The headline
An improvement in working styles of the Senior Management Team, better management practices and a Return On Investment of £286,000 within three months of completion of the programme.
That is the kind of immediate ROI we like, showing that the Teammaker is an investment in your business, rather than a cost to it.
Some Key Outcomes, direct from the delegates, after three months:
“More organised, more driven and more focused as a team.”
“I have been able to open myself up to allow others to provide feedback, both good and bad.”
“I have been delivering learning to my team in a different manner, it is now more interactive.”
“I would say that the performance of my direct reports has improved since the training. I believe this is down to my improved understanding of situations and people and how to deal with those.”
“The sessions were great, insightful and delivered tangible skills. Thanks!”
Reported average job performance improvement was 48% after three months, up 13% from one month.
The Brief
Digital Marketing Agency Equator is a fast-growing, ambitious and focused business, working at the highest levels with the most demanding clients across the UK and beyond. With ever-increasing numbers of people joining them, they wanted to make sure that the SMT developed better ways of working together and with their own teams.
An essential motivation behind this is to continue attracting, developing and being “best in class” in their industry as they grow.
The programme
A fabulous, motivational and challenging five-day programme, delivered by CEO Russell and Head of Coaching Nicky, covering:
One: Strategic Facilitation
Where we are right now and where we need to get to. What is going to help and hinder us. How each of us plays a part in making good things happen.
A no holds barred off-site day with lots of feisty chat, dozens of flipchart sheets on the wall and some terrific outcomes to take back to the ranch.
Two: Social Style and Versatility
An introduction to the four Social Styles; each one’s strengths and limitations and how to develop your behavioural range through Versatility. Versatility makes us better colleagues as we communicate in terms that make sense to other people and focus on helping them as well as ourselves.
A revelatory day that allowed the team to hold up a mirror to themselves and others and the start of a journey to better communication, leading to both personal and business growth.
Three & Four: Feedback; Coaching; Change and Resilience
How to deliver tough love. How to focus on the issue. How to treat the other with respect. How to use the skill and process of feedback’s AIDE and coaching’s GROW models. And how to continue to do that through the never-ending wave of change that all businesses must deal with nowadays while, remaining resilient at and away from work.
This powerful intervention resonated in the business long after the facilitator left the room and was a powerful session that changed hearts and minds for the better.
Five: Stepping Up - Influencing with Clarity, Focus and Power
The key EI skills of star performers; how to influence and persuade effectively; having a range of powerful pitches and knowing when to use them; understanding the four stages of key meetings, and how to navigate through them to get a positive outcome.
An intensely practical day that pushed even the most accomplished delegates out of their comfort zone and had them thinking about how they communicate, especially with clients and prospects.
At the end of the day business growth is about advancing relationships, both inside and outside the office. This programme is all about how the best influence at the highest levels and was packed with practical tips and tools that allowed the SMT to do just that.
the results
The key outcome that a monetary value can be put on the investment is important: developing your senior team should never be seen as a cost to the business. But in the medium and longer term the behaviour change in individuals and teams will resonate at senior level and cascade through the business.
Social Style and Versatility:
- “….actively referring to the personality profile (of myself) to understand how to better flex this when working with others”
- “….in addition the comms style when working with other managers has been really useful”
With at least one person saying this element provided the best result from the programme for them:
- “Far more approachable and far more flexible with Social Style; number of people have commented that I have changed in terms of my approach, I am far more positive and in general the overall engagement has improved the results from cross-department engagement and working together in a common goal”
Feedback; Coaching; Change and Resilience:
- “Being more calm, silent, mindful, reflective”
- “During several 1-2-1s I’ve used both the coaching and feedback methods which have been hugely successful. Team members have commented on how helpful they have found the approach and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the subsequent outcomes and the impact on their work”
With at least one person saying this element provided the best result from the programme for them:
- “Giving feedback that was not only clear about the outcome for the person that was being spoken to, but also showing the outcome for the wider business. It helped this person understand the wider impact that that their actions had/have and reiterated the wider role they play in the business…..”
Stepping Up - Influencing with Clarity, Focus and Power:
- “Recently had a really tricky situation with a client/project re costs. There were lots of tricky conversations and I think I put across our position and rationale well, to the point everyone understood why the costs were as they were. We never once got told they were unreasonable as I believe I got the client to see it from our perspective.”
- “The session allowed me to focus more on developing emotional skills and asking underlying questions to help further improve getting desired outcomes.”
With at least one person saying this element provided the best result from the programme for them:
- “Making stronger changes within the department, which is now filtering out to the wider teams.”
The feedback shows that that there have been real, immediate changes in motivation, focus, behaviour and skills.
operations director, brenda brown
Taking the entire senior team out of the business for a day is a big consideration; taking them out for a total of five days over a period of time is a huge one. We worked closely with Sharon, Nicky and Russell over a period of time to ensure we had the right programme for the team and everyone was “on the bus” from the outset.
We anticipated delivery in the room would be outstanding and so it proved, but more importantly the momentum built in the room has been sustained in the business. That, in the long term, is what gets results.