Henley Business School was announced in conjunction with the Diwan of Royal Court of Oman as a finalist in the Executive Development category of the European Foundation for Management Development 2015 Excellence in Practice Awards (EiP), according to a press release from the school. The EiP awards recognize outstanding education and development partnerships in the realms of leadership, professional, talent, and organization development. The Diwan of Royal Court acts as the interface between His Majesty the Sultan of Oman, his government, society, and international relations.
The partnership was forged so that Oman could prepare its leaders for future challenges and opportunities in a complex environment. Oman’s oil reserves are not as extensive as some of their neighbors’, creating some economic uncertainty. In order to ensure a more stable economic future, Oman is implementing a program to diversify their economy by improving sectors like tourism, agriculture, and logistics. The partnership will help fulfill the national promise that by 2023 there will be 500,000 Omanis employed in the private sector by working to improve the skills, experience, and capabilities of Omani talent.
The partners worked together to create a tailored and culturally-sensitive program that develops leadership skills by targeting the key areas of assessing challenges and opportunities, creativity, solutions development and evaluation approaches, strategic communications and reputation management. Leaders believe that the program is already showing signs of organizational impact at all levels. Participants have reported an improved team spirit and belief that Oman can succeed in diversifying their economy. Participants also report a better workplace environment and a clear focus on the Oman that will exist in the decades to come.