Driving change through understanding people
Posted on 7th December 2022 at 14:15
Hydro wanted to lead organisational change from an external perspective with minimal disruption. Managing cultural differences and leadership styles, uniting people, and streamlining work were some of the challenges facing Hydro when two companies merged in 2020.
“Our aim was to create ways of working better together, manage different thinking from a sound perspective.”
Richard Mousley, Head of Human Resources
The Brief
In 2020, Hydro merged two companies together embarking on large scale organisational change and wanted to lead the change from an external perspective with minimal disruption. Managing cultural differences and leadership styles, uniting people, and streamlining work were some of the challenges facing Hydro. They needed to identify more collaborative ways of working as a team and establish a new culture people from each former organisation could thrive in.
The Solution
The partnership with Newland Partners has evolved into different paths delivering solutions to suit both Hydro’s strategy and growth plans.
Hydro’s Leadership team were introduced to the Insights methodology to form the foundation for what followed. Key Strategic Leaders have embarked on a one to one coaching programme to develop individual leadership capability and output. A 6-month Manager development programme took place for the next level of managers which focused on 3 core elements: Leading Self, Leading Teams, and Leading Organisation.
Hydro’s UK Sales division was commissioned with a 6-month Insights Sales Learning programme aimed at developing individual skill-set to transform the team dynamic. Further modules included the fundamentals of high performing teams, understanding the link between employee and customer engagement, building an accountable environment and performance culture. This group have since been re-visited by the creation of a Charter of Behaviour aligning values and mindset into collective accountability.
The Customer Service team completed a programme on Enhancing Communications, with a focus on key output around language and the actions of the service provision they provided to the customer base. Thus, improving how they communicate and collaborate both internally and externally.
Insights methodology has also been implemented within Hydro’s Talent & Selection programmes and one to one coaching assigned for strategic leaders to develop their leadership capability and output.
“Understanding people, how you lead and manage, and adopting a coaching mindset are integral to a achieving a culture people thrive in".
The Impact
Two years on since Hydro’s initial meeting with Newland Partners and Richard Mousley gave this feedback recently on the impact of partnering with Steve Peace, Newland Partners.
"Steve and I had conversations about personal development, leadership, and team development. We spoke about team dynamics and how the use of Insights could help shape what we were aiming for. Steve didn’t labour on the theory behind the Insights but rather presented us with a picture of how understanding Insights translated into practical, real, evidential change. This was very appealing to me and what we were trying to achieve at Hydro.
With the two companies legacies merging, a new Director and new leadership roles, we needed to identify a better way of working as a team which we believe is being achieved through our understanding and implementation of Insights. As a result, we are more aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to improve.
We've concentrated a lot on the sales side of the business resulting in improved principles within our commercial department on two different levels of the business, acknowledging differences and charters, enabling us to successfully drive and accelerate change. Insights has helped us focus on our people, more importantly understand individual behaviours and how we interact with each other. We are better equipped at getting the best out of people, particularly when you've got an array of characters, some strong, others difficult or disengaged, how you can manage these people and bring them back round.
Mergers are never easy, but this process has certainly been made smoother for our people since being introduced to Insights. We recognise more unity amongst our senior people despite a completely different management and organisational structure. We are far more united than we were three years ago. We recognise learning and development for senior managers can get overlooked, and we wanted to address this early on. So, two out of four of our Senior Managers in the UK have been assigned one to one coaching with Steve to proactively support their learning and development both during this period of change and for their future. Fundamentally strengthening their coaching behaviours which support and drive their teams below.
I've done almost every job you can think of apart from finance. You see people on the way up who believe that they're always right, listen little and are very directive, It’s one of my biggest criticisms of what I’ve seen in organisations over the last 20 years. The difference between understanding people, how you lead and manage, and adopting a coaching mindset are integral to a achieving a culture people thrive in in my opinion.
The support from Newland Parnter has enabled Hydro to carve out a new learning and development culture with coaching at its heart. Our people are far more inquisitive and questioning more. Rather than follow my leader, they're willing to challenge and say when things are not right. We totally believe in our people, and feel strongly our people are our biggest asset whom we want to invest time and effort. We want a performance driven business born from a happy, engaged workforce not internal competition."
The Newland Partners team prides ourselves on building trusting partnerships to facilitate lasting cultural change. For practical, pragmatic support with your culture change journey, contact us today.
Tagged as: Business Development, Change Initiative, Coaching, Culture Change, Customer Service Training, Insights Development, Leadership Development, Team Development
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