only at work – but in their personal lives. That’s why learning and development specialists Aspire2 Business l Workplace Communication (WPC) are such a respected partner. By investing in regular staff training, KLC keeps teams at the top of their game, ensuring the organisation’s ongoing growth and success, as well as the success, retention and wellbeing of its employees.

In 2020 and 2021, WPC delivered customised training programmes to KLC team leaders and other front-line staff. The courses focused on everything from reading, writing, numeracy and oral communication skills through to building leadership capabilities, developing problem solving skills, dealing with change, and improving personal wellbeing. The results have been astounding.

“Learners showed great appreciation to the company for giving them the learning opportunity. They understood the disruption to production, and the commitment from the company to support and encourage them,” says Programme Tutor Rona TaylorSmith.

Since completing the programmes, managers have noticed a significant improvement in employee engagement – not just with their individual roles, but with the company overall. Management have reported increased productivity, greater staff retention and improved health and safety.

KLC now has a more flexible, skilled and adaptable workforce, and teams are working more cohesively, supporting each other to thrive and grow.

Staff have the confidence to speak up if they don’t understand or agree with something, and they have an improved understanding of numeracy and lineal metres (crucial in a timber re-manufacturing company!).

By expanding their communication and leadership capabilities, learners have returned to their workplace feeling more connected with their colleagues and better equipped for their roles. Staff have developed invaluable coaching skills, can provide effective performance feedback, and have practical strategies to minimise and de-escalate conflict. They can work more effectively with different personality types, delegate, plan goals and better manage their time. There’s also higher morale, greater trust and improved workplace cohesion.

“I think about how I give instructions now. If it’s a new process I go over it a couple of times and ask questions to make sure the person has understood.”

“When I give feedback, I make sure it’s constructive and positive. I’m making sure people feel good about themselves.”

“I can now spot who in my team is each type of personality – this helps with allocation of roles and tasks.”

“I am respecting staff more and working alongside them, not over them.”

In an organisation such as KLC, health and safety is a top priority. The WPC training helped employees better understand their health and safety responsibilities, and gave workers the courage to speak up if they were concerned about anything. One shy learner spoke up about a perceived error in the production line, enabling it to be rectified before it was dispatched to the customer.

Learners developed health and safety posters that, with the support of management, could be used in the workplace; weekly toolbox meetings were introduced to address any health and safety issues; and course participants now fill out production forms and accident reports with more accuracy.

The WPC training has had a broad reaching effect, extending far beyond the programme goals. When it comes to wellbeing, learner growth has been phenomenal.

There has been greater participation, progression and positivity among individuals – and those individuals have reported greater connection and focus within their families.

An outstanding 80-90% of course participants said they learnt skills that will help them at home – from setting themselves and their family a budget for the first time, to behaving more patiently with their kids, or helping out more around the house.

“I am a different person at home now with the skills I have learnt.”

By developing learners’ problem-solving skills, teams are now thinking more critically and striving for solution focused outcomes.

“I’ve learnt to focus on the solution rather than the problem or issue.”

“When I complete forms, I make sure there is all the information needed so people don’t have to come back to me.”

Dealing positively with change was another key area of learning, giving employees greater resilience and empowering them to support their fellow workers through changing times.

“I know now that it’s ok if things change, and I’ve learnt to accept that everything changes all the time.”

“Change is not always negative; it can be very positive and help things move forward.”