Michelmersh Bricks

Insight Training Case Study

Situation

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The Finance Manager of a medium-sized UK-based manufacturing group attended a training session run by Alyson Pellowe, Managing Consultant of People Vision, in 2005. Based on her feedback, the firm has commissioned a series of projects from People Vision, including learning and development programmes, executive coaching, team events and HR consultancy services.

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Most recently, the Finance Director approached People Vision to design and deliver a training programme to promote collaborative working within the finance team. Alyson proposed using the Insights Discovery methodology as the basis for the course, and engaged People Vision associate Julia Wallis to lead on the project. Julia is a licensed Insights practitioner, accredited in 2003; she specialises in applying the Insights material to a wide variety of learning activities, from team building events to change management programmes, sales training and leadership coaching.

Challenge

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The Finance Director felt that her team worked in silos, with individuals operating independently rather than as a team. This was partly due to a culture which prioritised completing tasks over building relationships, and partly due to clashes in the preferred working styles of certain individuals. This was having an impact on morale within the team, and on the effectiveness with which the function was able to deliver more complex pieces of work for key stakeholders within the business.

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Julia therefore had a twofold challenge: to encourage the team to understand the benefits of working more collaboratively, and to equip them with the skills and tools to do so.

Action

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Julia first drew up a questionnaire and distributed it to all members of the team, to gather the data which would help them determine their unique profiles.

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She then designed and ran a one-day training course for all ten team members, covering the following key topics:

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• Overview of the Insights Discovery methodology.

• Analysis of the questionnaire results to determine each delegate’s profile.

• Detailed study of each profile.

• Exploration of how to apply the tool, in particular:

  • Understanding the potential strengths of each profile and the challenges they may present.

  • Examining how each delegate’s profile relates to their role in the team.

  • Practising how the delegates might adapt their communication style to suit the preferences of others.

• Action planning to consider how to use the material back in the workplace. 

Results

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Feedback from the delegates indicated that they found the event enjoyable and thought-provoking, helping them to develop their self-awareness and to re-examine their working relationships.

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The Finance Director reported a noticeable improvement in the behaviours of the team, particularly in terms of the frequency and effectiveness of their communication and the positivity with which they approached partnership working.

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Based on the success of this event, People Vision are in discussions with the firm about running a similar programme for the Senior Leadership Team.