Financial Services sector

The Head of Strategy and Communications at the Bank, Susan Law, read the book Real Time Strategic Change. The Bank had regular leadership meetings that included 300 senior managers. When they decided to try an RTSC approach a partner of ours Sol Davidson suggested we could help. The next two meetings were developed using a design team with great success. The Bank sent 14 people to learn more about engaging and convening people, to a practicum we held in partnership with The Axelrod Group and Robert Jacobs.

Strategy Development
The Bank went on to engage 4,000 of their staff in conversations about their strategy in 10 events around the country. We supported the design of these events, facilitating the design team, and we supported the internal team in facilitating them.

Leadership Team Development
When the leadership team were wrestling with new cost challenges we facilitated a senior leadership session in exploring polarity management. We also supported the design and facilitation of events for all of the 1000 senior leaders - in two sessions exploring brand and strategy development.

In this work we supported David Rooke who was the lead consultant.

A new Marketing and Underwriting team had recently been formed. As part of the overall integration process they decided to bring the whole team of 300 people together face to face. They wanted this to be an interactive and participative experience that modelled the spirit of the new organisation and achieved significant breakthroughs in at least one of the critical challenges fading them as a team.

VISTA worked with David to facilitate the design team planning the 2-day event. We co-facilitated the event with David and the internal team.

"To work together across the newly formed Marketing and Underwriting Team to create an integration plan which will build a dynamic and interactive force delivering exceptional results"

We also worked with David and a design team from the Finance Division to bring the whole Finance team together. The Senior Management Team had a desire to share their vision of becoming more effective as a function and building a more inclusive and listening environment. The event enabled people to connect with the developing vision of finance and help people see their connection to it. We facilitated the design process and in support of their desire to build internal capability, coached and supported an internal facilitation team for the event itself.

"To engage our energy and enthusiasm to unleash the energy and commitment of all of the people in Finance"

We supported Ben Bryant who was the lead consultant for this project. Ben was designing a leadership development programme for Zurich Insurance and was planning a 'laboratory' to test out ideas for the induction process. The aim was to strengthen the participants experience in a range of leadership roles, build the capabilities and competencies of leaders and build the participants' awareness of and commitment to the leadership challenges over the next 10-15 years. Ben wanted to use large group and whole system approaches to the work. We acted as advisors and designed and facilitated some of the sessions during the week.