Archives: Changepartners Stories

Client Need

Playtech is the world’s largest supplier of online gaming and sports betting software. It’s one of Estonia’s 5 unicorns and they provide cutting-edge, value-added solutions to the industry’s leading operators.

One of the most important questions for the Playtech HR team has inevitably been: how can they support their leaders in their growth? They decided to focus on growing leadership competencies and unifying their leadership practices.

Our Solution

• Together with Playtech’s HR team, Change Partners helped to create Playtech’s first-ever global development program for new managers, with all people leads from different countries brought together. We held 38 sessions (equal to 86 hours of training time) over a 10-month period for three groups of managers – in total 90 managers.
• Fully virtual training program, using Zoom, polls and other interactive elements

The program consisted of a kick-off session and 5 modules:

MODULE 1 – My Job as a Manager

MODULE 2 – Understanding myself and my team

MODULE 3 – Managerial Communication – why, what, when and how?

MODULE 4 – Building commitment and ability in your team

MODULE 5 – Coaching based Leadership

Modules were supported by leading development tools like Everything DiSC Workplace profiles, Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Behaviors of a Winning Team, as well as different coaching and change management tools to ensure implementation on the job.

Additionally, Playtech’s top and middle managers were also provided a separate leadership development program to equip them in leadership roles and assure sponsorship to the project. The top-level program focused on building a winning team; strategic thinking and communication; sponsor role in developing leaders and coaching-based leadership.

Results through the client’s eyes

“Nothing helps more than a great partner who tries to understand your needs but has a strong backbone to also tell you if the requirements you want to set are not the wisest. Our recommendation to all other organizations is to choose the best of the best – this partner might cost more but as you have limited time, you need to take the maximum out of it.”

“The biggest victory moment of the whole process for us was seeing the “eureka” moments on the screen when, after practicing, someone discovered the impact of a newly learned tool or when we could detect a clear shift in a manager’s mind. One could not expect better feedback to their work done.”

Client need

Design agency Velvet had reached a stage in its development where the current structure no longer enabled the company to be managed effectively and to provide sufficient support to its people. They decided to create a layer of middle-level managers by promoting people from within the company to this role. For the new leaders to have better preparation and management tools in their new role and a common understanding of the responsibilities of the leader, we conducted a Leadership Pipeline management program at Velvet.

Our solution

The main goals of our 6-month program were:

• • Set common standards for Velvet’s management levels and describe expectations for different management levels
  • Create clarity on what it means to be a Velvet leader, what skills and behaviors are needed and how to develop as a leader
  • Lay a foundation for a leadership-based culture that is based on taking responsibility

Overview and structure of the Leader of Others program:

Results

We measured knowledge, attitudes, and behavior before the training, immediately after the training and 3 months after the end of the program. The results are benchmarked against the average of the training impact assessments collected by the international training auditor Peopleway.

The rate of application of the principles and skills acquired during the program is particularly significant – 3 months after the program, participants apply 80% of their learning and this is reflected in their daily activities. This is 37% higher than the international average.

Feedback

Velvet CEO Pärtel Vurma

“The biggest benefits and impact of the LPI program came from understanding the role and goals of a leader and in better organizing my work. Understanding that as a leader I achieve my goals through the success of others is important because these people used to be top specialists, whose success then depended primarily on individual contribution. This fundamental principle now allows managers to better understand their role, plan time, and prioritize tasks. This is especially true for those who, in addition to the role of team leader, continue to play the role of top specialists.

The tools learned in the program were also very useful in helping team leaders set goals for themselves and their team, provide feedback, delegate tasks, and build and develop a team.

One of the most valuable parts of this program for us was the opportunity to discuss the company’s goals and processes, as well as issues related to cooperation and development. Very well-structured and third-party moderated discussions on various topics gave us the opportunity to agree on principles that had not been explicitly described before. In addition, the program gave us a common and clear vocabulary to use for these conversations. It is a kind of long-term value tool that we have continued to use since participating in the program.

In conclusion, Velvet and I are only at the beginning of this journey, but a very strong foundation has been laid thanks to the Change Partners’ LPI program. From here, the development will take place on a much stronger basis. There is a lot of experimentation in our field, and we value and even encourage it in our team and culture. A strong foundation and a well-run organization give you the confidence to be creative and experimental. It allows us to keep moving forward towards our goals with confidence. ”

Client Need

Tallink acquired Silja Line a few years ago. In this context, the challenge was to increase top and middle managers’ ability to manage constant changes influencing their teams.

Our Solution

Delivered Prosci Manager Program and follow-up implementation support for Tallink ship captains and intendants. The program consisted of a 2-day training, followed by change project implementation by each participant and a 2-day reinforcement event.

Results

• Five groups and apx 75 managers from 3 countries participated in the program with high satisfaction rates.
• Prosci toolbox (ADKAR) is reported to be used after this training as a shared language among the managers to discuss changes.
• Project implementation in process.

Client Need

Pipedrive is a sales CRM and one of Europe’s most successful start-ups, making life easier for over 90,000 customers across 175 countries. A cloud-based sales software company that began as a small start-up has grown into a company of over 800+ employees and offices in 5 locations globally. A bigger organization requires new processes for running the business and motivating the highly skilled staff. Operating in a highly competitive environment demands innovation to provide improved customer experience and solutions.

Our Solution

• We provided the company’s key group of managers with a shared framework and methodology for managing change projects.
• 25 Pipedrive area managers participated in Prosci change management certification program.
• 10 groups of top and middle managers received Fundamentals of Change training.
• The workshop was delivered to 100+ employees to increase change readiness company-wide.

Results

• Successfully implemented change projects.
• Prosci certification program and other training programs have been added among Pipedrive regularly offered training solutions to its employees. 

Client Need

Tallinn City was developing a new IT system for improving its legislation processes of important City decisions. The new system was planned to outplace the old IT software, increase efficiency, transparency and engagement. Although technical solutions were ordered in procurement, its implementation needed to be supported to achieve adoption in all agencies.

Our Solution

• Delivered project team workshops and coaching to create a project implementation plan, change management plans and define roles​
• Provided the project team a shared framework and tools for planning and implementing the change project. Certified change manager and the primary sponsor of the project in Prosci 3-day Change management Certification program.​
• Will improve top and middle managers’ change management skills in a 2-day Prosci workshop. ​

Results

Improved change management competencies and in-house capabilities to run the project successfully. Project plan created and critical milestones to be achieved.​

The process of creating a new strategy involved most of the staff and generated commitment and communication from top to bottom.

Client Need

The main objective of the program was to support the implementation of the strategy of Eesti Energia Group through the development of leadership competencies, providing participants with theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills.

Our solution

• Between 2016 to 2018 we carried out the program for nearly 300 managers from the primary level to the top managers, including the management board of Eesti Energia. In 2019 the program continued.
• The focus of the program was the creation and implementation of a strategy, team leadership and development, and change management. The program was built on the principle of 70:20:10, where the central idea is that new skills and knowledge would be used in the workplace after the training. The development program consisted of 8.5 practical days of training with follow-up seminars supporting the implementation of the study.
• Program strengths which were brought out by the participants: practical content, supporting learning tools for managers, group coaching, workshops and presentations.

Results

• Significant increase in managerial competencies.
• Each participant designed and implemented a real change project with his team during the development program, which gave value to the company and also to the manager’s development.
• Managers started to use tools acquired during this training on a daily basis, ie – a strategy model has been introduced into the group as a whole.
• A more harmonized management culture.

Feedback

“It was a very comprehensive and intensive development program that addressed all the key issues of management. The greatest added value was the practical tools, which can be used very successfully by executives in their everyday work. Despite big amount of participants, we still managed to find time for individual change projects created by each manager at the end of the program. This program will definitely help to improve the management culture of the whole organization.”

– Karin Taalik, Eesti Energia Leadership Development Manager

Client Need

The goal was to develop the negotiation skills of client managers who play an important role in the success of the bank. It was important to increase their ability to understand and influence different people.

Our Solution

• The training focused on three key aspects of the negotiation – relationship, styles and process.
• Using the DiSC profile, each participant got to know their personal negotiation style and behavioral peculiarities, strengths and development needs. Through DiSC-based tools, participants learned to recognize the client’s behavioral style and to choose the right negotiation strategy which adapts to customer preferences.
• Participants learned how to prepare for the negotiations, start them in a correct way, listen to the position of the partner and ask questions, convincingly and self-assertively present their position, different techniques of influence, negotiate a common interest and seek initiative, deal with opposition and difficult situations, negotiate a decision.

Results

• Better negotiation skills.
• Participants started using effective persuasion techniques based on the tendencies and behavioral patterns of the client.
• Participants gained the ability and knowledge to rightly analyze ongoing negotiations and to plan for future negotiations in a meaningful way.

Feedback

“I learned a lot from the training – how to better prepare client meetings and more systematically adapt to the negotiation partner. DiSC will definitely help to communicate more effectively with the other party in the negotiations.”

“With the help of DiSC I learned to better understand myself and to better manage myself by understanding different types of clients.”

Client Need

The goal of Endover, the leading Estonian real estate developer, was to increase the efficiency of project implementation and cooperation between units and roles by developing leadership skills. The client also wanted to gain clarity and dedication to the company’s future strategic goals and choices in their fast-growing business.

Our Solution

We implemented a 5-module development program for nearly 20 leaders with Everything DiSC Workplace behavioral profiles and hands-on leadership tools. We focused on the manager’s personal effectiveness, leading the people and collaboration process and managing change. The program included Lean Collaboration Simulation as an innovative element to help analyze teamwork and process management skills. At the end of the program implementation of the gained knowledge to the workplace was supported by a group coaching day.

During the 2-month period, we also helped the leadership team to develop a corporate strategy clear and concise enough to fit on one page and is therefore easier to communicate. The strategy map method makes it easier to align company’s and business areas’ strategy maps and involves a large part of the employees in the strategy creation process.

Results

As a result of the development program, the leadership and collaboration competence of the project managers increased, and the team was more aligned with the common goals.

The process of creating a new strategy involved most of the staff and generated commitment and communication from top to bottom.

Client Need

The rapid rise in passenger numbers necessitated the upgrading of business-critical processes in passenger service and risk management, and it was important to train managers and project teams to manage these changes and increase their ability to handle changes in the future.

Our Solution

• 3 groups of top and middle managers passed Prosci’s change management program
• The project team and change ambassadors were selected to develop and deploy a toolbox for managing changes

Results

• Increased change management capability.
• Intention to apply the Prosci methodology throughout the company to improve the effectiveness of various change initiatives.

Client Need

Established in 2000, Enterprise Estonia (EAS) promotes business and regional policy in Estonia and is one of the largest institutions within the national support system for entrepreneurship by providing financial assistance, counseling, cooperation opportunities and training for entrepreneurs, research institutions, the public and non-profit sectors. The project was called to support the leaders of Estonia’s ambitious growth companies in designing and implementing integrated development plans.

Our Solution

In 2016 under the framework of the EAS Enterprise Development Program, we helped nearly 30 managers of manufacturing and IC companies to develop a development plan for their organization. Each manager was mentored by a top-management experience mentor for 30 hours.

We implemented tools for strategic and change planning, and included other management members of these organizations in discussions.

Results

• Greater clarity in the company’s development goals and resources.
• Development platform and new ideas for the growth of the company.
• Promotion of product innovation and increased export capacity.

Feedback

“Practical and realistic. The mentor is very helpful in both the development plan and the company’s overall strategy and personal counseling.”

“The mentor looked at the company with a look of an outsider. Saw what others do not see on a daily basis. For me personally most important was that he encouraged the company to grow and continue in the same way.”