Case Study 1

• Retail sector
• Well-known provider of premium brand hair and skincare products
• Focus community: European management team

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Building a More Effective Leadership Team

Business Need

Following on from an earlier assignment, we were re-engaged by our client to do some work with their senior European management team. There had been some changes in the team and, as often happens when new people come on board, the team dynamics had changed. Not unsurprisingly for a team that had transitioned from 'performing' back to 'storming', some tensions had crept in. Hence there was a need for the team members to take time out from the challenges of day-to-day business and focus on learning and understanding more about their peers and their way of seeing the world. Also, to reflect on their effectiveness as a leadership team and how they worked together.

Our Approach

We used the insights provided by Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator® to build shared understanding of 'who are we?' as a team, with a particular emphasis on communication, problem-solving, and decision making. What was really going in their daily interactions, in management meetings, and when they worked together collectively. A key outcome was the recognition and understanding of the diversity of natural strengths and talents on the team, and how these could be leveraged to drive the strategic agenda, innovate, and make better management decisions.

We also used a leadership team assessment tool to provide insights into team effectiveness and behaviours. Having checked out reality, we then facilitated an envisioning session on 'What kind of a leadership team do we want to be? This enabled team members to talk openly about their values and beliefs, their challenges, and what was important for them as individuals, and as a team. Key outcomes from this session were a shared sense of reality in terms of where they were as a team, and a strongly expressed desire to build a leadership culture moving forward where trust, openess and transparency were the norms, and where individuals could be authentic and be themselves.

Finally, in a 'call for action' session, we helped the team to create a road map for moving forward, and build comitment to make it happen.

Client Feedback

'Thank you. Great job!' Vice-President Europe

'A huge thank you for your support and the encouraging way you have helped us to set a direction moving forward - so many golden nuggets over the two days. I really value your experience and look forward to working with you again.'   Human Resources Director