USB-ED understands that one of the central leadership challenges that corporate clients face is to develop fully performing leaders and managers who are able to achieve the organisation's objectives. For this reason, it collaborates with companies to design corporate partnership interventions in the form of leadership and management programmes, as well as organisational initiatives which are customised to meet both the strategic needs of the company and the development needs of the individual.

The primary focus is on learning as a journey, with the client organisation playing a pivotal role in co-designing the programme. The journey starts with a preparation phase, leading into the formal learning phase and concluding with the feedback and follow-through phase, which in turn leads into the next preparation phase. We work with the client throughout the entire learning journey, to ensure Return On (Learning) Investment (ROI).

We are not in the business of providing lectures and learning tools. We are in the business of facilitating improved business results. E3 means simply: Execute, Execute, Execute! by moving the finish line from programme design and delivery through transfer and application to improved business results. This is the new finish line, the mantra for successful educational interventions.

Developing leaders, managers and organisations

Three areas which form a vital part of the DNA of our programmes are:

• Action learning: a leadership development process designed to combine questioning, academic theory, best practice and actual experience to deliver high-quality business solutions.
• Coaching: a key competency of leadership and an invaluable tool for the development of talent, which should form part of any programme whether as an academic input or as a supporting tool.
• Learning Process Facilitator (LPF): the overall responsibility for the learning process in partnership programmes rests on the shoulders of the LPF. The LPF is responsible for assisting participants to reflect on and integrate academic learning, and to apply this knowledge back at the workplace.

Business-driven actions learning (BDAL) forms a vital part of the learning intervention so as to ensure that maximum value is added to the company. This approach has been used to develop successful learning interventions for a number of companies, such as Spier, Sanlam, Naspers, Safmarine, Foodbev Seta, BOE private clients, MWeb, Sabco, Coca Cola, Engen, Oceana, Eti Salat (United Arab Emirates), First Rand, Mercedes Benz, Sasol and Anglo Coal, to name a few.