Case Studies
Below are synopses of recent projects Potential Squared has completed. Please click on the links below each summary to access the full case study.
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Accenture has undergone vast change following its rebranding and restructuring; and since its flotation on the stock market, its performance has been under increasing scrutiny by the City. Through this process of change, the question of how to best assess employees on their suitability to become Senior Executives has been raised. Historically, promotion to Senior Executive was frequently based on networking and self-promotion, rather than a formal assessment. Through an innovative Development Centre process, Potential Squared has created a forum where direct feedback enables candidates to have open conversations about their performance and careers. Potential Squared now runs two to three Centres every year to maintain a high level of employee development. Mark Robertson, Senior Executive of the UK Insurance Practice, comments: “Senior managers feel that we are investing in them. They leave the Centres with specific actions. They are taking it really seriously.” -
Executive Coaching at AXA Insurance
IT is absolutely critical to AXA Insurance. Like any organisation, the day-to-day requirements of the customer are becoming increasingly sophisticated and demanding. There is very little AXA Insurance can do to meet customer requirements without IT. To improve project and programme delivery and day-to-day service delivery, AXA Insurance invested in the coaching of one business critical team - the IT and Change Management Team.
The coaching made a tremendous difference to this team over a relatively short period of six months. Feedback today includes: "incredibly structured in approach which makes organisational skills very strong"; "displays excellent stakeholder management skills ..."; "well respected by key stakeholders and peers".
Click here to download the full case study.
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BAA (Terminal 5) - Fast-paced assessment of an integration team, to get Terminal 5 ready for business
BAA needed to populate an integration team which would take the new terminal shell and deliver it to the business, ready for its first passengers in 2008. This was a diverse team requiring individuals to be both technically skilled and behaviourally developed to work in self-managed teams in an environment where everything was new and there were no tried and tested ways. Potential Squared developed a fast-paced assessment approach to recruit the integration team within a very tight timescale. The accurate and realistic nature of the assessment exercises enabled BAA to amass a wealth of high quality and varied evidence which facilitated a fair and robust decision-making process. The result was a truly relevant and accurate assessment experience that was not just conducted in an academic vacuum.
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Barclays – World class finance function delivered and supported through award-winning Development Centres
The internal finance function at Barclays needed to redefine its position within the organisation. The key element of this overhaul was the definition and development of a new role within the business - the Finance Business Partner (FBP) - designed to provide a bridge between the Finance function and the rest of the business. Potential Squared delivered a development programme for the new FBP role which would also accelerate the integration of FBPs within the business. "Delegates have consistently reported that the Centre was the best development they’ve ever had and there’s now a waiting list for future events,” Jill Robinson, Organisational Fitness Manager at Barclays, explains. The Potential Squared Development Centre is an integral part of the Barclays Finance Academy which won the “Hallmark of Innovation Award 2006”.
Click here to read more about the Hallmark of Innovation Award 2006. -
Cable & Wireless needed to re-energise its performance management process, so its employees could deliver the business strategy effectively. Potential Squared helped to scope out the improvements Cable & Wireless wanted to make, and provided further ideas and structure to the processes. It devised a programme of e-learning and workshop modules that would be rolled out to all managers. Peter Dugmore, a senior member of the HR specialist Reward & Performance team at Cable & Wireless, comments: “We have measured results in two ways – firstly, in the introduction of a changed performance management system which has been accepted across the business. Secondly, we have looked at the end of our last financial year, when formal assessments are held. During this time, assessments were managed smoothly and efficiently and we saw very few disputes with regards to the ratings and subsequent pay reviews that employees received. Employees are feeling much more positive about their ratings, due to the increased transparency of the process.”
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Silversea – Creating successful leaders in a multi-cultural service environment
Silversea was voted the 'World’s Best' by Condé Nast readers for seven consecutive years until 2003. In 2003, Silversea did not win this prestigious award, which lead to an immediate analysis of what had happened. It was recognised that standards on board the fleet needed addressing and that this could be traced to issues with on board leadership. Potential Squared worked with Silversea to create a development solution that would help people managers understand what an excellent leader did, and how s/he behaved; different styles of leadership; and their own style, culture and impact. Feedback from delegates has been excellent and many have felt motivated by individual time spent with them to help them develop their teams. Since the initial programme was introduced, at least 40 different examples of employees changing their styles to adapt to different cultures have been identified. This has led to a dramatic change in leadership culture on board with more personal accountability and ownership being encouraged through targeted, flexible and appropriate leadership styles.
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