Integrating Team Leaders with Site Leadership Team
The Challenge
The client was looking for a programme which helped front line managers in the manufacturing environment accept their role as members of management rather than hang on to their previous role and mind-set as “one of the workers”. This was during a time of significant threats to the business from the global parent which was questioning the value and investment of UK manufacturing
The target population were typically shift leaders working in a 24 hour shift pattern with very strict deadlines and quality control standards. Their experience of management training was almost non-existent and it was clear they felt somewhat abandoned and detached from the management level of the organisation.
The Design
We created the name “The Explorer Programme” to reflect the journey that this population was taking in new territory – often without clear guidance or even a map…
The most important part of the design was the manufacturing site input. We developed a committee who would work with ClearWorth to ensure that we had access to site leadership, the managers of the participants on the Explorer programme.
The programme spanned 15 months to ensure learning and integration into the workplace. It was broken into 4 modules with a written workshops and a written assignment which would be marked a member of the site leadership. This person would attend one of the workshop and give feedback on the top 3 assignments. All Explorers got feedback on their assignment from training and development.
Each module included action learning sets where peer groups were able to discuss, in a completely confidential meeting, what they were struggling with and have their thinking challenged and supported to help them decide what to do next.
It was agreed that senior management would attend every module to actively engage with the population. We asked them to share their favourite management model and a painful piece of learning. This served to help the Explorers feel more connected to their managers.
Highly Commended at the National Training Awards
What the participants (and their managers) thought
Manager feedback:
“Explorers get to know themselves and what as individuals and team members they are capable of, in turn for a manager you become more aware of your delegate’s ability and the value they bring to the business”.
Delegate feedback:
“My teams are now thinking for themselves more; I am trying to coach rather than do the work for them”.
Manager feedback:
“I’ve seen 1st line managers grow in confidence, feel able to discuss issues more openly with their managers or senior managers, and do so with a wider understanding of the business background”.
Delegate feedback:
“I now have an understanding of the [company] Leadership Behaviours and recognise how they could help me on my journey”.
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