Advantica
We helped a global engineering consultancy transform from adolescence to adulthood so that it could stand on it’s own following divestment.
The challenge
Advantica (now part of DNV) needed to prepare for divestment from its parent company due to new industry regulations. Our brief from the Managing Director (MD) and Human Resource Director (HRD) was to help transform the business from adolescence to adulthood so that it could stand on it’s own. The challenges included:
The business was highly dependent on one customer
Declining revenue streams
Poor employee survey results: lack of engagement; fear to speak out; little faith in the management team
Little product or service innovation
Management – not leadership – in a hierarchical structure.
How we made a difference
To address these challenges, we worked with the MD and the HRD to design and initiate a programme that consisted of three strands:
Developing the senior management teams
Developing facilitative leadership and change capabilities
Designing a new strategic architecture for the business (values, purpose, vision etc.)
Developing the senior management teams
To help them get ‘fit for the future’, Perspectiv designed and ran a leadership and team development programme based on one-on-one and team coaching for the senior management team and their direct reports in the extended management team. 10% of Advantica’s 600 people went through the leadership development program, the aims of which were:
Challenge individuals to create even more meaning, purpose and value in the business through their leadership of colleagues, clients, suppliers and Advantica’s business performance
Build the skills and confidence to create new energy, direction and success within the business.
Commenting on the impact of the leadership programme, Shelley Young from Advantica USA wrote:
‘I can certainly say, without hesitation, that I have received great benefit from the Leadership Challenge programs and workshops we’ve all participated in. The 360˚ feedback, the VIEW, dialog sessions and personal coaching opportunities have left me with a heightened sense of self-awareness, a greater closeness and respect for my team mates and a more disciplined style of behaviour that, I believe, has made me a more effective leader.’
Developing facilitative leadership and change capabilities
Results of an employee survey identified that people wanted to be directly involved in developing Advantica's strategy, empowered to make decisions, engaged in the process of change, and interacting more with senior management. To address this feedback, a programme called ‘Keystone’ was created with responsibility for facilitating change projects and reporting directly to the MD.
Perspectiv provided Keystone with capability development in the form of a Facilitative Leadership Development Workshop, combined with individual coaching. Approximately 30 people attended the program and the Business Improvement Manager, Nick Murray, wrote of this work:
‘I led the Keystone task force working with Perspectiv to help transform the company and was responsible for providing facilitative leadership and collaborative problem solving support… our internal evaluation of the benefits included: improved customer engagement, increased employee engagement, improved efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving. We also avoided over £100,000 of consultancy costs and helped to secure strategic contracts worth over £50m.’
Designing a new strategic architecture
To clarify the way forward and in light of the employee survey results, Perspectiv worked with the Keystone task force to design a programme that invited everyone in Advantica to take part in workshop ‘jams’ to develop a new set of values and vision for the company. Workshops were held in every office to help people determine their personal values and visions, as well as those for Advantica. The company was successfully divested on schedule when around 2/3 of its people had been through the jams.
The results
‘I inherited a very technically competent sales team comprised of individuals focused upon hitting their individual targets. It was evident however that although the performance of individuals was acceptable we were under performing as a team.
Perspectiv worked with me and my team to set about identifying our individual preferred ways of working. This enabled us to build trust between us as individuals and as a team. This led to a much higher awareness of what we could attain as a team rather than as individuals and thus improved the performance of each individual by adopting a more cooperative culture.
Working with Perspectiv increased my personal awareness of my leadership position within the organisation and the influence I had. Kate helped me develop a better understanding of myself, my preferences and how to interact with colleagues who had different styles of working. The skills that I learnt helped me improve my working relationship with my senior colleagues and thus improve the performance of the business.’
– Ciaran O’Conchuir, Sales Director
An internal evaluation of the benefits of the Keystone aspects of the programme showed:
Improved customer engagement (IFI projects secured four months early)
Increased access to key customer stakeholders
Increased employee engagement
Improved employee commitment and enthusiasm for change
Aided employee retention
Improved efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving
Developed an internal capability to manage change (avoided £100,000 facilitation costs)
Helped to secure strategic contracts (NG Contract £55m, Centrica Storage £100,000)
Developed an additional revenue stream of £300,000 + £200,000 pull through
Introduced a shared language and tools for understanding behaviour.
The parent company was delighted with the value of Advantica’s divestment. Commenting on the results of the program, the MD said:
‘I needed to raise the game of the senior leadership team and the extended management team. This programme really challenged us to step up to new levels of performance – with results beyond my expectations.’