Case Study Airbus
What were the challenges?
- As a senior leadership team within a critical manufacturing part of the business, managers were responsible for delivering high quality components to the Final Assembly Line. In this high pressured environment, targets were tough and demands upon individuals were significant. Important targets were not being hit and morale was low. Managers needed a change in approach to improve performance and re-engage staff.
- A culture of measurement and control had led to a lack of ownership and personal responsibility. Managers needed to identify the 'life-blood' of the team in order to start winning back people's commitment and loyalty.
- Many of the senior leadership team had worked their way up through the company and were extremely technically proficient. However not all of them had the appropriate leadership skills to get the most from their teams and needed an opportunity to develop their leadership behaviours and skills.
What happened?
Farscape developed a 12-month programme for the Senior Leadership Team, which involved a series of interventions throughout the year with interim coaching. The programme is still running and includes:
- Use of employee engagement survey and a bespoke team survey to identify how the team are performing both from their own perspective and also from the perspective of their reports; other internal teams; stakeholders; and customers.
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of where the team are now and where they need to be.
- A personal journey to help delegates to discover their own strengths and weaknesses (including psychometric profiling and feedback).
- Identification of personal values and drivers to help individuals understand themselves and others in order to communicate more effectively.
- Identification of what good leadership looks like in order to agree a set of principles or behaviours that they will show and be measured against.
- Identification of the team 'brand' or identity to establish how the team will communicate with each other; their reports; other internal teams; stakeholders; and customers.
- Learning about different approaches, models and frameworks in order to develop a tool box of skills for use when leading (including coaching and briefing).
- Practicing different skills and techniques to identify what styles are appropriate for different people and situations.
- Giving and receiving feedback about individual and team performance in order to practice having difficult conversations.
- Reflecting on personal attitudes and behaviours in order to identify where changes need to be made to improve performance (including creating a personal action plan).
What are the outcomes so far?
The programme is now 6 months in and Airbus have given the following feedback:
“Our UK Manufacturing team is part way through a 12 month programme with Farscape - the team is challenging and Farscape have been brilliantly flexible in their approach in engaging them. The requirements of the team are complex and Farscape have designed a programme which is firmly focused on the outcomes and results that we need. As an HR Manager/Employee Engagement Specialist I look for providers who really listen to our needs rather than pull something off the shelf and act as if its 'just for us'. In this respect Farscape have been very strong. The training that Farscape have delivered so far with our senior leadership team has already had an impact. The team are now focused on developing the right behaviours; understanding how they impact on the people around them; and they are committed to making the changes that they need. By the end of the programme I feel confident that Farscape will have delivered focused results. Farscape are professional; they know their stuff and are passionate about what they do - I recommend them wholeheartedly.”
Matt Collington, Head of HR Employee Engagement, Reward, Organisation Design and Vitality, Airbus
Case Study Stena Drilling
What were the challenges?
- Rig Managers and Safety Officers were finding that safety management systems were not being adhered to onboard rigs. Excellent processes were in place; however there was a need for increased ownership and accountability from staff in order to ensure that these systems were followed.
- With an anticipated influx of new, inexperienced staff who would not understand the stringent safety standards or safety culture within the organisation, the role of the Rig Management Teams was becoming even more critical. Training to develop their confidence and to identify leadership and safety 'behaviours' was necessary to ensure that safety was quickly embedded on new rigs and within new teams.
- In striving to continuously improve safety, some systems and processes had become an encumbrance rather than a tool for improvement. The Rig Management Teams needed time to identify what was working and to establish ways of implementing systems that would make a real difference rather than becoming a paperwork exercise.
- Face to face communication and sharing of challenges and successes was not happening as regularly as it should under the pressure of rapid crew changes and rotations and too much 'measurement'. Agreed ways of working and communicating were required in order to create a joined up approach to leadership and safety.
What happened?
Farscape developed a safety and leadership programme for Rig Management Teams and Safety Officers. Each delegate had the opportunity to:
- Identify what was currently working and what were the areas for improvement.
- Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of their current position and future aspirations.
- Agree the perfect operational and leadership days and what would be required to make them a reality.
- Identify personal values and drivers to help individuals understand themselves and others in order to communicate more effectively.
- Identify what good leadership looks like in order to agree a set of principles or behaviours that they would show and be measured against.
- Practice different skills and techniques to identify what styles are appropriate for different people and situations.
- Learn about the foundations of high performance team work in order to help build more effective teams at work.
- Develop a company-wide approach to safety, focusing on personal ownership, accountability and responsibility.
What are the outcomes so far?
With over 50 people having taken part in the programme, Stena have given the following feedback.
“Farscape's Safety and Leadership Workshops have focused on the importance of behaviours within our organisation and upon personal accountability. The feedback has been extremely positive with the outcomes now being used to create company-wide recommendations. I recommend Farscape wholeheartedly.”
Jim Houlihan, Operations Manager, Stena Drilling
Rig Management Teams identified the following outcomes:
- Enhanced safe operations within the organisation.
- Reduction in paperwork and focus on quality rather than quantity of safety monitoring.
- Improved communication and sharing of knowledge, leading to a more coherent approach to safety across the organisation.
- A greater sense of personal accountability and responsibility
Case Study Allianz
What were the challenges?
- Recent and future restructures meant that people would be stepping up to leadership roles who had not had any practical experience or training.
- A history of autocratic leadership at the top had left a culture where people did not know how to be accountable or responsible.
- With a significant number of people wanting to take on more responsibility, Directors needed a way of helping people to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses as well as getting external feedback about leadership potential.
What happened?
Farscape developed a bespoke 6 month programme for groups of 12 Allianz personnel, which included both indoor and outdoor elements. Each delegate had the opportunity to:
- Go on a personal journey to discover their own strengths and weaknesses (including psychometric profiling and feedback).
- Identify personal values and drivers to help individuals understand themselves and others in order to communicate more effectively.
- Identify what good leadership looks like in order to agree a set of principles or behaviours that they would show and be measured against.
- Develop a personal leadership mission statement as part of their journey to becoming the best leader that they can be.
- Practice different skills and techniques to identify what styles are appropriate for different people and situations.
- Learn about the foundations of high performance team work in order to help build more effective teams at work.
- Give and receive feedback about individual and team performance in order to practice having difficult conversations.
- Learn about different approaches, models and frameworks in order to develop a tool box of skills for use when leading (including coaching and briefing).
- Reflect on personal attitudes and behaviours in order to identify where changes need to be made to improve performance (including creating a personal action plan).
What are the outcomes so far?
With over 50 people having taken part in the programme, Allianz have given the following feedback.
“Quite simply the most professional and innovative training provider I have ever experienced. Individuals who have taken part in the programme are now more confident and self aware. They have a clear understanding of the importance of building trust as a leader and how to build positive working relationships. They have a number of tools and models that are practical and useable in the workplace. Project teams are operating more effectively and less time is being wasted through miscommunication and lack of clarity.”
Don Morgan, IT Director, Allianz
A second 6-month programme is now being designed to build on these excellent foundations.