Favourite Shoes
Ski boots
john@wickland-westcott.co.uk Walk With
John Milsom
John is Head of Talent (North), responsible for leading our team of Talent Management specialists and Occupational Psychologists outside of London. He has been a core member of the team since 1996 and specialises in leadership assessment, development and executive coaching. He is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, with practical expertise in working with CEO and Directors, as well as High Potential leaders. John has a passion for supporting individuals, teams and organisations in being the best they can be.
John works across a variety of sectors and has long standing relationships with market leading organisations within FMCG, banking, finance, defence, transport and telecommunications. He has led a number of large assessment, development and change projects, supporting organisations through restructures and culture change. John has a degree in Psychology with Business and a Masters degree in Occupational Psychology. He also has a Certificate of Performance Coaching from the 'School of Coaching' in London.
Interests
Simple food, family, music and sport (sailing, skiing, mountain biking, football)Articles
08th November 2011Collaborative Leadership
Wickland Westcott runs regular Talent Management breakfast events, each featuring a ‘thought leadership’ presentation and discussion. A recent guest speaker was Marie Mohan of Common Purpose, an international not-for-profit leadership development organisation. Marie shared her experiences of developing international leaders, and specifically an approach to developing Collaborative Leadership skills. Marie opened her talk by highlighting the importance for leaders to be able to inspire people beyond their official authority....
Read more
07th October 2011Does coaching make you too risky?
One of the ways we try to add value at Wickland Westcott is by spotting leading-edge developments, and applying these to the world of talent management. Here we explore a potential pitfall for people being coached, and suggest ways to side-step it. A recent study(1) shows that when people are given pills they believe contain vitamins, this leads them to engage in unhealthy activities, for example smoking more, exercising less or eating badly....
Read more
05th October 2011Transparency with Candidates
Should you tell candidates the skills you are looking for? Should you tell candidates what you are looking for, or does this give the game away? We have worked with clients with strong views in either direction. Whilst academics have debated the effect of transparency upon the accuracy of assessments, as practitioners we know the question also impacts on the candidate experience, and therefore employer branding and the demonstration of core values such as integrity, trust and honesty....
Read more
19th July 2011The Future of Leadership
Wickland Westcott runs regular Talent Management seminars, and at the most recent event delegates were invited to consider the demands facing future leaders. The guest speaker was Paul Sigsworth of Nestlé UK, who shared the preliminary results of their ground-breaking work in this area. The starting point for the session was a recognition that whilst the world is changing more quickly than ever, contemporary leadership thinking is not keeping pace....
Read more
07th February 2011Survival Leadership
In a brief respite from the doom and gloom surrounding the current economic situation, Intel announced their global profits were up 48% for the last quarter of 2010. They also reported a rise in revenues beyond market expectations, stating that 2010 had been the organisation’s best ever year. Some organisations seem to thrive during recessions....
Read more
11th October 2010Are You a Velvety Merlot or a Complex Cabernet?
Behavioural competencies are widely used and well understood. The idea has been around for several decades. But what next? Is there any other way of thinking that could move us forward? Wickland Westcott has been at the forefront of developing and using competencies for over 20 years, serving clients and publishing extensively. In this time we have observed that whilst competencies are applied almost universally, there is a sense that the approach is far from perfect. So here’s a thought....
Read more
15th December 2009The Coaching Surgery
Today's economic climate means most businesses have been forced to review leadership development spend. Whilst developing and retaining top talent is more critical than ever, organisations are looking for creative and cost effective ways of doing this. One-to-One Coaching is widely recognised as one of the most effective tools in developing leadership capability and helping organisations build competitive advantage. However, the required investment can be prohibitive; this typically means access to coaching is restricted to very small numbers of senior...
Read moreCase Studies
31st October 2011Leadership Asset Management
Marathon Asset Management LLP, one of London’s leading independent investment management companies, applies a unique investment philosophy to identify businesses that will outperform the market and deliver long term returns to clients. Internally, Marathon takes the development of their own leaders very seriously, supporting key staff with targeted development and coaching. When looking to maximise the value gained from executive coaching, Marathon approached Wickland Westcott....
Read more
11th October 2010Embedding Values in Recruitment
Every CEO worth their salt knows the importance of setting the right tone within their operation. Yet actions speak louder than words, so how can one breathe life into written words describing the organisation’s values? Wickland Westcott has been working closely with Purina Petfoods to help embed its values deep within the business. Purina, part of Nestlé family of businesses, is one of the world's leading pet care companies. Their dedication to pets and their owners directs everything they do....
Read more
21st October 201020:20 Vision - Ultralase
Ultralase is the UK & Ireland’s biggest and most prestigious provider of laser eye surgery. With over 30 clinics, and a client list boasting sports stars such as Olympic triple-jump champion Jonathan Edwards, the business has enjoyed real growth since CEO Tony Veverka took over in 2006. Challenges during this period have included a change of ownership, restructuring the management team, and continuing to develop the organisation’s premium position within a competitive consumer market....
Read more
15th June 2009Camelot - Fit for the Future
Camelot has successfully won the licence to operate the lottery for a third time and has completely upgraded its network of retail playstations, connecting over 27,500 retailers via a brand new communications network. Camelot has also sought to underpin its continued growth and success by reorganising major functions such as Sales, IT, Marketing, Finance, Programmes and Legal....
Read more
24th July 2009Londis - Improving Retail Sales Performance
Founded in Cork in 1876, Musgrave is prominent in the Irish Independent's list of Best Companies to Work For. Describing itself as 'partner to entrepreneurial food retailers and food service professionals' it is best known in the UK through its Londis and Budgens brands. With a core staff of 5,500, the Musgrave business operations reach over 3,400 stores and forging constructive relationships with their network of partners is essential to their business model. The...
Read more
15th October 2010Stepping up to Senior Leadership
An experienced and ambitious public sector professional was given the opportunity to ‘act up’ as Director of his function. This meant he was leading a team of senior managers that had previously been his peers. The organisation was working through a restructure in response to new government initiatives, and discussions in Board meetings were often heated and contentious. Recognising that he needed support to help him meet these new challenges, Jeremy chose to work with a Wickland Westcott coach. His...
Read more
24th September 2009UNITE - Retaining High Performers
UNITE, the UK's leading developer and manager of student accommodation, recently initiated a significant change programme. In line with a new strategic and operational vision, Wickland Westcott was commissioned to assist in streamlining the staffing structure, requiring multi-role assessment centres designed to assess a high volume of internal and external candidates. Wickland Westcott worked closely with UNITE to identify the behaviours that were critical for success in the new roles, and the commonalities between them....
Read more