A global financial services company

Leadership

A market-leading, international financial services company identified that its future growth and sophistication of operation required a leadership team who would be able to lead and develop the organisation over the next five years. This client was a high performer, aiming to compete in the top 5% of its industry internationally.

Although the financial service industry had experienced a turbulent decade prior to us working with this company, they had managed to create a climate of loyalty and commitment amongst staff; retaining most of their talented individuals.

As the economy has improved, the opportunities for able and experienced leaders in this field have also grown. The client’s capability to attract other able individuals was challenged by other opportunities that now existed in the market.

Wellbeing Works was commissioned to provide a programme of assessments and activities to develop leadership skills.

Approach

It became clear early on that the benefits of the programme would only be fully realised if participants could connect the programme content to the detailed direction of the organisation. Deploying our 7 key elements to workplace wellbeing led to the board further redefining its strategy, delivering a clear, easy-to-understand strategic message.

The leadership programme we delivered included:

• psychometric testing
• job profiling and role redefinition
• introducing clear success indicators
• establishing a specific link between success indicators and the actions and behaviours expected of staff
• a series of management skills workshops to embed a common way of working.

Wellbeing Works then refined the structure of the senior management team. Using the ‘7 Key Elements’, the structure was now focussed on customer needs based Whereas previously the structure had been primarily focused on customers’ needs based specialism, we refined this to now focus on a matrix of both geography and specialism.

Outcome

The overall effect on the financial services company has been to create a more cohesive organisation with an even higher level of focus on customer needs and a stronger emphasis on cost control. Leaders and managers now operate at the very highest levels of sophistication and effect.

The organisation has retained key individuals and its culture has enabled it to attract other highly talented professionals. It has managed to retain its unique culture and friendliness whilst continuing to meet the increasing demands of financial regulators.