Recent Projects Explained

About the project

This multi-national South East Asian bank needed a leadership program for its middle managers from four countries, to develop leadership skills and cohesive teams both within and across borders.

This learning program brought the middle managers together for a week long intensive program of five full day, highly experiential and active workshops covering the key skills required to success in their roles and to progress their careers, including:

• Influencing and principled negotiation
• Managing difficult conversations and conflict
• Performance feedback and coaching
• Presentation skills
• Cross cultural communication

Our learnings from this project

We’ve learnt that teams anywhere in the world benefit from the ability of their leaders to communicate in ways that are empowering, inclusive and engaging.

While a five-consecutive-day program can be a challenge for participants and facilitators, this can be overcome with engaging learning that is highly experiential, encourages participants to discover and own their own learning, and create a community of practice that crosses borders and cultures.

We learnt to connect across cultures as facilitators of learning, to work inclusively and collaboratively with respect. And we learnt a lot about some cultures different to our own, of course.

Feedback and testimonials

Exceptional feedback from the participant group and client, and the program has been delivered annually to new cohorts for three years running.

‘This program develops powerful and tangible skills for our employees’

‘[Our business] is seeing clear returns from this program as the managers implement what they learnt into their teams’

‘I feel more confident to lead my team and know what they need from me.’

‘I understand the power of communication and how to be more flexible with my style.’

About the project

Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) began the challenging transition of becoming a new statutory entity. This entailed a significant change in the existing operating model and an associated organisation-wide restructure.

We produced a learning strategy that focused on building capability in leadership, change and resilience. This consisted of:

• Strategic leadership workshops for the executive leadership team
• Design and delivery of change and resilience workshops for all team members across the organisation
• Personal leadership seminars for all team members across the organisation
• Design and delivery of skills based workshops for specific teams

Our learnings from this project

The numerous challenges associated with transitioning to a new organisational structure were all very evident during this project.

We learned of the value of a ‘top-down’ approach to this type of project. Our decision to engage the executive team from the onset gave us the opportunity to build alignment and support from senior leaders and generate the necessary momentum to cascade the project to departments and teams.

Feedback and testimonials

‘Extremely professional, from briefing, design, logistics and most importantly to the delivery of workshops. Took time to understand our business and tailor offerings and advice accordingly.’

‘In particular, the Change and Resilience workshops were best in class and contributed significantly to our organisation’s successful transition.’

Bernadette Chehine, Executive Manager, Human Resources

About the project

This NSW government department operates in a highly complex area and needed its leaders from diverse teams to work together to deliver on policy advice and find a shared way forward within its rapidly changing environment.

We first offered a pilot learning program which resulted in a recommendation to split the learning into two key components.

The first part focused on learning in emotional intelligence (EQ) and the impact of our emotions and beliefs on:

• our own mindset
• business relationships – internal and external
• our decisions
• departmental and organisational results.

Part two consisted of a round table discussion which brought leaders together in a controversial real-life problem-solving session. We used advanced facilitation and hosting techniques to:

• improve participants’ self-awareness and empathy
• enable vulnerabilities and concerns to be aired
• demonstrate how to engage disparate groups and manage stakeholder conflict
• build relationships across the traditional silos
• make some in-roads towards finding a shared way forward.

Our learnings from this project

We’ve learnt that incorporating a meaningful real-life challenge into a program is a highly successful model for deep and lasting learning. Learning is practised in a controlled environment and it provides opportunities for immediate self-discovery, feedback and skills improvement.

A very real learning was that by opening our minds, listening with empathy and speaking with genuine intent, ideologically opposed teams can work together and achieve great things.

An end of session reflective activity led to deep insights for all participants.

Through observing the facilitator, leaders learned how to run similar sessions to manage conflict in their own teams and stakeholder groups.

Feedback and testimonials

Initially aimed at one group of stakeholders, the success of this program led to its roll-out across multiple leadership levels.

Participant feedback included:

‘This meeting is long overdue. It’s the first time we’ve really bothered to listen to each other and the impact of that has been quite remarkable’

‘I was reluctant to attend today but I’m pleased that I did. It’s given us all much to think about in how we lead through these difficult times.’

‘Amazing. I can’t believe we achieved breakthrough with the (XX) team . I’ll be booking my Project Leads onto this program asap’

About the project

This leasing finance organisation, a subsidiary of a major bank, had built their leasing business around personalised service and customer care, with ongoing connection between customer service reps and their suite of frequent regular clients. The acquisition of a major competitor saw the business grow to 3 times its size, with a realisation that the old model for client liaison had to be reworked.

How could they upscale the management of customer relationships while maintaining the personal and relationship-based service that was the company’s unique offering in the market?

A bespoke learning solution was designed in collaboration with key stakeholders from the business, which engaged all client-facing team members in learning or extending their skills in higher-order customer service. Building rapport, perspective-taking, communicating bad news, creative problem-solving and negotiation were enhanced using the organisation’s own challenges, scenarios, and values.

The solution consisted of a blended learning program of five parts including self-paced learning activities, ½ day experiential, active-learning group workshops, and ongoing activities in team meeting for three months.

Particularly valuable components of the program included leadership briefing sessions prior to kickoff, 360 feedback surveys conducted immediately before, and three months after, completion of the program.

Our learnings from this project

Working in collaboration with stakeholders at all levels allowed us to create a program that met business relationship developmental needs, and created a clear link to business outcomes.

The combination of self-paced reflection, active team-based workshops and post-program support for transfer and implementation of key skills created sustainable behaviour change.

The key components of manager briefings to ensure their engagement and pre- and post-program measures ensured that the outcomes of the program were met successfully and sustained longterm.

Feedback and testimonials

Client feedback was highly positive, with increases of 8-10% in customer service scores across the 360 feedback results.

Feedback interviews with clients, including internal clients, expressed marked improvements in satisfaction ratings, both qualitative and quantitative.

Approached by other parts of the same business to roll out the program to another cohort of 200 staff.

‘Clear and tangible behaviours to develop rapport with clients’

‘I didn’t realise how the way I communicate a decision can change how it is received’

‘The training was fun and informative, and strengthened the collaborative spirit in my team’

‘I feel empowered to be creative in my problem-solving and to know my team leader will support me’

About the project

GenesisCare had identified a gap in the ability of leaders to manage internal projects and also lead teams and individuals through change. The company was expanding fast and the development of skills in project and change management were deemed a high priority.

We designed and developed a customised 1 day project management program, focusing on initiating and planning a project. This program integrated a project documentation interface called Smartsheet, which allowed participants to apply learning theory using a simple in-house tool.

To support this program we also developed a half day seminar called Leading Change. This program was based on Kotter’s 8 steps and focused on developing skills associated with engaging people and teams on the change journey.

Our learnings from this project

We learned on this project the value of rolling out a national project and change framework. The program generated a much more consistent approach to managing projects by introducing common language, tools and a simple methodology.

Whilst many participants were only project contributors they left the program with a much clearer idea of what they should expect in the initiation and planning of an internal project.

Feedback and testimonials

‘We delivered training to over 500 people nationally and not once did we receive any negative feedback on the program. This was an outstanding learning project from start to finish.’

Leanne Chapman, Learning and Development Manager, GenesisCare

About the project

AON Hewitt had a group of young finance consultants looking convey credibility when presenting to more senior clients – internal and external.

A program was developed around two workshops delivered two weeks apart with activities completed before and after each workshop.

Topics included:

• Plan your presentation to meet desired outcomes
• Structure your presentation for impact
• Select audience-centric content
• Add story and narrative for buy-in
• Use powerpoints effectively
• Use your body and voice to engage and express confidence
• Manage nerves and ‘own the space’

Our learnings from this project

We learnt that an enormous amount of time is spent in preparing, delivering and attending presentations and meetings. Yet key messages are often not being effectively communicated and regularly fail to inspire desired action.

This program improved organisational ROI by reducing preparation time and introducing techniques for more impactful delivery.

Feedback and testimonials

‘Excellent – easily the best training I’ve done. I’m already feeling more confident and can ‘own the space’. There were so many useful hacks throughout. Thank you’

‘This course was useful and fun. The techniques are easily applied in presentations and other important communications. The additional opportunities to present will definitely help build my professional brand.’

‘I most appreciated the facilitator’s honest feedback and coaching. I think planning with a buddy will help a lot.   I’m not so nervous of presenting now’