The second edition of BMMI’s talent development initiative kicked off with Module 1 earlier this month. The EPIC programme focuses on the ever so important aspects we all seek in our leaders: experience, people, innovation and culture!

This year’s development initiative includes thirteen carefully selected employees who have displayed high potential, and will in the future be responsible for playing an even more critical role.

Alosra’s Marketing Executive, Danya Alalaiwat, had a few reflections to share regarding the initiative, “at first when I heard about EPIC, I was a bit hesitant. It sounded like a group therapy session that involved a lot of ‘feelings’ talk. When I went into the course, there were parts of it that made me feel uncomfortable. It was still a great experience that challenged me. The instructors were helpful and very knowledgeable, so it was always great to hear real workplace scenarios they’ve experienced. More importantly, it was great to get to know colleagues, whom you don’t really interact with, on a personal level. By day four, we all had a better understanding of each other.”

The Talent Development function is tasked with the critical responsibility of catering to the development of our potential leaders and safeguarding our corporate culture. This is the exact reason why this initiative is being carried out in order to carefully prepare our existing and future leaders for opportunity. The aim is to ensure that our talent is equipped and ready for the many opportunities on the horizon.

Brand Manager, Younis Abdeen, sums up his experience so far perfectly, sharing, “it’s such an amazement how a simple shift in behavior can lead to endless possibilities; I believe we are now responsible to pass this on to our colleagues!”

To wrap up Module 1, current and past participants from last year’s programme got the chance to share valuable insights with each other. Everyone was reflecting on how hugely impactful the sessions are. They talked about their personal journeys and shared fantastic advice with the group. Current participants are now putting things into practice and are sharing lessons learned with their own teams.

For those of you who may feel left out - don’t you worry! This is an evolving initiative, and will continue to be designed annually to suit the needs of our business. For any questions about the programme, or to discuss your development, please get in touch with Talent Manager, Sarah Al Sairafi, at salsairafi@bmmi.com.bh.