In this section, you will find examples of work carried out by Chrysalis Consulting for some of our clients that might give you some ideas on how to do things differently.
Case Study 1
LEADing the Way
Why?
Our London-based client with a workforce of 3,500 approached us about delivering a Leadership Development Program for 100 of their leaders who were looking to be better leaders. The HR director had participated in our program for HR leaders and wanted to offer this to the leadership population as a different way of learning to help leaders better engage, lead, and motivate their teams.
What?
We worked with the HRD and CEO to understand any specific needs of the business and how best to deliver the program to ensure engagement and motivation for learning. We then worked with the HRD to design a short questionnaire for the participants so that we could ensure we met their individual needs and objectives; we repeated this again 6 months into the program.
The program included four 2-day workshops, one-to-one coaching and some online learning content. The 12-month program focused on the areas of Self: Be More, Relationships: Have more, Work: Do more, and World: Give more.
To allow time and space for embedding the learning, every participant had an additional “time to think” day every month as well as being able to use real-life examples of projects, goals, or objectives relevant to their business area so that the changes were seen and felt across the organization.
Pulse surveys were carried out with employees across the organization before, during, and after the program to sense check the changes and measure the growth of the leaders, the impact on the employees, and the success of the company.
Outcome
By the end of the program, employees reported that they felt more valued, leaders reported that they felt more in control and more comfortable in their roles, and the organization saw an increase in performance, customer satisfaction, and profits.
Case Study 2
Putting People First
Why?
Our London-based client with 1,200 employees approached us after the appointment of a new CEO and HRD to provide some additional support to the HR function following three consecutive restructures and a significant decrease in engagement, productivity, and performance.
What?
We worked closely with both the HRD and CEO to identify their vision and aspirations for the organization and the HR function and looked at where to focus in the short-, long-, and medium-term. The lack of engagement had occurred due to a breakdown in trust between the senior team and managers, which was directly impacting employees. Engagement workshops were held with the managers and senior leaders to find ways in which to work together more effectively.
The role of the executive team members was redefined, managers given more responsibility and greater autonomy, and further solutions were identified and implemented over the next 12 months. A new People function was implemented, and a greater partnership model was put in place. A new People strategy was created, ensuring it was aligned to business, financial, and performance goals. Policies and procedures were simplified, some even being removed completely, and employees began to comment that they felt more trusted and empowered to do their job.
The vision and values were relaunched and workshops were led by employee ambassadors who wanted to help to drive and champion change.
Outcome
12 months later, and the business has grown from strength to strength. Customer satisfaction and employee engagement have increased significantly and sickness levels have decreased for the first time in 5 years.
Case Study 3
Saving Time and Money
Why?
Our client, a leading logistics company, contacted us about helping with some cost saving activities. One site closure and one site relocating in a short space of time and savings needed to be found in other bases.
What?
Closing one site is difficult; another coupled with a relocation was tough. Utilizing our experience in “People,” we ensured those affected by redundancy were supported from CV writing through to 1-2-1s on interview techniques. Relocation required engaging stakeholders, both internally and externally, ensuring all aspects were covered from IT through to ensuring we had canteen facilities—colleagues need to be fed and watered!
Outcome
Closure saw all but one colleague either continuing their employment at a different location or being successful in securing employment locally elsewhere. Relocation wise was deemed as Zero impact to customer and a seamless transition from one site to the next. Huge success!
Case Study 4
The HR Function
Why?
Our Peterborough-based start-up IT security company was growing and in need of some support in reviewing, designing, and implementing their HR policies and procedures. The company was 2 years old, started with five founding directors, and was now recruiting an increasing number of employees.
What?
We worked with them in understanding their short-, medium-, and long-term needs and growth plans as well as understanding more about the type of culture and environment they wanted to create for their people.
We reviewed and added to their employee handbook, designed and implemented a performance management framework and induction process, and carried out some initial management training for the senior team as well as carried out annual reviews of all contracts and policies.
Latterly, we have worked with them on streamlining some of their processes to free up management time and have helped with strategic people planning to ensure the right people are recruited in the right roles at the right time.
Outcome
The senior team are now more confident in dealing with recruitment, induction, and performance management and deal with any issues quickly and effectively as and when they arise. We have developed a fantastic partnership with the client, know their team, their aspirations, and their growth plans, and are on hand by phone and e-mail at any time as well as provide face-to-face support and attend company social events.
Case Study 5
Blended Learning
Why Blended Learning?
Our London-based client with 3,000 employees had been engaging with staff and identified that they wanted to offer online learning to their workforce after implementing agile working across their four sites. This would allow employees to learn in their own time and offer a greater number of courses.
What?
We worked with them to identify the types of courses they wanted to offer online, the theme, style, and length and also to understand if they wanted to complement any of the existing face-to-face courses and programs. Their biggest concern about moving to online, despite it being requested by their employees, was that learning would not be embedded and that people would be learning in isolation. We discussed with them our interactive learning system that encourages collaboration, social learning, and social interaction and the “I commit to . . .” at the end of the course, where people share what they will change/do as a result of the course.
The courses we designed included some of our existing courses as well as some of the organization’s existing content. Three courses were created jointly, taking into account the needs of the business to complement the induction process for new employees as well as offering this to existing employees. The content of the course topics varied from mandatory training, personal development courses, and professional development courses.
Outcome
Engagement with learning improved, whilet the learning spend decreased. Employees commented that they could learn what they needed when they needed it and could go back for refresher courses when needed. They also loved the fact that they could learn at home, on the train, and at times to suit them.
Case Study 6
Changing Mindsets
Why?
A senior HR professional approached us about some coaching support. It was to help increase confidence, improve relationships, and influence skills so they felt able to apply for an HR director position.
What?
Kelly met with them initially to fully understand their needs and ideal outcomes by the end of the coaching relationship. By the end of the first session, the client had let go and released some negative thought patterns. They had stemmed from school and early work experiences that had caused some self-doubt and self-limiting beliefs in their own ability. The client agreed on some actions to take forward and made a commitment to make a change and have a “challenging” conversation the next day.
By the second session, the client appeared visibly more confident and focused on the amazing changes that they had made since the first session. They came prepared with their own agenda for the session and were more determined than ever to move their career forward. They also noted that relationships out of work were also improved, that they were sleeping better, and really focusing on the positives. They commented that the changes had happened so quickly they could not believe they had not considered this type of coaching before.
Outcome
Within 4 months, the client secured a new role, with a new and much larger organization in a more senior position as HR director. They even negotiated their remuneration package to secure a higher salary (something they never thought they would be able to do).
They were happier, more confident, and more relaxed and engaged with us to work with three of their new team members.
Case Study 7
Keeping Things Simple
Why?
Our Norfolk-based client with a workforce of 2,700 employees approached us about supporting them in simplifying their behavior framework to help it come to life more in the organization. The existing framework was long, complicated, and difficult for employees at all levels to understand and implement in their day-to-day roles.
What?
A lot of engagement had been carried out internally with employees, employee forums, and leaders to highlight what was important and what was needed moving forward.
We then facilitated a workshop with employees, leaders, directors, and trustees to discuss the work so far, the need for change, the five stages of culture and how to implement change in the organization.
Collating all of the information, we produced a behavior framework in one simple visual, a “behavior dictionary” to provide more detail when recruiting, inducting, developing, and leading employees, based on the compassionate leadership model and focused on all employees, taking accountability for their words, actions, role, and development.
Outcome
All employees, including trustees, were delighted with the results, communication and the culture improved, and the expectations of employees were understood and delivered by all employees in a relatively short amount of time. The framework was also integrated into all other areas of the employee life cycle and became an integral part of the way they do things, focusing on doing things differently.
Case Study 8
Performance Reviews—What Next?
Why?
Our global client with over 10,000 employees contacted us about helping them improve the performance review process in the UK and Europe. The process had become a laborious tick box exercise with little value added, and they wanted to do something different. They had heard about the work we had done with one of their competitors and wanted a fresh approach.
What?
We worked in partnership with the senior leadership to understand the requirements of their business areas, the culture across the different sites and countries, as well as observing the way in which employees worked with one another, and then, provided three solutions.
The desired solution was to remove performance appraisals from the business, but to find ways to improve performance and ensure that employees felt valued. Introducing a learning culture into the organization seemed to be the priority, meaning that employees would be more accountable for their learning, development, goals, and objectives.
Coaching and mentoring were implemented, managers began to provide on-the-spot rewards, including Thank You cards, lunch vouchers, and monetary rewards, and employees took responsibility for their own development. Work shadowing, internal and external secondments and online bite-size learning were introduced internally as well as trusting employees to purchase courses, books, and programs to help them develop in their roles and build on their skills.
Outcome
Two years in, and retention and engagement have improved, as have customer service and business performance.
The organization pulse check employees through short surveys and hold regular engagement workshops with employees at all levels to identify further changes as part of their continuous improvement plan and they are delighted that they took the risk to do things differently.