The International Centre for Organisational Management (ICOM) was formed in 1985 by senior managers from industry and the public sector.  They came together with a mission to provide customised, “in-company”, action learning development programmes designed to lead to measurable improvements in the performance of organisations and individuals.

During their working lives the founders of ICOM had begun to question the usefulness of traditional training programmes conducted in companies, in the public sector and in university-based business schools.  They argued that simply providing additional knowledge and general skills without focusing on the transferability of learning to the workplace was of limited value.  That is, the “acid test” of development programmes must be whether they lead to measurable improvements in organisational and individual performance.  Do they lead to measurable outputs that contribute directly to achieving the organisations objectives?

ICOM set out to create a “renaissance” in management development.  The Renaissance was a time of change, creativity, innovation and insight.  These characteristics were built into the action learning delivery methods ICOM used in their programmes.  In-company, in-ministry programmes were designed which focused on solving real-time organisational problems.  Participants were taught how to improve their own managerial performance and that of their organisations through analysing and reflecting on their actions and comparing them to best practice.  That is, it’s learning by doing, on-the-job learning while participants are changing working practices.

This approach involves customising the programme to the needs of the client.  This involves providing tutors who have technical competence in the client’s “industry” and capable of helping managers develop implementation skills and the competence to connect with and lead their subordinates.