A Fortune 500 company had worked to implement a team-based work system for three years in a union environment, with little to show for it. When we were asked to look at their process, it was clear that line management and leadership behavior had not changed from the old supervisory approach. As a result, we recommended training to educate the line supervisors and regional managers.
Over eight months IPC trained 100+ managers in coaching skills. Each region received a follow-up review and feedback after about 8-10 months. The results were almost immediate. Teams that had made no progress in almost three years started showing measurable improvements in customer service, scheduling, and overtime. Management noted the change fairly soon after the training. The VP commented, “I have not seen this much energy and commitment from our people in my 26 years with the company.”
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IPC conducted follow-up assessments on most of the regions for two years. All regions reported results in the areas most related to the teams’ activities. A continuous improvement process was put in place about a year after the teams were trained. The quality director noted that the implementation was smoother and more effective in the regions where teams were implemented. |
