Case Studies

Case Study 1

PRIVATE OSTEOPATHY CLINIC

The owner wanted to develop his business by creating an environment which improved the experience of the visiting client prior to and during treatment - leading to clients choosing to continue to use the clinic's services and word-of-mouth referrals

Method:

• interviews with team members to identify concerns and current skill level
• in-house one-day coaching in effective communication skills for 10 people

We explored and developed working practices, using verbal and non-verbal communication skills, for the purpose of developing greater levels of rapport within the team and with external clients.

Outcome:

• participants expectations were exceeded (see Our Clients section of website), business has continued to develop

Follow up:

• Periodic individual coaching to review progress against individual objectives.

CASE STUDY 2

MAJOR BLUE CHIP INTERNATIONAL RETAILER

Six-month coaching programme with 50 managers on 11 sites across the North East of England representing a range of disciplines, plus 10 management trainees.

Method:

• agree expectations and measures with stakeholders
• initiated and established coaching as a means of personal development for each individual
• spoke to representative groups and circulated feedback and achieved concensus from group and stakeholders

This approach supports ongoing personal development of managers, which is both individual and time-efficient and offers the opportunity for a tailored approach rather than one approach fits all. Concentrated on developing capability of individuals rather than their skills or knowledge.

One-to-one dialogue of about one hour, then 4-6 weekly reviews, which each took around 30 minutes, these focused upon reflection and review of the previous time period and agreed specific actions for the next period.

Essentially the role of the coach is about assisting individuals to hold themselves accountable for their own development.

Outcomes:

• A performance measurement tool examining improvements in areas such as
• innovation, empowerment, teamworking, involvement
• demonstrated an increase of 10-15 points over the 6-month period, where 5 points is normally recognised as a good improvement.

The plan for the next phase is to project manage a retail change programme looking at business efficiencies across the North East of England. The managers who have already participated in the previous 6-month programme will have developed the capabilities and relationships to facilitate change with others and therefore the next phase should be wholly achievable given that these capabilities are in place.

The longer term business benefit therefore is much more realisable due to the foundations laid by the two-phase coaching programmes.

CASE STUDY 3

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO MAJOR UK RETAILERS

Collaboration between these two organisations and a voluntary sector organisation, with a view to developing creative thought, exposure to different leadership styles, communicating and influencing without authority, consultation and decision-making.

Method:

• Three managers from each retail organisation participated in a 6-month project, using 20 days management time.
• Voluntary organisation wanted access to businesses to build a platform to develop working partnerships (rather than just funding) and to approach this with new perspectives and enabling new understanding.
• The scope was open-ended, which enabled each organisation to determine its own parameters through a consultation process

Outcomes:

• Participants spent the first 4 months 'falling over themselves'. Facilitators had to resist temptation to intervene. The key learning point for the participants was about removing preconceived ideas and just being open and honest about how they were feeling with one another. As soon as this openness was achieved then it became much easier to work on the process without inhibiting behaviours.

Senior stakeholders from both retail organisations and members fed back after the 6 months. The desired outcomes set out at the beginning were exceeded, they:

• developed their managerial skills
• began to share best practice without barriers
• had first hand experience of joint project management
• felt valued and developed by their respective organisations
• recognised that motivation retains good people
• felt it helped individuals as well as the departments in which they worked

Future plans are to conduct a similar project, possibly with different organisations. Senior stakeholders are now beginning to network and address common corporate issues together.

CASE STUDY 4

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMBUILDING CONFERENCE AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY

An invited delegation of academics, public, private, voluntary sector and artists were assembled to consider the essence of how teams work, issues and related areas of interest.

Andrew Pearce presented ideas around the importance of values alignment and the roles of leadership. He highlighted the need for generating an environment where speculative and creative solutions are facilitated.

Click here to view a PDF document on Effective Teamwork.

Method:

• 20 minutes presentation followed by discussion and questions from the floor

Outcome:

• broadening awareness of current thinking and endorsement that Prydale's methodology is totally appropriate and in alignment with current best practices

Future plans:

• Applying this in corporate environments and potential collaboration with selected conference delegates.

CASE STUDY 5

PROFESSIONAL SURVEYING PRACTICE

Introduction of a coordinated training programme to this large practice of chartered surveyors.

Issues:

• Professionally qualified and experienced practitioners within a growing organisation where management development skills have been low priority

Method:

• Contributed to a 3-month taster programme to stimulate interest with a view to developing a longer term more cohesive approach.
• Four two-hour introductory workshops open to all staff. Attendees across all functions throughout the organisation, both technical and non-technical.

Subject matter was designed to flow sequentially:

• Maximising your potential
  
• Influencing People
  
• Managing Yourself and Your Future
  
• Time Management.

Feedback summary was that training was well received and that further work would benefit individuals in the longer term.

Future plans are to continue to work with the business and facilitate:

• Teambuilds
  
• Workshops
  
• Personal Reviews
  
• One-to-one coaching.

CASE STUDY 6

VOLUNTARY SECTOR ORGANISATION PROMOTING LITERACY SKILLS

Voluntary sector organisation promoting literacy skills. Organisation has tripled in turnover over last 2-3 years. 30 salaried staff across the Tyne and Wear region.

Approached by the Director of the organisation to facilitate a day which will:

• unite a group of people as a cohesive team given that they are working across a range of disciplines over a range of sites
• problems that have arisen owing to a change of scale

Board approval had to be gained and Charity Commission approval for the piece of work.

Method:

• A half-day to interview team members as to what the issues are, what their personal objectives are for the session, as well as the objectives of the stakeholders, what specific tangible outcomes do they wish to see
• Design and deliver a day.

Outcomes to be determined, however personal action plans.

Future plan will be to review event and review individual's progress against plans.

CASE STUDY 7

NATIONAL PERSONAL COUNSELLING CHARITY

Regional Training Manager had identified benefits of Neuro Linguistic Programming from a personal perspective and organisational perspective. Idea was to improve capability of trainers to deliver development programmes for volunteers.

Issues:

• Team of 6 trainers and regional trainer, issues were lack of confidence in their own abilities as trainers.

Method:

• Develop a common framework and approach so that they were able to recognise their own skill base and have a consistency in delivery.
• Half-day informal workshop exploring views and existing competencies and set parameters and agreed a model for a consistent approach whilst allowing individual interpretation and creativity.

Outcome:

• Very positive immediate reaction however benefits continued to be measurable 6 months, 12 months and 24 months resulting in an almost permanent positive behavioural change in the trainers