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Case Studies
Redesign
of a manufacturing division
Redesign of a bank division
Resolving
conflicting objectives in an IS group
Designing a consulting division
New product introduction redesign
Implementing a new performance management
system
Managing the development needs of 1000
consultants
Rollout of proprietary training
A review of an existing rewards and motivation
system
Case Studies | Managing the development needs of 1000 consultants
The client in this example was a large consulting group, a division of a multinational outsourcing, consulting and systems integration firm. The division was home to over a thousand consultants, and capability development had been identified as a priority area for improvement. A line management structure and a new performance management system had been introduced the previous year, and had in turn highlighted a need for top level management of capability development.
A professional development team was formed, and a professional development head recruited. I was invited to take the role of professional development manager (PDM) alongside one colleague and two other recruits. Our objectives were to work with practice heads and the executive to identify capability development requirements and drive appropriate development activities. The team was further made up of two training practitioners, one training administrator and a graduate development manager.
Each PDM took responsibility for a number of practices and development initiatives. I was responsible for seven practices, the rollout of a suite of proprietary training and for raising capability across the board in change management. PDMs also took responsibility for ensuring the effective operation of the new performance management system, and for helping the line managers to set and support their consultants' development objectives.
Our first step was to establish relationships with our practice heads to understand their consultants' development requirements, and with the executive to hear their views on future capability requirements. We then reviewed the range of development offerings already available, and identified areas not covered. The final stage of our cycle was to provide training and other development resources according to demand, and establish mechanisms to measure their effectiveness.
The major achievements of the professional development team were supporting the new performance management system through its first year and bringing together a top level forward view of development needs across the business. The learning point, however, was that business priorities can change very quickly. When the team was set up, the main focus of the management team was on staff development. By the time we had our first review of the top level development requirements a few months later, productivity had become the greatest priority and training budgets were considerably tighter.
