Case Studies

Training Course Design and Delivery

Managing People Issues Programme

This two and a half day training programme was designed in 2003 to equip 170 managers at different levels to increase their confidence and skills in managing a wide range of difficult people issues whilst heightening their knowledge and application of the internal HR Polices that were being introduced as well as understanding their connection to Employment Legislation.

Working with an Employment Law Specialist, we designed and facilitated this highly skilled based programme covering the management of difficult behaviour, performance and conduct issues from minor to matters of gross misconduct, and the management of an employee grievance.

This programme has been extremely successful in equipping managers with these vital skills that it has provided the early and effective resolution of issues at the ‘informal stage’, raised the performance of managers leading investigations and conducting disciplinary hearings and grievance interviews.

The programme is still viewed as vital by the business today and runs for the organisation’s new managers. Periodic evaluation and improvements have been made to the programme and the organisation’s HR practices based upon managers’ feedback and facilitator observations. 

Leading and Managing People through Change Programme

In 2006, we were commissioned to design a two day programme that would help managers lead and manage their teams through planned and unexpected change. Through our research and understanding of what was happening in the business, we also placed a piece of learning within the programme on managing conflict as this was identified as one of the main obstacles to moving the business forward.

The programme was focused on the acquisition of skills and successfully used Forum Theatre with actors who had been trained in NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming, enabling managers to address their learning needs in a realistic but safe environment at their pace. The programme was also supported with industry based case studies and further realistic role plays using the trainers as employees to stretch the managers learning.

The feedback from the programme was fantastic and equipped managers to face up to the challenges of leading and managing their people through tremendous change.

Self Managed Learning Design and Communication

Learning Resource Toolkit

In 2002 we were asked to design a learning resource toolkit with up to date and leading edge learning solutions that would meet the potential development needs of General Managers in a major chain of restaurants.

In order to ensure that the learning resource toolkit would meet both the current and potential development needs of the General Managers, we conducted some research with a number of their key senior operators. With the Area Directors we designed relevant work based projects for each competency area.

Each recommended learning solution within the toolkit was then given an appropriate description and cost code to enable the managers to decide the most appropriate and cost effective solution.

The business then launched the learning resource toolkit into the business with some facilitated workshops. The feedback was great and the toolkit is still in use today.

Values based Intranet Learning tools

A range of five hundred self managed, leader led and trainer led training programmes were written or internally pooled to enable employees at all levels to develop the right behaviours that demonstrate the organisation’s five company values.

These tools offer a variety of learning methods, for example, reading tips on developing a behaviour, practical and reflective development activities, suggested resources from the organisation’s learning resource centre, examples of best practice, one hour workshops, team exercises, case studies, internally run training courses and tailored learning events.

This toolkit, accessed through the organisation’s intranet, was internally marketed to the main business functions through department presentations, interactive training sessions, monthly email flyers, notice board posters, and interactive conference stands. Promotions and reminders were supported with pens and mugs for office based staff and a first aid kit for mobile staff.

As an employee used the toolkit once, the evaluation data showed that they were likely to use the toolkit several times. The toolkit was admired by other company affiliates in Europe and the US, and some were granted access.

More recently, the tools have been evaluated, re-indexed and added to, to help employees focus their development on the company’s new priorities.

Operational Training Framework

In 2005, we were asked to research and write a set of workbooks, process checklists and managers guides for coaching and assessment to support the learning of supervisors and managers in the running of cinemas.

The research included one to one interviews, facilitated group discussions, and shadowing duty managers. The result was a set of 15 simple, user-friendly operational and health and safety workbooks that were launched into the business through the organisation's network of coaches and the first documented standards for the business that can easily be updated.

Performance Coaching Service to Managers and Executives

New Coaching Service

In 2004 we were asked to provide a one to one coaching service for Managers that would enable them to effectively manage and coach their direct reports in line with the company's HR Policies, Procedures and Values.

The coaching options included:

The service has been utilised by a number of managers and executives to successfully resolve their challenges in managing employees at work and is still being used today.

Team Building Events

Over the years, we have run numerous team building events. Most have been for teams ranging in size from five to twenty, where they have wanted to gain a better understanding of each team member and identify ways the overall team can improve their performance.

Once we have understood the team's actual needs and goals, we will recommend one of a range of tools to be used. This could for example, include MBTI Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Belbin Team Roles, or OPQ Occupational Personality Questionnaire.

To ensure the team have fun whilst acquiring new insights, we then inject some indoor activities/exercises and facilitate some learning around these, or we work with an external team building provider to bring a wider range of challenges with suitable props and facilitate the learning around the chosen challenge.

The feedback from these team building events is consistently good, evoking comments such as "the best team building I've ever attended!".

Induction Programme Design and Implementation

Job Induction Programmes

In 2006 we were asked by a pharmacuetical company to develop departmental standardised induction programmes that would ensure new department team members were effectively introduced to the business and could quickly become a high performing team member.

To ensure continuity across the business, we produced a standard induction programme template that could be utilised and adapted within each department. Before helping each line manager tailor the induction programme for each job role within their team, we identified the core information that each new comer would need regardless of the department they worked in.

We then worked with each of the Department Heads to produce a standardised induction presention for use within their own department that they could share with each new team members.

Company Induction Event

In 2006 we were asked to design, facilitate and review a one day Company Induction Event for all new permanent and temporary staff that would be delivered by the company directors at their head offices periodically throughout the year in line with demand.

To support this, we produced a one day Company Induction Programme outline with presentation slides, facilitators guide and timetable, interactive tools, handouts and feedback form.

The one day event included:

Interactive HR Policies Induction Workshops

In 2003 we were asked to design and produce two half-day highly interactive HR Policies sessions that would familiarise all new employees and managers on the essential aspects of each policy.

To ensure clear learning objectives were set for each workshop, we worked with each of the appropriate policy writers to agree the key learning points that had to be incorporated into the two briefing sessions.

To make each session highly interactive, we designed a range of mini case studies to cover the four main policies that required greatest attention. The group were then split into small groups to answer the questions raised in their case study.

We then designed a quiz that was to be played in competitive teams to cover the content of the other ten policies that need to be covered in brief. At the end of the workshop, an individual test of knowledge was given to each participant, and a standard answer sheet was provided to support the learning.

To ensure that both these workshops could then be delivered by an in-house facilitator, we produced the following materials:

These workshops received great feedback from participants and the internal HR staff that supported the events. The sessions are still in existence today, although they have obviously been updated to reflect policy changes.

Training Evaluation

Evaluation of Management Development Programme

In Juy 2005, to evaluate the Managing People Issues programme that had been delivered to 145 managers between October 2003 and April 2005, we designed a comprehensive questionnaire to identify the impact of the training and to help the company prioritise future people management training needs.

We asked all the attendees of the programme to complete a personal questionnaire for which there was a 91% response rate. Each of the 57 questions and statements asked the manager to apply a rating and allowed the opportunity for the manager to make personal comments.

The results of the 132 completed questionnaires was then summarised into a Directors Summary Report. The report the impact of the course, the impact on the manager (behaviour change, confidence level, understanding of policies and procedures, and level of self sufficiency) and the business (handling of grievances and disciplinary matters, business benefits), as well as future training needs and recommendations.

The report was well received and most of the recommendations were taken on board. The programme still runs today.

Writing Training Manuals

Introduction of new technology

In 2004 we were asked to assist the Medical Team of a pharmaceutical organisation in the effective introduction of 'Documentum'; a system designed to help track and internally approve all of their materials that were to be used with their customers.

Once we had familiarised ourselves with the capabilities of the Documentum system in the context of this project we were able to facilitate Awareness Training sessions to meet the needs of each group of their end users, e.g. Marketing, Legal, Sales, Training. To support these Documentum awareness training sessions we produced presentation slides, handouts, and a frequently asked questions document.

The session provided end users with an overview of the system, issues raised within the pilot and how to overcome these issues, as well as the key benefits of the electronic system. Running these awareness sessions enabled the end users to consider the issues they may face prior to the system implementation and enabled us to determine the content and style of a training manual to support their planned one to one training.

The training manual we produced was highly visual and structured in such a way to help people with different learning preferences, i.e.

Each key task was also placed in the form of an User Guide onto the company's Intranet so that an individual could always access the information whilst they were working on their p.c.

This approach to the training was warmly received by the end users and the results ensured a smooth transition to the use of the new technology and a streamlined approval process.

Referees: If you would like to contact one of our clients regarding a particular piece of work, we would be delighted to provide you with the appropriate contact details. Please contact us for further information or a discussion about your training needs without obligation.