In 2018 we were approached by the HR department to work with 10 key managers, at various levels of management to work on performance and capability issues that had been increasing over a 3 year period. The members of this team were chosen for both their positional and personal power, in an effort to create a core team of ‘champions for change’.
The team had experienced multiple changes in senior leadership, and had a culture of ‘us and them’ resulting in complex layers of conflict behaviour, including gossip, hearsay, and interpersonal conflict and mistrust. A 360 degree leadership diagnostic and employee engagement surveys revealed that wellbeing was a major issue with the team as difficult communication, burnout, mental health issues and engagement were all key themes.
We used the GLWS (Global Leadership Wellbeing Survey) to begin the process of supporting the team through change and difficulty and increase productivity and performance. The GLWS reports were used in individual coaching as well as the broader team cultural change initiative. Participants learned more about how they could build capacity in the areas of:
- Authentic relationships
- Meaning and purpose
- Resilience and equanimity
- Balance and boundaries
- Vitality and energy
- Intellectual engagement and flow
The participants felt supported and encouraged in their wellbeing and the organisation has a clear path of people development through the change process. An impact evaluation study revealed that participants reported improved ability and confidence in maintaining their individual wellbeing needs, as well as improved teamwork and relationships, communication and productivity.
