Case Study
Vodafone: Balancing leadership culture to enable better people decisions
The client
Vodafone Group is a FTSE 10 multinational telecommunications company headquartered in the UK, with over 430 million customers worldwide. As one of the largest mobile telecoms firms globally, Vodafone operates its own networks in 26 countries and partners with networks in more than 50 others.
The brief
Vodafone sought to enhance its leadership culture by shifting from a predominantly pacesetting approach to one that emphasises coaching. The goal was to empower leaders to utilise coaching techniques not only for one-to-one development but also in recruitment, performance assessment, and talent development. This cultural shift was intended to improve the quality of people decisions and bolster overall team effectiveness.
What we did
Initial program design
ig collaborated with Vodafone’s Group Talent Director and Chief People Officer to design a customised global program aimed at improving senior leaders’ people judgement skills and confidence.
Phase one implementation
The first phase focused on delivering tailored coaching and training to senior leaders across 16 markets. This included providing a toolkit and techniques for effective coaching, along with guidance on managing initial talent relationships.
Ongoing support
ig provided continuous supervision and support to help leaders refine their skills and judgements. This support enabled leaders to apply coaching methods flexibly and engage in productive talent conversations.
Global rollout
Following the success of the initial phase, the program was expanded to diverse markets including Germany, Ghana, India, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, and Turkey.
Coaching faculty involvement
ig was invited to join Vodafone’s Coaching Faculty, a cross-functional group overseeing the quality and impact of coaching programmes, to offer an external best-practice perspective.
Our approach combined intensive training with practical, real-world application. By embedding coaching deeply into Vodafone’s leadership culture, we aimed to provide leaders with the tools and insights needed for effective people management.
Daniel Vacassin
Founding Director
ig
The results
Enhanced coaching capability
The program significantly improved the clarity and understanding of coaching and talent development capabilities among Vodafone’s leaders. Participants reported a 21% improvement in clarity and a 20% improvement in their understanding of these capabilities.
Increased coaching competency
Since the program began, there has been an 8% rise in coaching competency among the trained leaders.
Cultural shift
The program facilitated a cultural shift within Vodafone, increasing awareness of the importance of quality people judgements and enhancing the overall coaching culture.
Positive impact on HR practices
Leaders and participants are now more confident in having candid conversations about capability, leading to improved recruitment, performance management, and assessment of potential high-performers.
Continuous evolution
The positive feedback has led to plans for extending the programme to additional markets as Vodafone continues to build on this coaching culture throughout 2017.
What our client had to say
This is a really powerful programme. By building coaching capability in our senior HR leaders, we have made a significant step forward – creating momentum and advocacy as we look to build more of a coaching culture in Vodafone. This programme is continuing, and we will update this case study with further results later in 2017.
Graeme Yell
Global Head of Talent and Leadership
Vodafone
In summary
The ig-led programme has successfully shifted Vodafone’s leadership culture towards a stronger emphasis on coaching. Through tailored training, ongoing support, and a global rollout, the program has improved leaders’ people judgement skills, enhanced coaching competency, and contributed to a positive cultural shift within the company. The initiative has set a strong foundation for continued development and expansion, aligning with Vodafone’s goal of making more informed and impactful people decisions.
