Case Study
A telecommunications company: Executive Committee team effectiveness
A FTSE 50 telecommunications company
The insight/action dilemma. On their own, neither is effective.
Leaders can set goals, create strategies, envision success; but frequently, they fail to root plans in a clear understanding of the current state of the people who constitute the organisation.
The result: the plan stays just that – a list of abstract lines forgotten in the depths of a report or PowerPoint presentation, never really seeming to fit in with the operational bustle of daily reality.
For reality-based action, we first need to achieve clear insight.
The client
One region of a multinational FTSE 50 company.
The brief
Our client approached us to help execute their corporate strategy. The goals were ambitious but achievable, focusing on establishing the company as a ‘most loved’ brand and integrating their service and product offerings to achieve scale while maintaining strong customer experience. Success required the executive committee to collaborate effectively across functional lines and adopt a broader, trust-based approach to leadership.
What we did
Culture and leadership assessment
We used the Hogan Suite of psychometric tools to assess individual and team dynamics within the executive committee. Each team member received a detailed personality profile, helping them understand their behaviours under pressure, their strengths, and their motivations. One-to-one coaching sessions complemented this assessment, enabling the individuals to gain greater self-insight and a deeper understanding of their impact on the team.
Team analysis and feedback
We aggregated the individual assessments to create a comprehensive team profile, identifying key stressors, motivators, and behavioural patterns. During a team session, we presented these findings, revealing underlying issues such as vertical alignment over cross-functional collaboration and a divide within the ExCo itself. This lack of trust was hindering agile working and strategic progress.
Action planning and commitment
We facilitated a series of team discussions that led to a commitment to agile working and a shift towards a CEO mentality, encouraging accountability at all levels. We developed a structured calendar and strategy for the coming year, ensuring that these commitments translated into tangible actions. Using our Change Matrix, we prioritised actions based on their impact and feasibility to create a clear implementation timeline.
The results
1.
The ExCo achieved a shared understanding of team dynamics and identified key areas for improvement.
2.
A culture of accountability and collaboration began to take root, bridging functional divides and fostering trust.
3.
The team is now better aligned with the company’s strategic goals, with a structured plan in place to ensure ongoing progress.
What our client had to say
In summary
Our intervention helped a multinational FTSE 50 company’s executive committee align its leadership approach with the organisation’s strategic vision. By fostering deeper insight into team dynamics and facilitating a shift towards agile, cross-functional collaboration, we laid the groundwork for systemic change that supports long-term business goals.
