Case Studies | PEAK Performance & P

Case studies in leadership development

Improving recruitment function capability

1. SITUATION

The client had an established Talent Attraction function, which had been undergoing a significant amount of change over the last few years. Their focus had been on process improvement and technology enhancement. They now needed to upskill their recruiters to create a more creative, accountable and customer-service delivery function to improve their capability and get positive results.

2. OPPORTUNITY

Over many years, PEAK Performance & Potential has been enriching and enhancing the capability of many recruitment functions. So, following a discovery session with the client, a framework was suggested to complement the recruiters’ technical skills with customer-service skills.

3. SOLUTION

‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Recruiters’ was delivered to the whole team to enable them to think about how to think outside of the box. The programme consisted of a practical, thought-provoking workshop consisting of a blend of theory and practice, via exercises, story-telling and group discussions.

4. RESULT

Three workshops were held at the client’s site for 30 participants, which were followed up by confidential 1-2-1 coaching sessions for team leaders. This generated over 140 ideas, thoughts and suggestions for change. These were reviewed by the leadership team, and summarised into 30 actions, which were implemented over the following 3-4 months.

Developing a more collaborative leadership team

1. SITUATION

The client is facing a huge challenge to create a significant amount of change over the next five years. This includes how the leadership team can deliver its BAU service as well as meeting the strategic needs of the Board. This required updating their technology, enhancements to their processes, understanding their strategy and developing their people.

3. SOLUTION

The ‘Effective Leadership Communication’ programme was delivered, focusing on leadership and communication skills. It is based on ‘The Leader’s Window’, a business philosophy for leaders to get the best out of both individuals and teams. It includes a 360-degree psychometric assessment to compare their leadership style with feedback from direct reports. Participants attended a confidential 1-2-1 coaching session to support them in implementing the model and to work on their individual and team goals.

2. OPPORTUNITY

The leadership team wanted to learn more about their individual and collective strengths and areas for development. This included

Understanding individual strengths and any gaps
What strengths they have as a collective team
How they can support each other when required

4. RESULT

The leadership team adopted a more collaborative approach, which has seen an increase in positive interactions between themselves and their teams. Anecdotal evidence has been captured from their ‘customers’, demonstrating an upturn in leadership engagement. Objectives are now in place to monitor progress via annual appraisals and PDPs.

Creating a more dynamic leadership culture

1. SITUATION

The client ran its annual employee engagement survey to measure how its employees were feeling about the company and to spot opportunities for change. The output included criticising senior leadership of losing touch with the grassroots, a lack of formal leadership development and the desire for more professional coaching to support career development.

2. OPPORTUNITY

Time was spent with the senior leadership team to fully understand their objectives. This included working with the CEO, Sales Director, HR Director and Transition Director to understand the challenges the business was facing, and the desired outcomes of the programme.

3. SOLUTION

A programme was created for 40 leaders (directors, function heads, managers) which was implemented over 24 months. The programme consisted of four one-day workshops focusing on effective leadership habits, improving communication, building high-performing teams, and managing through change. All participants attended a confidential 1-2-1 coaching session, completed by a refresher session to share learning across the leaders.

4. RESULT

Positive outcomes included higher engagement scores (up from 56% to 82%), a distinct behavioural shift towards retaining customers (through higher net promoter scores), becoming an employer of choice (more investment in development), and a drop in attrition (by 10% in many departments).

Building confidence in a technical leader

1. SITUATION

A technical director was struggling to manage their own leadership team effectively as they had been focusing too heavily on the technical detail. They de-prioritised their own development needs to work beyond their own remit. As a result, they needed support to reinvest time in their own professional and personal development.

3. SOLUTION

Eight areas of change were identified, including an understanding of their leadership style, how to improve their communication, how to build an effective leadership team, and how to positively influence their line manager. Fortnightly meetings were held to agree objectives and provide the necessary support to achieve them. Particular focus was given to help the client to work more collaboratively with their line manager, and how to create a more collaborative leadership team.

2. OPPORTUNITY

Following a discovery session with their line manager, a 10-week coaching programme was agreed (subsequently extended to 20-weeks). This included developing their own style of leadership and how to delegate effectively in high-pressured situations. In addition, a session was held to compare their strengths with their line manager.

4. RESULT

After the coaching, the director wrote: “One of Simon’s many strengths is his ability to hold up a mirror to reflect behaviours as a mentor and coach and his feedback is grounded, warm and personable. He brings insight and understanding to achieve personal and professional change. This has been of great value to me and my team.”