Example III
Improving leadership and managerial skills for higher team effectiveness for a business in wellness space
A $25MM US based regional fitness and wellbeing business that operates a chain of fitness facilities had undergone a major restructuring combined with post-merger integration of two different operations. As a result, the leadership team had also undergone changes as many new functional heads had been integrated into the new combined operations. A year and a half after the merger the CEO of the business together with the rest of the executive team felt that they lacked coherent cooperation within the team across various topics, such a resolving complex problems, effective communication, and time management. These issues were discussed in detail with the head of HR in order to find appropriate solutions. Despite number of internal initiatives for improvement, the CEO, in particular, felt that she was missing the dynamic ability to solve problems as a team and efficiency combined with lack of communication and negotiation structure. All these being paramount for the long-term success of the business.
HKH Management Consulting (HKH) was assigned to advice and work with the executive team to improve the internal dynamics of the management team. A team of two HKH partners worked, over a period of six weeks, with all the eight members of the management team by first conducting in-depth interviews (data collection and discovery phase) both at the individual and team levels. In the discovery phase each employee individually and in teams had to also complete various assignments that were then analyzed in-depth by HKH. Based on the collected data, HKH concluded that the team lacked some effective leadership and managerial skills tools often deployed by “state-of-the-art” organizations in overcoming challenges dealing with issues such as how to solve complex problems, either individually or in teams, and to make structured recommendations, how to communicate and negotiate effectively, and how to manage time appropriately when facing multiple day-to-day challenges and multiple deadlines. The HKH team also notified the client that they could better their personal development schemes in order to bring their internal talent to full fruition.
HKH developed the client a comprehensive toolkit combined with series of live training sessions. The toolkit consisted of various highly versatile tools used to train managers and executives in many leading companies. First, how to effectively resolve complex issues and structure recommendations. This tool utilizes a highly effective Pyramid Principle, invented by Barbara Minto, enabling the breakdown of a complex issue into manageable steps, structuring one’s reasoning into a coherent and transparent arguments, and how to think creatively while solving a complex issue. The training into application of Pyramid Principle included using one of the client’s real issues at hand by following a three step process – an introduction to the issue (the situation, the complication, and the question), application of the Pyramid Principle using horizontal logic, and how to create an effective story board.
Second, how to communicate effectively? This tool introduced the team to the top four habits used by the greatest communicators – 1) they don’t use verbal “Communication killers”, 2) they frequently use verbal “Communication openers”, 3) they use non-verbal communication efficiently, and 4) they do their homework prior to a real conversation. The in-depth material and the live training sessions drilled down into each of the four habits in detail combined with various exercises using for example SOLVER-framework. This framework focuses on how to improve non-verbal communication techniques, how to encourage someone to continue to talk and tell their story by adopting right behaviors and mindset, how to understand other person’s position, how to ask the right questions (both closed and open), and how to communicate with people that have different style’s by being able to adapt to other person’s profile.
Third, how to negotiate effectively? The team was introduced to various definitions to negotiation and what are the main skills that great negotiators possess – 1) communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, 2) an ability to “read” the other parties’ speech and body language, 3) an ability to be self-confident without being perceived as arrogant, and 4) an ability to avoid becoming impatient, excited, and emotive. The team members were trained into aspects what great negotiators usually do during a negotiation, which includes, sharing of the “win-win” mindset with the other party, going back to the needs, being hard on the problem, emphasizing common ground, being prepared, double checking one’s own understanding, responding and not reacting with emotion, being able to analyze strengths and weaknesses, and to continuously being able to sharpen the act.
Fourth, how to manage time? With this tool the team was introduced to top seven habits of people who master time management, these being 1) they have a very well-organized filing system, 2) they avoid procrastination, 3) they avoid being interrupted and distracted to reach a state of higher productivity, 4) they avoid ineffective meetings, 5) they master efficient tools for time management, such as Outlook, 6) they never start from scratch, and 7) they know how to prioritize. The subsequent material and live training sessions focused in-depth on these seven topics. In the live training sessions, the HKH team used real examples from the client organization and combined these with practical knowledge from prior cases that HKH had conducted. The team members were provided various, simple yet effective, tools for how to overcome challenges in these areas and how to systematically change one’s behavior.
Case outcomes
After the six-week assignment the client was able to identify the critical “pain points” negatively impacting its management’s team performance. The comprehensive toolkit designed by the HKH team combined with series of on-site training sessions provided a well-grounded platform for how to make corrective actions. Internal review and assessment questionnaires conducted by the HR team, three, six, and 12 months after the assignment, showed 98% satisfaction level towards the tools’ and training sessions’ positive influence on developing the management team’s dynamism. A year and a half after the assignment, HKH team sat down with the CEO and the rest of the management team in an open conversation and got unanimously positive feedback with concrete examples of how the team effectiveness, ability to solve critical issues and communication had all improved.