Team | Winning the Big Contract

Client

Managing Director and Executive Team in a global defence company

Focus

The team were bidding for the long term continuation of a contract they had been running for the previous contract period. The MD and team believed they would secure renewal if they could demonstrate further efficiencies in the operation of the contract. They knew that pushing the boundaries of organisation performance started with themselves. They wanted facilitation and support in challenging their own performance.

Formulation

Diagnostic work (stakeholder interviews and employee survey) indicated that the team performed well on the KPI’s set by the business, however there were areas to focus on:

• Some vestiges of silo working remained
• Matrix role boundaries were unclear in two functions
• Performance management with front-line staff was patchy
• Follow through on decisions by the Executive team was not uniform

Intervention

Two one and half day team workshops were held with the team over a six month period. Each workshop used models of individual and organisational psychology to make sense of current levels of performance and take actions to enhance performance. In summary the team worked on:
• A health check of individual performance – behavioural feedback and sharing development objectives
• Increasing the constructive challenge into team decision making
• Improving process management – agendas, briefing and follow through
• Better management of stakeholder relationships – customers and Board members
• Making performance management systems more friendly and consistent

Outcomes

The team continue to take time out to review how they run the business – they recognise the value of being more proactive. The key success factors for them have been:

• The contract was renewed (and enhanced)
• Cross functional problem solving increased (feedback from customer)
• Deadlines do not slip and frequently are ahead of schedule
• The team report that executive meetings are more disciplined and productive