Success Story – Change Management and Building Resilience Management Training Program

Designing and delivering a Change Management Program for an IT infrastructure services company working with the executive team, managers, teams leaders, and other employees to help them through a restructure.  As a result of the Programs there was significant reduction in sickness/absence rates, increased employee engagement, and improved motivation and morale.

Business Issue

The sale of AXA UK’s Life Assurance business to Friends Life resulted in a £20m separation program and a two year transition period for AXA Technology Services Ltd as a 3rd party IT supplier to Friends Life. A complex reorganization was required to form a dedicated customer focussed division to enable future TUPE transfers and redundancies. As a result, there was a large amount of uncertainty, pressure and change which affected all 400 employees of AXA Technology Services Limited.

Natural Talent was chosen to provide their Change Management Program, as we had been successfully working in partnership with AXA Technology Services Ltd for many years. During that time our Training and Development Programs had resulted in significant and positive behavioral change, and improvement in individual, team and business performance, as well as providing excellent ROI.  Natural Talents Leadership and Management Development Consultants understood the business, the complex issues and personality types and were well known and trusted at all levels of the organization.  Previously they had delivered Talent Pool Development, including Training in Communication Skills, Planning and Organizing and Meeting Management, as well as Assessment Centre work for Executive Selection, 360 Feedback and Executive Coaching, which had also achieved significant behavioral change and a large number of key promotions.

Solution

The Change Management Program was designed to be aligned with the company strategy and vision and to incorporate the Leadership and Management Competencies and AXA values.  The delivery style was highly interactive, providing a confidential, safe environment for open discussion around key issues and Coaching Training support throughout the days.  Real life scenarios were discussed and solutions to key challenges identified. The ‘Managing Uncertainty’ Program involved the Managers identifying what Change Management is, the key issues regarding themselves and their Teams, plotting where they viewed themselves, their teams and the company on the Change Curve, and identifying why people tend to resist Change.  They examined Adaptation Strategies, Categories and Motivators and interactive exercises involved how they could best communicate and lead through the changes.

The ‘Coping with Pressure’ Program involved the participants identifying what Stress is, as well as the causes and effects.  They examined their reactions to the changes and pressure and practised tools and techniques to combat Stress.  Each participant assessed their Competency scores and personal Stress levels.  Understanding Emotional Intelligence and techniques utilized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, participants practised how to reverse negative head chatter, build their self-esteem and self-belief and use their accomplishments and Stress Busters to remain optimistic and avoid the vicious circle that leads to underperformance.

In addition, participants reviewed techniques for Planning, Organizing, Time Management, Delegation and Problem Solving, and practised tools and techniques to strengthen their Resilience and create a better Work/Life Balance. They developed a SMART Action Plan to ensure they remained positive, focused on their goals, listed individuals that could support them, and decided what they needed to start doing, stop doing and continue doing.

Outcome

Subsequently the Change Management Program was rolled out across AXA Technology Services Ltd in Switzerland. As a result of the Programs there was a significant reduction in sickness/absence rates, increased employee engagement, and improved motivation and morale:

‘The feedback from all courses has been excellent with an overall rating of 9.1/10.’  Resource Manager, AXA Technology Services Ltd.

‘I attended a course that Jill Maidment from Natural Talent ran; I can honestly say that it was one of the most interesting and captivating courses I have ever attended.  I believe this was down to Jill’s ability at motivating all the attendees as well as her positive and enthusiastic attitude towards the subject.’  Head of Print, AXA Technology Services Ltd

‘Having worked alongside Jill over the past 5 years I have been nothing but impressed with her knowledge, drive and tenacity. Jill possesses a rare combination of commercial acumen coupled with a trusting and personal presentation style delivered with impact, integrity and ultimately knowledge transfer.  She is a highly respected, experienced and practical Consultant, who is equally capable of delivering key messages at board level as she is working with employees on day to day issues and challenges. Jill possesses a unique and very professional delivery style and is very pragmatic, sensitive and flexible to ever changing business priorities whilst always maintaining client confidentiality’.  Head of Resourcing, AXA Technology Services