Howard Shepherdson
Senior Associate Chartered Fellow CIPD, B.Ed., PG Dip. Guidance and Counselling, PG Dip. Personnel Management, MA (Human Resource Management)
Senior Consultant
Howard is a freelance coach and management consultant for a wide mix of public and private sector partners. For the last eight years up until July 2011 he combined this role with teaching on postgraduate management courses at the University of West London often specialising in the public sector. This has included work on strategic workforce planning, leadership in the context of clinical excellence and professional development for managers in a range of Primary Care Trusts.
As well as teaching he has worked for Future Skills project for the university brokering partnerships with external training providers seeking HE validation for their work. Previously, Howard has enjoyed a varied career in the field of Education. He started life as a high school teacher and after several years as an assistant head, left teaching for the world of local government and was employed by the Local Education Authority in London Borough of Ealing.
Promotion took him through a series of interesting roles including Head of Education HR and for many years as a chief officer working as Director Lifelong Learning and Deputy Director of Education. He spent his last two years seconded to the post of Change Director working on a root and branch realignment of the delivery of council services as a whole. He developed and interest in partnership work and did much to bring together the work of the council, the voluntary sector and other public bodies.
Howard’s business aim has been to combine years of management and leadership experience with a background of strong people skills and academic under pining. He believes that managing personal relationships is the key to business success. Howard’s strength is in designing training interventions designed to bring about both systems and attitudinal change believing that a strong customer focus is a pre requisite of business efficiency and output.
European Court Ruling on Religious Privilege
Three landmark cases have clarified some important issues regarding employment law, freedom of conscience and religion and the right to religious expression.
Nadia Eweida, the British Airways check-in clerk who had not been allowed to wear any jewellery over her uniform (including a crucifix) won her case. BA already made accommodation for other faith groups, notably Sikh men and it seemed only fair that she should be allowed to display a small cross. However her victory was a personal one and not an outright ruling that gives employees the automatic right to express religious faith whilst at work.
Religious leaders and the 'Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator'
I was listening to a programme on the radio that reported some research by Kroger and Oswald (2012) into the personality traits of religious leaders using the 'Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator' much loved by HR and management professionals and probably familiar to you all.
The ideal religious leader in the USA was defined as an ENFJ(Extrovert, Nurturing, Feeling, Judging) in the research. This translates into someone who leads with a strong vision of the future, insists that people behave well towards each other, practice what they preach, are good at spotting talent and encourage people that show potential.
The radio programme ran the test on an Anglican Bishop, an Imam and a liberal reform Rabbi. (apologies if this sounds like the start of a bad joke !).
Lloyds Register, London College - management service reveiw
I am currently working on a management services review for a London college and have had the unique opportunity to work alongside managers from Lloyds Register in the City. Lloyds has a charitable arm that gives management support and advice to charities and educational establishments. Through a contact already made by the college, I have been able to team up with two of their consultants who are adding value to the project that I am working on. Their private sector experience has been very useful and it has been really interesting working with them. We have different backgrounds but are all strongly customer oriented, focussed on outputs and value for money.
Howard Shepherdson