Case study: How real life helped the managers dream up great ideas

The Need A global investment bank identified 'a lack of new thinking and ideas coming from middle managers'. Investigations showed that the problem lay not in creativity or innovative thinking, but rather in getting the ideas a wider hearing in the organisation. This established the need for skills in 'Strategic Influencing' being able to influence and mobilise a wide variety of individuals and groups, some at a distance, as opposed to merely being persuasive face to face.

The Solution
A team of consultants examined research and best practice from a wide variety of sources as well as making behavioural observations of senior staff who were adept at influencing strategically. A 3-day training programme was designed and piloted in London, Sydney and New York. In Australia and the USA Train-the-Trainer events were also run with local consultants to enable them to deliver future programmes.

Since the participants were not able to practise many of the new techniques and ideas during the workshop we conceived the idea early on in the design of having them work on a real-life issue. Participants were briefed to come to the workshops with a personal business issue where they felt they needed to be, or could add much more value by being, highly influential over a wide sphere of contacts.

In addition to the workshop materials each participant was issued with a Workbook which hinged on a simple 6-step model, from 'What is my goal?' and 'Who do I have to influence?' through to the skills and behaviours needed. Over the course of the three days the Workbook gradually became a complete detailed blueprint for that person's influencing strategy which they could take with them at the end of the workshop and implement.

Outcomes
Feedback from all quarters was glowing. Three years later, the workshops were still running at capacity. Similarily, a short-form 1-day workshop was developed and run for another client, based on the same principles. This workshop continues to run, five years on.

And crucially, a significant number of the new initiatives proposed by delegates using the methods learned on the workshop went on to be approved at high levels and implemented - which was the specific outcome the client requested.