Business Challenge

This manufacture of home building products wanted to improve the productivity and operating effectiveness of its four manufacturing plants and sales group. They believed that an improved organizational climate in these locations, including robust levels of employee involvement, satisfaction, and engagement would improve business performance.

Solution

Working with their HR Vice President and her team, we custom designed, administered, and reported on the results of two assessment vehicles over a 3-year period: (1) a detailed operational and climate interview of plant and sales organization management teams, and (2) an employee survey to assess multiple dimensions of each organization’s operating climate. Results presentations were given to leadership teams, with follow-up detailed reporting provided to each department leader. With our guidance, the teams action-planned at the plant level, and where needed, at the department level to solve local operating issues. Two years post action-plan implementation, we conduced a follow-up survey to measure changes.

Impact

Follow-up survey results showed improvement in all critical areas. The largest being in employee commitment (30% gain), job satisfaction (68% gain), communication (63% gain), and assessment of leadership effectiveness (43% gain). A financially significant 10% gain in product quality and 3% gain in customer satisfaction also resulted. The company used these results to make regular operational, HR, and work climate tracking and improvement a strategic priority going forward.

Business Challenge

In the midst of their changing industry environment, an electric utility company wanted to update its talent management practices in order to keep pace with industry trends. They approached GeNovo Consulting about developing a succession planning program to identify and develop high-potential talent, as well as identify viable successors for all key jobs at the VP, director, and manager levels.

Solution

Having never conducted a succession plan or talent review process, the company needed to start from scratch. We custom designed an approach that included development of a leadership competency model, succession bench charts, high-potential criteria, and other supporting tools. These were then rolled into a set of process steps necessary to complete a talent review down to manager levels across the entire organization. Through an action learning/hands-on model we trained HR and line leaders how to implement, use the tools, and conduct talent review sessions.

Impact

After the first talent review cycle senior leaders felt increasingly comfortable that talent management was becoming a competitive advantage; primarily because skill gaps and a way to close them were identified proactively in the context of their changing business environment. High potentials were also identified and placed on accelerated development plans. We also trained HR leaders on how to use a succession planning process and toolkit to leverage the company’s talent as a strategic enabler.

Business Challenge

A mid-size privately-held power distribution company received low employee survey feedback scores on its performance management practices. They approached GeNovo Consulting with a request for help in redesigning these practices. The company wanted to accomplish three broad objectives: Use performance management as a vehicle to improve business performance, to further develop the careers and performance capability of employees at all levels, and to remain an attractive employer of choice.

Solution

We first conducted a broad review of their current practices for areas that drive employee dissatisfaction, including issues with compensation. We also conducted an external benchmarking study on emerging industry trends. We then led an internal team of line managers and HR leaders to help guide the redesign effort. This led to a complete overhaul of existing practices followed by a series of leadership and employee training sessions. The leadership sessions taught leaders powerful coaching skills improve employee performance; the employee sessions taught employees how to maximize the use of the coaching they received.

Impact

Using the new practices, this company is concluding its first complete cycle in 2016. Anecdotal evidence points to a well-received set of changes by employees and leaders alike. Senior management expects the redesign effort will have its intended impact of improving business performance, employee engagement, and helping the company remain on the “Best Companies to Work For” list.

Business Challenge

This non-profit environmental conservation organization was having conflict within its senior team. Team members were at odds over the organization’s operating principles and practices. This was impacting the organization’s ability to satisfy the requirements of its financial donors, and also to deliver on its overarching mission.

Solution

We first interviewed the organization’s CEO and all team members individually to understand root causes of the conflict. Through this process we identified a number of potential areas that required discussion and ultimately compromise among team members. We then designed a 1-day workshop to engage the team in a collaborative problem-solving process. This resulted in several operational changes, new agreements among team members, and a new set of operating principles that the team collectively subscribed to.

Impact

As with any major change, impact is not always felt immediately, and often times takes additional effort to become institutionalized. Such was the case here. We followed up with further coaching with the CEO on his leadership behaviors in order to “bring along” specific team members. Ultimately, the team worked together and improved its performance in support of the organization’s mission.

Business Challenge

A mid-market consumer products manufacturing and marketing company realized that to meet its operating goals it needed to upgrade its leadership capability at the VP, director and manager levels. The business was struggling to meet performance goals, employee engagement scores were low, and investors were asking a number of tough questions. They approached GeNovo Consulting about helping design an approach to improve leaders’ skills.

Solution

The company was looking for a high-impact learning experience to enable leaders’ ability to more fully engage direct reports, and to improve in areas such as relationships & trust, communication, coaching & feedback, accountability and cross-functional collaboration. We designed and helped them implement a 2-day learning experience for over 150 key leaders. The approach was custom designed to address the above areas, and to be delivered internally by a selected group of the company’s HR and OD leaders.

Impact

The design phase of the intervention was completed in the Fall, 2016, The company expects to improve business performance, employee engagement, and overall leadership effectiveness. Early pilot session results show that participants are taking away new skills that are impacting how the organization is run day-to-day.

Business Challenge

Over several reporting periods, a production unit of a major oil and gas company was experiencing a steady decline in production. The parent company was concerned this might continue absent an intervention. They first selected a new general manager, and followed this up with a request to conduct an “organizational diagnosis” to identify areas for improvement. Their intention was to identify those practices causing poor performance, then design and implement actions necessary to fix root cause issues once understood.

Solution

We designed an organizational diagnostic approach to identify key reasons for the productivity decline. This consisted of a multi-layered data collection approach to include an organizational practices survey administered to the entire organization, a cross-section of management and employee interviews, several employee focus groups, and a review of key operating and performance metrics. These data were then combined to identify broken management practices causing gaps in performance capability. Results were provided to management, and action plans developed to fix broken practices.

Impact

Several capability gaps surfaced, and included areas such as (examples only):

• Worker/equipment operator skill levels
• Poor climate of continuous improvement
• Unsupportive leadership
• Poor supplier management practices (for spare parts)
• Inadequate equipment maintenance scheduling
• Poor internal collaboration & information sharing

With a focused and comprehensive action plan at the organizational level, within a 12 month period production improved measurably, operating costs decreased, and employee pride and satisfaction improved through participation in being part of the solution.

Business Challenge

New Executive hires were having difficulty adjusting to a new organization, its culture and as a result were ineffective in adapting and implementing changes they were expected to make. Some were eventually terminated or resigned as a result.

Solution

A six month on-boarding program was established which provided the new hire with an executive coach who focused on building self-awareness, understanding and adapting to the new organization’s culture, navigating politics, and managing the pace and nuances of change.

Impact

New hire turnover dramatically decreased and new programs were implemented successfully. Now all new executive hires, both internal and external, are offered a coach for their first six months in the job.