How an experienced Amazon Learning Manager rethought his one-to-one meetings on a leadership programme

Giulio Mazzone, Learning Manager at Amazon, took part in the Wibo Leadership Academy, a leadership programme with live sessions led by executives and peer sessions. He already had a lot of experience with one-to-one meetings, and still analysed how he runs them and took the improvement ideas into his own way of working. What he values in Wibo’s training is the focus on executives’ personal experience and the facilitation by Katia.

Who is speaking

Who Giulio Mazzone is and which Wibo programme he took at Amazon

Giulio Mazzone is Learning Manager at Amazon and took part in the Wibo Leadership Academy. In his interview Giulio Mazzone speaks first as a participant, not as a learning professional.

The interview

Our questions to Giulio Mazzone, and the answers

Answered by Giulio Mazzone, Learning Manager, Amazon

What was your first impression of the leadership academy?

First of all, let me tell you about my experience as a participant. I attended very pleasant and interesting sessions. It was nice to meet people who have a certain experience in the field and therefore have already experienced certain problems. I really appreciated that the focus was on the personal professional experiences of executives, which I think are Wibo’s added value in what you do.

**Watch the video**Giulio Mazzone of Amazon x Wibo, the Leadership Academy

What aspect of the experience do you find most useful?

One of the concepts in the course was how to run a one-to-one, and I already have a lot of experience in that. Even so, I tried to analyse the way I run my one-to-ones and to build in the improvement ideas gathered during the session, adapting them to my own way of working. I certainly liked taking a set of everyday concepts such as feedback, one-to-ones and strategic thinking, and trying to build them into a reflection on how I handle the situation as a manager.

Giulio Mazzone, Learning Manager, Amazon

What do you think about facilitation and peer sessions?

Katia was excellent as a facilitator, both in the peer sessions and during the live sessions. She managed to support the speakers so that their personal and professional lives came through. Sometimes the peer sessions were even more interesting than the live sessions with the executives. They work very well.

If you are considering a similar programme

Is a one-to-one training course worth it for managers who have run them for years?

Giulio Mazzone, Learning Manager at Amazon, already had a lot of experience with one-to-ones and still analysed the way he runs them. He took the improvement ideas from the session into his own way of working.

Do peer sessions add anything to sessions with senior executives?

According to Giulio Mazzone of Amazon, in the Wibo Leadership Academy the peer sessions were sometimes even more interesting than the live sessions with executives. He says they work very well.

What difference does a facilitator make in a leadership programme?

Giulio Mazzone of Amazon says the facilitator, Katia, led both the peer sessions and the live sessions of the Wibo Leadership Academy. She helped the speakers bring out their personal and professional lives.