This Is ... creating better organisations
We are an organisation and leadership development practice. We offer a range of high quality products and services to help organisations and leaders build a high performance culture. Read our testimonials
OUR CURRENT FOCUS
We are continuing our consultancy work on transformation and change focusing on helping our clients create high performance organisation culture. See our case studies
In the airport sector, we are rolling out the ACI Europe AirPeopleTM Survey - as well as continuing to run strategic human resources training for airports.
We are continuing to develop our 'thought leadership' credentials through chairing conferences, giving talks, writing articles, and contributing to professional work groups. See our regular column on organisation, leadership and people in Airport World
We have been increasingly in demand for executive coaching and mentoring, speaking engagements and leadership team building over the last year, see our current services
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
We co-organised the fourth ACI Europe Airport Leadership and Change Management Summit in Munich Dec 1-3 2014. The theme of the event was 'The High Performing Airport - sustaining excellence through people'. The summit was a great success!
Audience Participation at the Airport Leadership and Change Management Summit
Speakers included airport leaders from Munich, Schiphol, Montreal, Changi, Athens, Dubai, San Diego, Heathrow and Vilnius as well as subject matter experts and top specialists. See Richard Plenty's opening talk on 'The High Performance Airport' and Terri Morrissey's thought provoking input on 'Courageous Leadership.'
More generally, we continue to reinforce our partnerships with Corporate Spirit, ACI, Trinty College Dublin, Mazars and Frontline Energy & Environmental
During 2014 we turned our focus increasingly to the following sectors: international airports & aviation, the Health Sector in the UK, the voluntary sector in Ireland, and financial services.
We have developed and adopted a number of frameworks and models for use in our work
"I believe that the capacity that any organisation needs is for leadership to appear anywhere it is needed, when it is needed" Margaret J. Wheatley
Our Approach
We are a networked organisation
We take a strategic, business perspective
We work in partnership with our clients
We focus on creating sustainable high performance
We ensure our work is evidence based
We build leadership capability and capacity
We encourage learning and renewal
We have high professional standards
Read more about How We Work
PHOTOS
Early morning exercise at the Leadership Forum in Bologna, Oct 2013
Richard Townsend, our new Head of Executive Coaching, Oct 2013
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Richard Plenty, Managing Director at the Airport Leadership Forum, Oct 2013
Juha Ala-Lipasti of Corporate Spirit speaking on the ACI EUROPE AirPeopleTM Survey
Richard Plenty at ACI North America & World Conference, Calgary Sept 2012
Terri Morrissey presenting at the Airport Leadership Forum in Dublin Sept 2011
On Our Whiteboard
Update on our clients.
Our clients come from a wide variety of sectors and in many shapes and sizes but all share a common aspiration - creating better organisations.
AIRPORTS: We continue to work with the airport sector. Following on from our work with DAA between 2005 and 2012 on transforming their organisation, we have grown internationally and now work with ACI (Airports Council International) on airports related assignments around the world. In 2014 we will aim to expand further into aviation
FOOD AND DRINK: We have been working with the top production team in Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, based in Ireland, to build a high performance team culture. In 2013 we supported the roll out of cultural change across the Irish organisation. With iconic brands, including Jameson whiskey, international growth prospects are excellent
ENERGY: We partnered with DC Energy to design the organisation and transition plan for the $35b INPEX Ichthys oil and gas project based in Perth Australia - a challenging and exciting 'mega project'. This project is now well underway
HEALTHCARE: We worked with the Chief Executive and Board of the independent social enterprise 'Your Healthcare' - one of the first such organisations in the UK - on the development of their organisation. In 2013 we worked with the Chief Executive of a major Commissioning Support Unit in the NHS to review progress on change, working in partnership with Mazars
ENVIRONMENTAL: We worked on Director Development with BTCV who scooped two top awards - the Charity Times 2010 'Charity of the Year" and the 'Green Leadership Award" organised by the Chartered Management Institute - while we were working with them
FINANCIAL SERVICES: We worked with a major Ratings Agency to carry out an objective 'health check' of a critical part of their organisation
THIRD SECTOR: Dr Richard Plenty, Managing Director of This Is... , became a Director of Aoibhneas Women's and Children's Refuge in 2013. During the year the organisation was transformed through leadership and organisation changes. Terri Morrissey stood down as Chairperson of Aoibhneas at the end of 2013 after 23 years service to focus on other business
AIRPORT UPDATE
We worked on a number of airport related projects in 2012 and 2013 for Airports Council International (ACI) who represent over 95% of the world's airports. We have developed a number of airport specific services, see more ...
ACI World Conference
We participated in the ACI World Conferences in Istanbul in 2013 and Calgary 2012 - and have been invited to speak at the next World Conference in Seoul, Korea in 2014
Richard Plenty, Managing Director of This Is, facilitates main session on ' Leadership and
the Next Generation of Airport Professionals' at ACI North America and World Conference & Exhibition Sept 9 - 12 2012 Calgary, Canada attended by over 800 delegates
ACI EUROPE AirPeopleTM Survey
This employee survey is being offered by ACI Europe as the first sector-specific diagnostic to assess high performance airport culture and employee enagagement. We are working with our business partners Corporate Spirit of Finland to provide a world class survey customised for airports. Our first pilot study was in Dubrovnik Airport in October 2013 and many more surveys are planned for 2014. Our focus in This Is is to work with airport top management and HR to review results and ensure successful follow up
3rd Airport Leadership & Change Management Forum October 2013
We organised the third Airport Leadership and Change Management Forum in Bologna from October 23-25 2013 together with our business partners Aviation Business Media. The theme of this year's event was 'Leadership for Sustainable Growth'
A full account of the Forum can be found in Airport World Dec 2013. The event was also reported in Airport Business magazine winter edition. Next year's Forum will be held in Munich from Dec 3rd - Dec 5th 2014
Human Resources Programmes
We designed and delivered programmes on Strategic Human Resources for Airports in Amman, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, we will be returning to Kuala Lumpur and running additional courses in Riga and Johannesburg. We also designed and delivered a succession planning programme in Abu Dhabi in Sept 2013
Courage, Authenticity and Identity
The Story of This Is ...
Many years ago, a young aspiring student had to take part in a competitive three and a half hour examination to get into the prestigious university of his choice. He entered the examination room, turned over his paper, and read. There was one question and one question only, on the exam paper.
'What is Courage?' was the question in front of him.
The student thought for a few minutes before writing : 'This is'.
He handed his paper in and walked out of the exam room three hours early. He got an offer.
We named our company This Is ... to reflect the importance of these values of courage and integrity - and the need for actions to be consistent with beliefs - in times of turbulence, uncertainty and change. The company name also emphasises the importance of knowing your identity and what you stand for in times of change and transition
Do you have the courage to work strategically on organisation, leadership and people issues? If so...
This Is ... can help by bringing insights and learning from our experience and from the substantial knowledge that already exists in the literature on organisation and leadership development, executive coaching, people management and business psychology. Contact us to learn more