Leadership Development

An international office supply retailer acquired a business to business office supply company in a bid to become a more diversified, competitive player in the market. The deal was signed but the hard work was yet to be done to build the new organization – “a billion dollar start-up” as the new CEO described it. Core values were articulated as the bedrock for the new culture. We developed a custom leadership competency model to serve as the foundation for new leadership development and performance management systems and tools. The role of leader in the company came into focus as expectations of leaders were clarified. Working with HR business partners, the jobs were refined to include increased emphasis on people development and ongoing performance management. Curriculum, training, and learning resources in core leadership skills were developed, addressing key competencies at all levels. Operational processes and priorities were reevaluated to enable managers to focus on proactively managing performance and developing people, in balance with their operational responsibilities. As a result, there was a 28% increase in the number of people receiving performance feedback and reviews, reflecting a more balanced view of leaders’ priorities.

A formal talent review process was developed to systematically learn about the top talent in the organization and determine how their talents could best be used and developed. The output informed the company’s formal succession plan, providing the Board with insight into the leadership pipeline. The process resulted in individual development discussions at all levels, and systematic development activities including targeted job assignments, training, and individual coaching.

Customer Service and Care Management

A 300 bed acute care hospital had enjoyed the highest patient satisfaction in the region by a comfortable margin, but their results began slipping as the other hospitals in the area made significant gains. Senior Staff set improvements in patient satisfaction results as a strategic priority. The suggestion that caregivers should attend training (again) was popular, but rang hollow as we dug deep into the system and worked to understand the drivers of the decline. The decision was made to address the caregiver experience as the first step in improving the patient experience. Extensive analysis of employee engagement survey results with caregivers and managers was done to understand how to build on strengths in the system and address shortcomings. This led to many changes, big and small, to make daily work more rewarding. Leadership skills of front-line managers were uneven and their time was often consumed by non-value-added tasks. Streamlining and redistribution of manager responsibilities allowed them to focus on value-added activities such as structured rounding and employee development. Leadership training that focused on managers of caregivers prescribed both behavioral and process changes, provided support tools, and included ongoing coaching support to sustain changes. Disciplined implementation in the Medical Surgical unit resulted in patient satisfaction scores rising from the 31st to 83rd percentile.

Business Process Improvement Leadership

A class 1 railroad wanted to reduce the time required to complete locomotive overhauls to increase uptime. A redesign of the workflow at the locomotive overhaul facility left leaders unsure of how the new process should work, and how their roles were changing as a result. Facilitating working sessions with the managers and line workers clarified work processes and standards while uncovering additional process improvement opportunities. Leadership skill training of all managers focused on those skills needed to foster continuous improvement: encouraging input, collaborative problem solving (PDCA), managing conflict, straight talk, and others. Training also focused on implementation of processes and tools such as visual management and pulse meetings to reinforce new ways of operating. Ongoing coaching of managers supported application of the skills by reinforcing new behaviors and ways of working together day-to-day. The line increased its throughput by 38% and the leadership team was able to create a continuous improvement culture that surfaced and acted upon opportunities as a matter of daily practice.