Challenge:

Help Managers Develop Critical Leadership Skills

To achieve aggressive business goals, a diverse global business needed to design and implement an integrated leadership development program for all levels of management, from potential supervisors through executives.

Solution:

Implement Multi-Level Leadership Development Program

To address the company’s leadership needs, the Chatfield Group first developed and rolled out an assessment tool that evaluated and categorized employees using the skills, knowledge, and key competencies required by job function and level. Chatfield consultants then developed a new leadership development curriculum for the company using a combination of custom material as well as content purchased from vendors.

Once the new leadership development curriculum was in place, Chatfield consultants closely tracked employee participation to provide continuous feedback to executives and department heads.

Tags: Leadership Development — Employee Surveys — Assessments

Challenge:

Share Business-Critical Insights with 200+ Global Locations

A large multinational corporation needed to do a better job of disseminating key insights and information stemming from key bi-monthly business review meetings with employees at more than 200 remote locations around the world.

Solution:

Record, Edit, Produce & Distribute Meeting Content

To capture and disseminate critical business insights from the company’s bi-monthly business-review meetings, the Chatfield Group recommended the following approach:

• Technology: Evaluate, select, and purchase a coordinated set of technology tools to record proceedings; tools included video cameras and accessories as well as post-production software


• Production Training: Assemble and train a dedicated team responsible for pre-production videotaping, post-production editing, and multiplatform content delivery


• Presentation Training: Train executives and presenters on camera presence, video etiquette, on-camera movement and presentation skills

After accepting the Chatfield Group recommendations for capturing and disseminating business-review meeting insights, the company put together a well-equipped team to achieve its communications objectives. Once its tools and training were in place, the company began to distribute PowerPoint presentations highlighting the results of its business review meetings with its more than 200 locations worldwide via DVD and web broadcasting. The presentations featured photography and animation as well as smartphone technology.

Tags: Global HR — Training — Process Improvement — Technology

Challenge:

Quickly Train Large CSR Pool on Key Regulation

To achieve time-sensitive business objectives, the call center of a large insurance company needed to train 2,700 new customer service agents at 13 separate locations on Medicare Part D. A severe shortage of instructors and classrooms compounded the challenge.

Solution:

A Tailored Block-Scheduling Training Program

To meet the challenge, the Chatfield Group worked with site managers, team leaders, and a pool of internal and external trainers to develop a course of study that could be broken apart and delivered over 10 working days. Our instructional design team worked with representatives of governmental agencies to develop the courseware needed to explain Medicare Part D rules and regulations to the company’s customer service reps.

Tags: Corporate University — Training — New Hire Onboarding — Competency Models

Challenge:

Improve Pool of General Manager Candidates

A large manufacturing company was struggling to fill its GM ranks because it lacked clear insights about the key competencies needed to succeed in the position as well as a talent management approach to increase the number of qualified internal candidates.

Solution:

Launch Targeted Effort to Identify and Develop Internal GM Candidates

To help the company expand its pool of qualified GM candidates, the Chatfield Group made three key recommendations: first, conduct “need-and-gap” analyses of internal talent; second, expand the use of employee self-assessments; and third, identify the key core competencies necessary for success as a general manager at the company.

After gaining company buy-in for these recommendations, Chatfield consultants worked with the company’s senior leaders, department heads, and current General Managers to identify the skills, knowledge, and key competencies required to succeed in the GM role. Then the Chatfield Group compared the company’s GM needs against the skill sets of internal GM candidates as identified through employee self-assessments and observations from senior leaders.

After identifying the key competencies needed for general managers, and assessing the relative strengths of its internal candidates, the Chatfield Group designed a series of integrated training workshops and hands-on work assignments to strengthen the abilities of its GM prospects. In addition, Chatfield consultants developed a system of on-going curriculum support to ensure sustained training success.

Tags: Succession Planning — Custom Surveys — Coaching — Training — Assessments

Challenge:

Reinvigorate Corporate Sales

A large multinational corporation was struggling to adapt its 75-year-old sales process to changing market conditions. Sales were stagnant, largely due to difficulty attracting new customers.

Solution:

Rigorous Sales Certification Program

To reinvigorate its sales department, the company needed to make a seismic shift in its approach to sales. To facilitate this needed change, the Chatfield Group developed a new, customer-centric approach to sales that took the form of a redesigned Sales Certification program centered on five key components: Territory Management, Business Development, Presentation Excellence, Performance Management, and People Development. By focusing on these five components, and by constantly challenging salespeople to meet and exceed customer expectations, the company was able to increase market share through targeted “go-to-market” sales activities.

Through consultation with management, and by conducting focus groups, process mapping, train-the-trainer sessions, and emotional intelligence (EQ) workshops, Chatfield consultants were able to initiate change throughout the multinational sales force. At the conclusion of the engagement, the client recognized a 53% increase in average sales, a 30% increase in close rate, and a 31% increase in product mix.

Tags: Corporate University — Management Development — Focus Groups — Process Improvement — Train-the-Trainer — EQ - Emotional Intelligence

Challenge:

Streamline Technical Training

A leading telecom company needed to reduce the cost of educating PBX technicians. Its five one-week sessions spread over two years were too great a draw on critical company resources.

Solution:

Develop Blended Learning Program

To streamline technical training, Chatfield consultants took a blended learning approach to the design and development of new courseware. The company’s new curriculum included mentoring, on-the-job activities, self-paced assignments, job aids, and computer-based instruction as well as team discussions, tests, and a one-week facilitated workshop to create a cohesive and effective training program.

The bottom-line impact: The revamped training program achieved a $500,000 reduction in annual travel expenses and created $125,000 in new revenue on top of a 400% return on investment.

Tags: Corporate University — Training — Technology — Management Development

Challenge:

Improve Organizational Structure & Performance

A $15-million national association needed to strengthen its performance management process in order to address external pressures more effectively.

Solution:

Team with CEO & Directors on Broad-Based Performance Management Program

Working closely with the association’s CEO and directors, The Chatfield Group developed a comprehensive program to improve performance that included a new organizational structure and new position descriptions in addition to a new competency model for all levels of the organization.

The Chatfield Group also developed integrated performance management processes for the CEO and staff, training in goal-setting and performance management for directors and staff, and a 360-feedback process with development goals for key association leaders.

Tags: Organizational Structure — Performance Reviews — Job Descriptions — Competency Models — 360-Feedback

Challenge:

Strengthen Performance Management Across Business Units

A Fortune 100 packaging company serving industrial and consumer markets needed to address performance management issues following the merger of several packaging units.

Solution:

Training Workshops Focusing on Performance Review Process & Communications Skills

The Chatfield Group developed and facilitated management training workshops at multiple U.S. locations of the packaging company, focusing on performance management basics and the core communications skills needed to manage performance.

With feedback from the sessions, The Chatfield Group teamed with the client’s HR staff to create an improved performance management system for the merged businesses.

Tags: Performance Reviews — Management Development — Process Improvement — Training

Challenge:

Train Process Improvement Staff

The HR department of a large, rapidly growing packaging company needed to quickly develop and deliver a comprehensive training program for the company’s process improvement staff.

Solution:

Design & Implement Process Improvement Training Program

Working closely with the firm’s HR group, The Chatfield Group developed a comprehensive training program for the packaging company’s process improvement teams that included team building blocks and both facilitator and TQM training.

Despite tight time constraints, The Chatfield Group achieved rapid delivery of the comprehensive training program to the firm’s process improvement teams.

Tags: Process Improvement — Training — Lean — Teamwork — Train-the-Trainer

Challenge:

Retain Key Talent while Building Bench Strength

Historically, turnover was largely a non-issue for the regional branch of a prestigious federal agency employing nearly 500 scientists, engineers, economists and other highly skilled professionals. Today, however, the agency faces major talent shortages due to an aging workforce.

Solution:

Develop Customized HR Planning Process to Address Recruitment & Retention

To address the prospect of significant staff shortages in the future, The Chatfield Group developed a customized HR Planning Process designed to strengthen the agency’s recruitment and retention efforts.

The project included development of a customized competency model, management training, and training of a facilitation team to implement an organization-wide talent-assessment process.

Tags: Employee Retention — Training — Train-the-Trainer — Leadership Development — Competency Models — Management Development — Workforce Planning — Succession Planning

Challenge:

Broaden Talent Pool

A large consulting firm faced intense competition for the top-caliber hires it needed to preserve its position as a premier consultancy. Internal development and peer-group hiring alone were failing to fill the hiring pipeline.

The firm needed to reach out to candidates from industry. It also needed a reliable method for assessing capabilities needed to be implemented fast.

Solution:

Train Hiring Managers with Competency-Based Selection & Assessment Model

In a series of three-day workshops, The Chatfield Group taught the consulting firm’s U.S.-based hiring managers how to evaluate candidates using a sophisticated competency-based assessment model.

The Chatfield Group assembled a team of experts in assessment, training and competency-based selection processes to conduct the workshops, which included behavioral interviewing techniques and practice interviews as well as videotaped feedback.

Tags: Recruiting — Training — Interviewing — Assessments — Competency Models

Challenge:

Strengthen Performance Management & Employee Retention

“Tier Two” accounting firm facing strong competition from its larger competitors for top talent needed to address significant retention issues in order to achieve its growth objectives.

Solution:

Customized Training Incorporating Core Competencies

The Chatfield Group developed and administered an all-employee survey and an exit interview process to gather data on the causes of turnover at the Tier Two accounting firm.

Based on our findings, we developed a competency model for development of employees at all levels, from new associate through partner, and a customized performance measurement process to provide direct performance feedback from managers, project leads, team members and clients.

Tags: Employee Retention — Exit Interviews — Employee Surveys — Competency Models — Performance Reviews — Metrics

Challenge:

Strengthen Executive Development

A Fortune 500 financial institution was seeking new ways to improve its leadership capabilities.

The Chatfield Group suggested that the firm leverage its performance appraisal process as a means to enhance management development opportunities for its executive team.

Solution:

Leverage 360-Feedback Process as Development Tool for Group Executives

Performance appraisal for top executives included a progressive, competency-based 360-feedback process administered by The Chatfield Group as well as executive coaching.

The Chatfield Group worked with the firm’s Human Resources group to apply insights gained from the 360-feedback process to strengthen the firm’s executive development program.

Tags: Leadership Development — 360-Feedback — Performance Reviews — Management Development

Challenge:

Attain Aggressive Performance Goals

A global commercial finance company with more than $20 billion in assets needed help attaining aggressive performance goals.

The client sought to attain top quartile ROE for each of its five core businesses as well as A/A+ bond ratings and a 15% overall ROE.

Solution:

Leverage Training, Coaching & 360-Feedback Programs

The Chatfield Group developed and implemented a performance management training program that included goal-setting, coaching and feedback, and performance appraisal modules as well as a customized online 360-feedback review process.

Tags: Goal-Setting — Training — Coaching — Performance Reviews — 360-Feedback

Challenge:

Link Performance Management System to Business Objectives

A privately held manufacturer of audio electronics for professional and commercial applications needed a competency-based performance management system that would connect strongly with the company’s business objectives.

Solution:

Back-to-Basics Goal-Setting & Performance Management Process

The Chatfield Group teamed with the company’s HR staff to develop a “back-to-basics” goal-setting and performance management process that satisfied managers and employees alike with its simplicity and helped to modernize the business.

Tags: Goal-Setting — Performance Reviews — Competency Models

Challenge:

Support Business Ramp-Up with Just-in-Time Custom Training

A global shipping leader with an expanding US presence needed help building a training curriculum to address the development needs of its employees, managers and new hires. The company was searching for a cost-effective means to help employees develop core leadership skills, starting with an introduction to its new performance management process.

After assessing its training & development options, the company elected to develop customized workshops incorporating the company’s philosophy and core competencies. Although the company’s expert training staff would facilitate the workshops, the company lacked the time to develop the workshops internally.

Solution:

Customized Training Incorporating Core Competencies

The company selected the Chatfield Group to partner with its Director of Training to develop a comprehensive training curriculum designed to meet the development needs of the firm’s US employees over a three-year period.

Innovative, turn-key workshops are the primary delivery vehicle for the new training and development curriculum, which can be adapted, as needed, to address changing business requirements. The workshops – which were designed to reinforce core competencies and build essential leadership and management skills – incorporate design flexibility as well as customized branding and design.

Topics covered in the new training & development curriculum include Performance Management, Behavioral Interviewing, Basics of Management & Leadership, Career Development, Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Management, and Essential Communications Skills.

Tags: Training — Corporate University — Curriculum Development — Leadership Development — Performance Reviews — Competency Models — Management Development — Interviewing — Career Development — EQ - Emotional Intelligence — Conflict Management