Case study
Driving leadership efficiency in a multinational FMCG business
The client
A private multinational FMCG business, known for its award-winning products, was preparing for significant expansion after a decade of steady growth and a major capital investment. With plans to break into the US groceries market, the company brought in a new Managing Director with experience in larger organisations to help scale the business. The existing 20-strong team was under pressure to step up and meet the challenges that came with this growth.
The brief
The business set an ambitious goal: to double its sales within three years while maintaining the same team. Success depended heavily on the engagement, collaboration, and overall effectiveness of their people. The challenge was to transform this creative and passionate team into a slick, high-performing unit without losing the non-hierarchical structure and creative energy that defined their success.
The Managing Director sought ig’s help to optimise the team’s performance, focusing on enhancing their strengths and addressing areas that needed improvement.
“We wanted ig to help us be the most efficient team and business we could be: improving on our existing strengths and identifying the elements that needed work – and finding out why this was.”
Managing Director
What we did
Building self-insight
We began by helping the team gain self-insight at both the individual and group levels. Using a combination of rigorous psychometric analysis and one-to-one coaching, each team member explored their strengths, potential derailers under stress, and what motivated them. This process enabled them to understand their behaviours and interactions within the team setting.
Identifying team drivers
Next, we examined the team’s shared values – the drivers that united them but were previously difficult to articulate. The team was fun, non-hierarchical, and deeply committed to their customers and social impact. We guided them in addressing how to maintain these values while meeting challenging new commercial targets.
Applying the insights
With the data and insights in hand, we focused on practical application. The team worked together to define what they should continue doing and what needed to change to meet their three-year strategy. Objectives were allocated to specific individuals to foster empowerment and accountability, moving the team from theoretical discussions to actionable plans.
The results
Accountability and collaboration
The immediate impact was evident: team members began to communicate more openly about themselves, enhancing self-awareness and mutual understanding. The team started to work more effectively, appreciating diverse working styles and collaborating more closely across functions.
Impact through structure
By aligning individual actions with the company’s goals, the team began to realise their potential to influence business outcomes. Structures were put in place to support these changes, helping the team work differently and more cohesively.
Continuing the journey
The Managing Director was delighted with the progress made in a short time, recognising the lasting impact of ig’s intervention. The team was already beginning to come together and operate differently, with plans to continue leveraging ig’s support as they navigated this new phase of growth.
What our client had to say
People are starting to say, ‘I can impact the business in my way, and I know how to do that,’ and now we’re putting the structure in place to allow that to happen. It’s early days, but the team are already coming together and working differently. ig managed to achieve a huge amount in the limited time we gave them, and we look forward to their continued support – and challenge! – throughout this new chapter of our journey.
Managing Director
In summary
Through targeted self-insight, understanding of shared values, and practical application, ig helped this FMCG business optimise its team effectiveness. As the team begins to work more cohesively and with greater accountability, they are better positioned to meet their ambitious sales targets and continue their successful expansion journey.
