Leadership Development
When the CEO of a leading UK communications company retires after a successful 15 years at the helm the challenges for a new CEO can be significant, combining the need to build on past success whilst revitalising and refreshing both the organisation and its brand in a competitive market.
It was clear that a major change programme needed to be led and implemented in order to improve results, retain existing clients whilst winning new ones and to ensure that the parent company did not see the organisation as potential divestment material.
Our vision for the company was to consolidate the existing brand to build on past success, particularly in the regions and in specialist sectors whilst embracing the parent company brand to deliver a new, exciting offer to existing clients and prospects with innovative business streams and a different, broader sector focus.
The positioning which we developed in conjunction with all of the company’s managers, with input from staff at all levels was:-
‘Excellent people who deliver creative business ideas to achieve the clients’ business objectives’
A creative business idea is more than a one dimensional solution it is designed to transform a client’s business through the deployment of a combination of services. It allows the service provider to work within a client organisation at a much deeper level with a greater degree of trust. It not only creates tangible results for the client but generates greater income opportunities and develops the service provider’s people. It is the ultimate ‘win win’ solution.
Key objectives were to:-
There were two key elements to the change strategy which both needed to be delivered in a very short space of time.
First we addressed the need for change internally as any external activity would have had no credibility or sustainability without internal ‘buy in’.
We devised a plan to re-structure the entire business to create a combination of central teams focussing on sectors and disciplines whilst delivering ownership and some degree of autonomy to individual offices in order to meet client needs. The Board took responsibility for functional issues – finance, sales, marketing, interactive, product development and (for the first time ever) creative, rather than geography. We work on enhancing performance management systems using IIP, Balanced Scorecard and EFQM. A great deal of attention was paid to the internal communications activity with value cards given to all staff, directors delivering ‘road shows’ in all offices and a new format for the company newsletter based on mission, vision and values and new team briefing.
The leadership became highly visible with regular personal appearances from the CEO and other Directors and regular opportunities for staff to debate issues in informal surroundings, at social events or in feedback sessions.
Creative business training was devised in association with the parent company and a major university with attendance by the CEO on the last day of all training programmes.
Having led the internal change programme we then devised a model for leading the external activity in order to communicate the power of the change and the new brand to clients, prospects and industry decision makers.
This extensive and intensive change programme which sought to cover every aspect of what delivers sustainable, successful change was quick to deliver tangible, measurable results.