Manufacturing sector

The organisation was moving their way of working towards a more project-based approach. They decided to bring together 10% of the workforce (around 300 people) to look at what this would mean. We worked with a design team to plan the process. Each person who came met with 10 people before and after the large-scale session. This meant they could bring their views in and report back to them.

The design team wanted to leave the event clear about the identity of the organisation, explore the cultural differences and how to bring them together and to let people see what was happening and influence it.

The event lasted 2 days and involved interactive sessions talking with a range of customers and the leaders of the organisation. One of the significant features of this design was a 'simulation' of project working designed by a team of apprentices. It allowed people to use the new working practices and comment on what it would take to make them work well.

"Involving people in creating an Adtranz Signal (GBSig) we feel we can trust and support."

After attending an LGI training session Avon rang and asked if they could view an event. They came as stewards to a Cabinet Office 'Make it Different!' Event in Manchester and immediately went back and applied what they had seen to their managers meeting. That was late in 2000 and we have worked with them on a number of projects since.

Engaging the Workforce with the New Company Goals - Strategy Development

There was traditionally a communications session at the beginning of each year to let staff know about the goals. This time they wanted it to generate energy and excitement about their aspirations for the coming year and begin to mobilise people to achieve them. All the staff came to one of 2 two-hour sessions. They sat in the round, moved to the goals they had least and most affinity with, generated ideas on post-its and ended by giving feedback with yellow balls. We facilitated the design team planning the sessions and facilitated delivery.

"To inspire us to be involved in our Company Goals for 2001"

Have Your Say - Strategy Development

This was a large-scale working meeting for the 120 people already involved in the staff consultation process to design how they thought it should work in the future. The design team, which we facilitated, wanted to work positively to and agree definite actions and next steps. At the event people worked together in mixed groups to understand the issues, transfer the learning about what worked, envision future success and develop definitions and a credible process. We worked with a design team to plan the event and facilitated the work. The Have Your Say consulting process at Avon is regarded as HR best practice.

"To design an improved process for employee representation based on the best of what we've already got"

Footsteps - HR Strategy and Team Development (RTSC and Future Search)

The HR tem within Avon had under gone an extensive review of the services it offers to its customers. The team wanted to pull that together into a vision with plans. Customers from within the business joined them to explore their needs in more detail. They had external input from Shell, Nat West and The Body Shop to stimulate ideas. They developed a vision and mission and a range of action plans on graphical templates. We worked with the design team to plan the meeting, arranged some of the speakers and facilitated.

"To help realise the potential of the HR team by re-energising and gaining individual commitment to realise the vision to become No. 1 Employer."

Benefits Proposal - meeting design and facilitation

This was a real time decision-making meeting involving the Have Your Say representatives and the VPs. They were looking at a new benefits package and the results of a staff survey on the proposals. They agreed changes to the package. WE worked with a design team to develop the plan for the work and co-facilitated.

"To work together as a 'Have Your Say' team, including management, to ensure a fair and visible process to "have our say" about the benefit proposals."

Sales Strategy Conference - Search

People from across the whole of the sales team, representing all aspects worked together to plan for a major change in strategy. This followed a search process as described in our 12 methodologies paper. A radical option was chosen and plans developed to implement it. We designed and facilitated the meeting.

"To develop a plan for the most desirable future of a 'Perfect Avon' operating system we will carry out together."

Sales Support Restructure - Strategy Development, Organisation Design

This was a participative redesign that involved everyone in the department. There were several sessions over a 3-month period. We followed the process described in the page on participative redesign.

As part of a major project to undertake a complete and thorough review of all HR processes and procedures, we designed and facilitated a meeting of all of HR personnel to identify what their processes need to be to support HR transformation. This was done using "Process Mapping" which was new to the whole team.

"Creating the new HR and transforming ourselves."

AstraZenica had succeeded in developing a global brand and identity. At the Chanrwood site they wanted to complement this with a clear sense of site identity. The plan was to elicit staff views in an engagingly different way. We worked with them to develop a process with graphics and marbles. 30 words and pictures were arranged around the site and people were given marbles to indicate their views. The marbles were entered into mazes!

We did this work in partnership with Tetra Main who had been working with the client for some time on quality and process improvement.

Working with a design team, which was a cross section of the organisation, some of whom had never attended a meeting before (they were after all a brick building company!) we developed several key outcomes for the event.

The day involved over 200 people who worked together to discover what the Company's aims were, understand the case for change and the commitment of management to it. They then developed a plan for how they could overcome the barriers to change so that everyone could pull in the same direction and contribute to a secure and positive future.

"To develop a strategy, which will provide better communication and promote continuous improvement for the Halifax Division, providing the means for everybody to contribute to future growth and profitability."

We started working with Masterfoods in 1999 and have worked with them on many projects since.

1. Being the Best: a mix of Future Search and RTSC
They wanted to bring the whole P&O team together and develop their strategy for "Being the Best". This was a strategy turnaround event - the leadership team presented a draft, received comments and integrated them in real time. The second day the team focused on creating actions plans for each of the objectives. A highlight of the event was a Team Dinner - the team used Mars resources to plan and prepare a team dinner including entertainment. VISTA facilitated a design team to design the event and facilitated the event.

"To activate our energy, as a single team of training and education resources, to achieve a significant breakthrough in the quality, impact and effectiveness of our European Training capability through our common strength"

2. Developing the 'Learning and Development' Team
This event was designed to enable the team to develop a shared understanding of what Learning and Developing meant for them then agree a strategy and framework for moving forward that they could all buy in and commit to. They also worked to begin to develop the trust and support they needed from each other to support integration, interdependence and innovation across the whole team. VISTA worked with a design team to plan the event and facilitated delivery.

"To develop an integrated, interdependent, innovative team committed to delivering effective learning solutions to fuel the business performance of Mars Europe."

3. R&D Driving Forward Together - Leadership Team and Strategy Development
A European R&D Team combining Snack, Petfood and Food, had just been created. This event was planned as the first get together of the 150 or so leaders. They wanted to get to know each other and network to create a spirit of one team culture. They looked at how they wanted to work together using stimulus from VW at Wolfsburg. A journey metaphor was used to be creative in presenting and exploring the strategy. We worked with the design team to plan the event and co-facilitated the delivery.

"To establish an integrated R&D leadership team which builds on the past, learns together, endures and delivers motivation for the R&D team and innovation for the business."

4. R&D Cannes Do - Leadership Team and Strategy Development
This was held a year after the previous event and picked up on many of the actions that had started there. They wanted to expand their networks further and celebrate their achievements to energise the team. They wanted to look at the vision which had developed since Wolfsburg and translate this to 'what does this mean on a day to day'. It was to be memorable, fun and innovative, and embody the vision. We worked with the design team to help shape the event and coach people from the team in facilitating. We were in Cannes during film festival week!

"To continue to work together as an integrated R&D leadership team which builds on the past, learns together, endures and delivers motivation for the R&D team and innovation for the business."

5. P&O Strategy - Leadership and Strategy Development
This was a leadership team meeting to update the Global P&O Strategy develop a clear link to business strategies Agree "P&O Ways of Working". The event was designed and facilitated by an internal team. We provided coaching.

"Develop a Global P&O Community, which promotes a Mars, Incorporated Associates Strategy and creates a Winning Environment."

6. P&O Gatherings - Excellence in Execution - Team Development
This was the first in a planned series of gatherings to bring the European team together to accelerate projects and develop capability. This meeting focused on developing an activity management system for the team. We facilitated the design work and the event.

"To align and engage the P&O community in actively managing projects to make strategic choices and deliver higher added value faster for the business."

7. P&O Gatherings - The Virtual Community
This was the second of the P&O Gatherings and was a virtual meeting by phone and video connection. Some 80 people connected from 16 countries. The meeting continued the work of the previous meeting, reviewed the current activity list and looked at one project in more depth. It was from this meeting that we developed our 10 tips for virtual meetings.

8. Snackfood "One Team, One Vision, One Plan"
The marketing team wanted to use the 'virtual tips' to develop a virtual training session which 200+ people would attend over a short period. We coached the internal team in developing the session and delivering the first one.

9. PetFood
VISTA supported the design and facilitation of this event containing 5 sessions over 5 different time-slots to enable everyone to hear the different activities by various sections within the division. Building on this shared understanding they went on to develop detailed strategies and plans for moving forward.

"To outline the current status of growth projects and to commence the engagement of sales and marketing associates on a total European basis."

10. SnackFoods
The purpose of the meeting was to bring the Senior Management Team from across the whole of Snack Foods together to discuss the planned new approach.

Data was gathered prior to the event by Performance-by-Design by way of interviews with 14 of a 20 person design panel. The new approach highlighted many questions and the data was used to structure the input for the event to answer as many of the questions and concerns as possible.