Accelerating SLT effectiveness

 

Financial Services | Senior Leadership Team | Accelerating Effectiveness

“How do we need to be together to double our revenue in 2024?”

CONTEXT…

A global financial services group had weathered a very tough few years due to market conditions, COVID, and a major data breach. The latter had damaged the brand and share price. A global transformation programme was underway. New systems and new structures were being put in place.

PROBLEM & CAUSE…

In order to restore market confidence, our client, the chief executive of the group’s European business, had set an ambitious growth target, to double revenue within the coming year.

A key challenge related to a high turnover of senior leaders. Consequently, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) was now largely a team of fresh hires and internal promotions. The chief executive needed to spin up their collective effectiveness quickly.

IMPACT…

Without a re-set that would enable the direction and unity of effort required to achieve the business’ growth targets, the European (and wider global) business faced a bleak future.

SOLUTION…

#1   A confidential pre-event engagement with the 12 team members.
#2   A 3-day SLT Decelerator based out of the magnificent Ashridge House in Berkshire.
#3   Supported by 1-to-1 coaching.
#4   Followed up with a series of emails and calls by way of a holding-to-account arrangement.

“I wanted to say a huge thanks for your hard work this week. It was a very well structured and delivered event that I am confident has set the team up for success and put brilliant foundations in place. I appreciated your varied styles and attributes, and the combination was really effective.” 

Executive Director

DESIGN & DELIVERY…

We provided a 3-person team (Dave Stewart, Dr Suzie Kellett, Chris Grimes) to help the SLT inquire into the following high level question. This was underpinned by a framework of objectives, outputs, and desired outcomes.

As with many of our inquiry-based team workshops, this event kicked off with a powerful disclosure exercise (prepared for in advance by participants). This was designed to promote self-awareness and create a foundation of connection and trust.

This was particularly important given the early stage relationships most participants had with one another. For the COO and HR Director, this event was their first meeting with SLT colleagues. As such it served as a valuable element of their onboarding.

Workshop activities were conducted as an SLT and as sub-groups, indoors and outdoors in the beautiful grounds of Ashridge House.

The event also included a walkshop into the surrounding countryside – a metaphorical journey into the future and back.

Holding the event over 3 days allowed for unhurried discussions and created space for 1-to-1 coaching sessions. It also provided space for self-led reflection and follow-up conversations.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS…

The work culminated in:

• The creation and collective ownership of a first draft SLT Charter covering Foundations (Purpose, Values, Stakeholders), Operations (Behaviours, Ways of Working, Structures), and Aspirations (Team Ambition, Areas for Development).
• An SLT development plan based on three priority activities that were scoped with designated owners, customers, outputs, risks, resources etc. Other activities were held for review once the priority activities were underway.

“Thanks for the follow up. I can report we’re on track. I will share the final proposition today with execs for our new governance set up, hitting the agreed deadline. We’ll agree it in an SLT meeting on Monday. Tim is on track with his project to produce a drumbeat of work to move us to a more strategic footing. Rosemary is also on track with her work to produce a plan for talent – and we’ll be picking up elements of our people strategy in the work Tim and I are delivering above.”  

Executive Director.

“Please can I thank you all for your kind efforts and energy these past few days.  You managed to make the week entertaining, informative and enjoyable.  In addition to your obvious skills as trainers and coaches I thought the materials were excellent, and I was particularly appreciative of the considerate scheduling across the 3 days which worked really well for me.  There was a great mix of activity, which landed just right. Thank you.”

Executive Director