Client need
To deliver their 2020 vision of success, the board of this insurance organisation recognized a need to transform their culture to one that promotes entrepreneurship, collaboration, empowerment, accountability, innovation, meritocracy and high performance. To create it, the organisation asked Accelerance to partner with them in developing a new generation of high potential, senior leaders, and equip them with the capability to lead in a high performance culture.
Specifically, they asked us to develop senior leaders who are able to: think and act strategically; encourage and harness diversity of thought and maximise talent within a multigenerational workforce; thrive in the context of change enabling agility, creativity, collaboration and innovation to flourish; promote entrepreneurial thinking and behavior; have a clear understanding of the operational and financial dynamics of an insurance company; and who create, find and provide meaning and purpose at work.
Solution
Collaborating with the Talent CoE, we designed and delivered a two phase (2 modules of 3 days) intervention running over 6 months for a cohort of 28 high potential future leaders, identified as future directors of the organisation in the UK.
Key features of our solution:
- Discovery learning. Leaders were taken outside their comfort zone and into something new, to disrupt their thinking and stimulate mindset shifts. For module 1 (Amsterdam) we visited the Salvation Army and Buurtzorg where we heard staff talk about meaning and purpose in their organisation and how that generates motivation and engagement. For module 2 (Oxford) we visited the BMW factory to stimulate the leaders’ thinking about digitalization.
- Business led projects. Four business challenges (Direct Sales Strategy, Talent, Data and Customer) were selected by board members for the delegates to work on in teams of six and present their recommendations at the end of the programme.
- Personal leadership challenges. Individual development priorities were addressed through learning sets or small group conversations to help leaders with their personal leadership journey.
- Pre-module webcasts. 3 x 1 hour sessions were delivered before each module led by subject matter experts on strategy, innovation, leadership, technology and collaboration.
- Subject Matter Experts. Practical conversations on topics introduced during webcasts addressed themes such as “the forces shaping the world of insurance”, “the nature of strategy and its implications” and “innovation”.
- Leader led sessions. Business leaders led sessions on the operational and financial dynamics of an insurance company.
- Executive Engagement. Senior executives committed time and active involvement in guiding the business challenge projects, attending a final day to respond to group presentations.
Impact
- Everyone has had at least 1 promotion to a bigger role since being on the programme – five of which have had 2 promotions.
- The CEO of one of the BUs at the time stated “This is the best development programme I have seen in my 20 plus years in the company”.
- The delegates are still recognised for being part of the S’board programme 18 months on – they are called upon as a sounding board/idea generator/key project contributors and play an active role in supporting others in their development in the organisation.
- In the 1st week of joining, the CEO met with all of the Springboarders to understand from them where are the challenges and opportunities within the organisation and this led to launching some quick win initiatives to great success as well as involvement in building the new UK strategy.
- Comments from the delegates:
- “Every small step on my Springboard journey is bringing me ever closer to my goals and dreams. The insightful, challenging and emotional experiences of the event (which will stay with me forever) help me to stretch my thinking and building relationships with a diverse group of individuals. Individuals (Friends!) who provide support and strengthen my confidence, in my own abilities, to become an ambidextrous leader”
- “I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced Springboard, the support and insight will stay with me for the remainder of my career and, beyond.”
- As a result, the client expressed their enthusiastic interest in working with Accelerance for the next Springboard cohort and invited our consultants to explore further opportunities in executive and leadership development in the company.
