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Some of our past client engagments
Strategic Planning
Big 4 Bank Australia
One of our clients, a major financial institution, wanted to go about their strategic planning in a new and highly collaborative way. They were determined to draw deep from the well of their organisational knowledge, create strong engagement from their people and ownership of the final plan. We were invited to help them do this and the client wanted us to work with the principles behind of Positive Psychology and Whole System Change.
Over a period of three months, we worked to help to design and facilitate a very positive and engaging process. We started with the Executive team to build engagement for this radical approach and help them articulate their vision of a highly successful strategic planning process, which was to include the next levels of leadership in the dialogue. We engaged 100 senior managers in dynamic workshops which did several things: unearthed their visions for the next five years, explored their sense of the opportunities and the challenges, provided them with up to date insights into their market, competitors, people and wider organisational realities, and distilled out their top ideas for strategic objectives for the business over the next five years.
This work was taken back to the Executive and iterations and advances were made, so that a straw man 5 year strategic plan emerged. Some areas were identified, which needed further insight and refinement and a decision was made to create even deeper engagement.
As a result the Exec went on to host a Summit for their combined leadership group of over 300 people and shared their work in progress and sought input and feedback from which changes were made. The Executive also invited the group to do a real time ‘deep dive’ into the areas that needed further work, and in so doing all the leaders were invited to share their views and shape the outcomes.
Over the weeks that followed the Executive finalised their strategic plan and felt they had been successful in shaping a plan that was both insightful and effective and simultaneously helped to strengthen their leadership alignment and their performance culture.
Over a period of three months, we worked to help to design and facilitate a very positive and engaging process. We started with the Executive team to build engagement for this radical approach and help them articulate their vision of a highly successful strategic planning process, which was to include the next levels of leadership in the dialogue. We engaged 100 senior managers in dynamic workshops which did several things: unearthed their visions for the next five years, explored their sense of the opportunities and the challenges, provided them with up to date insights into their market, competitors, people and wider organisational realities, and distilled out their top ideas for strategic objectives for the business over the next five years.
This work was taken back to the Executive and iterations and advances were made, so that a straw man 5 year strategic plan emerged. Some areas were identified, which needed further insight and refinement and a decision was made to create even deeper engagement.
As a result the Exec went on to host a Summit for their combined leadership group of over 300 people and shared their work in progress and sought input and feedback from which changes were made. The Executive also invited the group to do a real time ‘deep dive’ into the areas that needed further work, and in so doing all the leaders were invited to share their views and shape the outcomes.
Over the weeks that followed the Executive finalised their strategic plan and felt they had been successful in shaping a plan that was both insightful and effective and simultaneously helped to strengthen their leadership alignment and their performance culture.
Deep change
Big 4 Accounting Firm Australia
Robyne was invited to work with some specialists from within the organisation to shape a transformational change journey for their partners.
The intervention consisted of a number of cross functional summits which used open dialogue processes as well as the Immunity to Change processes. The groups identified their shared cultural aspirations and personal development goals and then proceeded to reveal the blockers to those goals and to strike a path beyond the identified impasses.
Culture change
Air Crew Air New Zealand
Following on from the "Choosing our Future" summits, the management of the cabin crew decided they wanted to revitalise the culture and customer orientation of their team.
Over about 12 months, Robyne helped to design a process which engaged all cabin crew in a series of face to face summits where they collectively reshaped their ways of working, culture and customer service.
Rebuild trust
NSW Govt department
POD worked with a number of network partners within a regional government service department.
Morale was at an all time low, with open conflict existing between members of the management team and a generalised mistrust of that team by the wider organisation. Engagement was low and customer and performance metrics were suffering.
We kicked off with extensive qualitative research going deep into the organsiation to help to reveal some of the deeper issues at hand as well as to explore the organisation's highest hopes and deepest prides.
Based on our research, we worked with a design team to design two streams of work. The first was targeted at the unhappy team of leaders and the second with the rest of the organisation through a series of 'all hands' experiences.
We used a classic Appreciative Inquiry focusing on carryforward strengths, shared aspiration and a design plan to bring the future into reality.
During the process a number of 'informal' leaders really stepped into the limelight and helped bring the organisation back into shape.
What our clients have said
“No one gets off lightly when working with POD. We are all challenged and provoked, but they do it in such a way that we feel well cared for. They can smell BS from50 meters and are not afraid to go there.”
“I have worked with Robyne for many years and she can always be relied upon to listen to an issue, pull out the core of it, help me to understand how other critical stakeholders may see it and help me to get insight into my part in the issue and then I can shape a solution.”
“We use you guys, because you ‘just get us."
“We use you guys, because you ‘just get us."
“Robyne demonstrates advanced insights into my thinking andbehaviour that is unparalleled. She asks tough questions of me in a way that is positive and challenging. Most importantly she helps me take an issue and give it frames of reference that allow me to see through to the other side.” "
“POD are the best team ever in facilitating dysfunctional team to help them find a way forward. They can read a room and understand individual and team perspectives. They bring people into the game, even the recalcitrant ones who end up feeling like they are critical players in the team.”
“For any complex problem with a human element, I come to you.”