Learning and Development Opportunities at Cabinet Office

Rajeshri Patel talks about the opportunity to learn and develop at Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office is a hugely exciting place to work. I’ve been at the Cabinet Office for just over a year and it’s very refreshing to see how valued staff are.    

Why did I join Cabinet Office?

Cabinet Office provides many challenges and interesting areas of work, a supportive and inclusive culture, a strong ethos of the importance of a good work life balance and for me, most importantly, opportunities to develop my career.

What learning is available?

When I joined Cabinet Office it was in a managerial role and while I have management experience, I had not managed a team for some years – 12 to be exact; so imagine how nerve-wracking/exciting it all felt!

I recently completed the Cabinet Office Line Managers’ Training Course. It was excellent and I got a lot out of it.

The course was really comprehensive and covered areas including, engaging and motivating teams and individuals, understanding how to set objectives and articulating how they fit in with those of the team and wider organisation.

It also covered basics such as HR policy, managing flexible working requests, coaching and giving feedback.  I found the ‘Setting Objectives’ workshop extremely useful.  The trainers were so enthusiastic and supportive, really knew their subject area and they brought the SMART concept to life with real examples and handy tips.

The best part of the course was the ‘Giving Feedback’ workshop.  The impact of how I give a team or individual feedback on performance can have a massive impact.  Although I already understood the importance of recognising achievements, what I hadn’t realised is the importance of recognising it in the moment, instantly.

What are you doing differently as a result of this learning?

Without doubt, this course has helped me to refine my approach to managing my team, with a focus on balancing motivational and developmental feedback. 

I always take 10 minutes each day, to chat to my team, ask them what’s going on with them and I always make a point of asking them to give me feedback on how I’m doing as their Line Manager - after all, it’s a two way relationship!

Final thoughts…?

The Cabinet Office is inclusive and welcoming to all. There are many opportunities available here but it’s up to you to grab them and with the training and support available, demonstrate your talents and potential. What’s stopping you…?