The challenge
Our client is a medium-sized, globally dispersed technology business. They wanted a learning program that further developed their unique culture and improved team performance and leadership practices. In a competitive talent market, they wanted to provide development opportunities that differentiated them and contributed to team member retention and engagement. It’s important that learning sessions were available for all team members inclusively and that additional sessions were available for leaders.
The solution
Our solution was a 12-month blended program that combined monthly face-to-face workshops for all team members with quarterly online sessions for people leaders. The workshops, which were highly interactive and practical, provided ample opportunities for participants to connect, share challenges, and learn together. An initial workshop brought people leaders together to set goals for the program and collaborate on the topics that would enhance their and their team members' performance. This approach led to the creation of 12 subject areas, including communications, relationship building, giving and receiving feedback, time management, creating clarity, collaborating effectively, managing conflict, coaching, and team motivation. Participants also worked in learning pods - small groups of 3 – to meet in between sessions and support each other in applying what they had learned in their day-to-day work.
The Impact
The participants learned shared approaches to develop their skills and behaviours across core topics that were important for their performance. Team members from different business units are highly dependent on each other for the development of complex technology, and by using simple but effective frameworks they were able to apply easily in their day-to-day work, they have positively impacted their communication, collaboration and relationships. As a result of the program, people leaders have honed their coaching skills, enabling them to better support team member performance and application of learning from the workshops. This has led to a significant increase in the alignment of leaders across the organisation, resulting in a more concerted effort in delivering on the business objectives and technology roadmap.