“It works,” exclaims Denis Caron, speaking enthusiastically about his Banff Centre experience. Dean of Industrial Training at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST), Caron is so eager to share his success he has created a presentation titled Transforming The Banff Centre Experience into Action. The presentation illustrates how he puts the theory and tools he gained from the Centre’s Leadership Development programs into practice. Since 2004, Caron has taken four Centre programs, and plans to take many more. Caron talked to Inspired about his Banff Centre experience, his ability to turn theory into action, and his proven results. What impact did these leadership programs have on your personal and career development?What I have learned at the Centre has given me a deeper understanding of who I am, built my confidence, and enabled me to take risks… My position and role as a leader was enhanced by all aspects of my Banff Centre experience. I was able to secure my current senior executive position with SIAST, in part by applying the tools I had acquired at the Centre throughout the extensive interview process. Within my community, I have taken on additional leadership roles, including my appointment as a member of the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. Your presentation, Transforming The Banff Centre Experience into Action, suggests fundamental changes to your strategic thinking…The Leadership Development programs at The Banff Centre are unique; they challenge personal boundaries and old ways of thinking in a “statusfree” learning environment. Creativity was only a small part of my old mindset. The Centre’s programs introduced me to new thinking models and moved me away from the usual cumbersome administrative planning processes. New mind thinking is more responsive, it is able to simplify complexity, and it supports a greater focus on honesty and openness. |
What projects have you led that exemplify how the Centre’s programs directly support real leadership practice?Priorities of SIAST’s industrial training division include increasing Aboriginal participation, facilitating student access over vast distances in remote areas, and ensuring a connection to industry. This past year, I led a process evaluating the division’s efforts on these priorities. By applying new strategic thinking methods acquired at the Centre, we were able to gather necessary information, put teams in place, and develop a new plan for action – all within a remarkably short time frame. We developed a Mobile Training Lab which is already operating and in place, training students in a northern community. The initiative has increased accessibility to industry relevant training for people in remote areas, improved participation and retention of aboriginal students for SIAST, exposed youth to trades, technology, and employment opportunities, and assisted the province and industry in meeting the growing demand for a skilled workforce. Have any other opportunities stemmed from the development of the Mobile Training Lab?The success and exceptionally quick turn-around time of the development of the Mobile Training Lab showed the effectiveness of non-traditional thinking. It provided proven results and increased our credibility to get things done. We have identified a number of new projects which will be developed using the theory and tools gained from The Banff Centre’s Leadership Development programs, including a Provincial Curriculum review and a “Transition to Work” plan for Provincial High School training. |
Published: January 2007.