12 October 2009
Building High Performing Senior Teams
Background
Our client manufactures, sells and distributes a wide range of well-known branded consumer products, operating from multiple sites across Europe.
The Challenge
To enable the senior team in a key functional area to make a ‘step change’ in leadership performance including:
• moving to a pan-European matrix operating model without losing a business unit focus
• improving ‘how we are organised, how we act and how we communicate’
• meeting the shared aspiration to become a high performing senior team capable of role modelling the right behaviours and building a number of high performing cross-functional teams throughout Europe.
Morgan Clarke’s approach
We took a brief from the functional head and then met with the 3 geographical leaders and senior category leader who comprised his immediate senior leadership team. We also met with a selection of peers and direct reports. This 360° view helped to crystallise team strengths and weaknesses in the senior team.
Our research allowed us to test assumptions, learn about issues and performance improvement opportunities for the team as well as understand individual development needs. We were able to use this deep understanding of the critical issues to design a solution which would ‘hit the mark’ and ensure delivery of the agreed outcomes.
An initial off-site event was designed and co-facilitated with the client’s Learning & Development Manager to ensure continuity and follow through back at work.
This event was acknowledged by the five team members - all high achievers in their own right - as a highly successful and influential activity which accelerated the group through the Storming and Norming phases of the team’s development. (Reference: Bruce Tuckman Stages of Group Development: 1965).
What was achieved?
- Team built a robust ‘charter’ to guide how they worked together
- Individual relationships were enriched
- The full value of how different individuals could maximize their contribution to the team was identified and worked through into day-to-day behaviours.
- The team has now become highly attuned to the characteristics of ‘High Performing Teams’ and is mentoring the other cross-functional leadership teams on how to benchmark their performance, build team charters and drive towards excellence
- Within the wider business, this functional area is seen to be leading the way in building successful cross-functional activity within the client organisation.
For more information about how we can help you build high performing senior leadership teams or to discuss your requirement in confidence, please contact:
Clive Watkins:
Tel: 01306 621600 Email: clive.watkins@morgan-clarke.co.uk, or
Philip Perry:
Tel: 01306 621600 Email: philip.perry@morgan-clarke.co.uk
Building High Performing Senior Teams
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