The Challenge

The initial brief for WW Consulting was challenging, but clear. We were asked to develop an approach to:

• Align everyone behind the Vision and Values in both business deliverables and behaviour
• Achieve effective team working within and between teams and functions in a complex matrix structure
• Develop Leaders who:
  • Have a high level of self-awareness
  • Embrace ambiguity and complexity
  • Create an environment in which their people can be energised and mobilised to perform to their full potential
  • Understand and value the wider, one-company thinking to gain competitive advantage
  • Are continuously learning and improving both their business and personal performance
  • Create short, direct communication processes, where networking adds significant value

Working with the client, WW Consulting designed and developed a bespoke process, to enable managers to effectively initiate, lead and manage continuous improvement. It was designed as an organisation development process that focussed on the continuous improvement of three elements fundamental to business success:

• Organisation Culture (living the corporate Vision and Values)
• Teamwork (collaboration within and between teams)
• Personal Impact (self-awareness, attitude, behaviour, influence and interpersonal relationships)

The process was initially introduced in the UK. It was then extended throughout Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Through a team of professional associates, the process has been delivered in several languages, including English, German, Nordic, Finnish, French, Spanish and Italian.

In every part of the business, the Board of Management have experienced the process and committed to ownership of and involvement in the programmes for their staff. Also, a cascade process was co-developed to bring operational managers and individual contributors on board via a new programme. It was designed to fit closely with manufacturing KPIs and was integrated into the performance appraisal process. The programme was co-facilitated initially by WW and the client, but following a train-the-trainer process, some elements of the programme are now incorporated into the ‘ DNA ’ of the company and managed internally.

Significant Results

A good measure of any product or service is the repeat buying habits of its customers. This programme continuously improves and has been invested in and utilised by our client for over 12 years. Today, the demand for and popularity of the process continues. The payback from their investment, regularly quoted by Leader / Managers within the company includes:

• Much stronger alignment with corporate vision, values and strategies
• More partnerships within and across business units, product categories and functions
• Faster acceptance and implementation of change and new initiatives
• Paradigm shifts are bringing about new ways of thinking and behaving
• Improved understanding of personal impact, attitude and behaviours
• A growing critical mass of change champions
• A heightened sense of urgency within the business
• New ways of working are institutionalised and a common change language is in place
• The Continuous Improvement culture and processes have been strengthened