Background:
This medium-sized UK-based publisher has a very young age-profile and had not embarked on any management training over some years of rapid growth. They sought a one-day training event for every member of the company to attend.
Challenge:
Most of the staff were very creative and flexible supporting a young and attractive corporate-image – the company had a fresh approach to product style. However, this same creativity and flexibility also created quality and procedural issues, as well as some communication problems.
Solution:
A tailored event was designed with some simple exercises to build co-working and to develop understandings about how people (including themselves) are different and therefore, how to communicate more effectively. A simple model of character-type was explored which can be applied and taught to others within five minutes. This tool was to be used as a starting point for discussion and not as a ‘tick-box’ exercise.
Outcomes:
The day was highly energetic and the power of the character-tool was adopted by the CEO to take back into the work-place for all new staff. A greater understanding of personal-difference led to improved communications in the training room and to working efficacy back at work. The CEO recognized the strength and the weakness of staffing all jobs with people of the same creative type, modifying their job-application strategy in order to attract appropriate character-traits into new roles.