Case studies on Change management, goal setting, team building, performance management systems

Case Studies

The ELS Way - Examples

"The ELS Way" has been so effective that satisfied clients relate with ELS as strategic partners in their journey to achieve their mission. "The ELS Way" empowers to meet challenges strategically, overcome obstacles and stride with confidence to the future. Learn more about "The ELS Way" through these live examples:

Case A - Change Management

Industry	Engineering
Background	The reputed, professionally run organisation was carrying on business for over 50 years and now had to face a radically new business environment in the early years of economic liberalization in India.
Business Focus	Having expanded in complexity, the managers were required to become alive to the multiple consequences that the changes in the economic environment were having on the organisation.
The ELS Way	Management development inputs were devised after making a comprehensive assessment of changes impacting the organisation, getting the top management's perspective and taking into account the various new management initiatives. Based on these inputs, the message of change was packaged into a series of workshops and delivered to the senior and middle level managers.
The Outcome	The managers quickly took stock of the changes impacting the organisation and grasped their implications. They then set in process, as a team, internal measures to tackle issues. The effect of the ELS intervention was sustained by the organisation by developing, on its own, similar modules. As a result, the organisation was not only able to meet the challenges of new economic environment but was also able to identify and utilize the opportunities that arose with confidence and success.

Case B - Goal Setting / Team Building

Industry	Logistics & Transport
Background	The medium-sized company, part of a large Indian industrial house, is a joint venture with a leading Japanese logistics & transport company. A new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had just taken over from an individual who was powerful and had an individualistic style of functioning.
Business Focus	The new CEO was focused on revamping the also-ran entity into a total quality organisation where service would set them apart from competition. The problem lay in communicating this message to the rest of the employees and making them understand that price was not the main differentiator in the market. The new CEO also wished to change to team working environment where every member contributed and accepted ownership over his actions.
The ELS Way	Working along with the new CEO, the strategy was vetted in depth. A Top Management Retreat was then facilitated, where the team was made to understand the benefits of working as a team, the need to take ownership over their actions and decisions and the necessity of initiating change processes to sustain competitiveness. The Retreat resulted in a joint and committed vision statement. The message was then imparted throughout the organisation through a series of change interventions.
The Outcome	A new breath of life was infused in a floundering company, transforming it into vibrancy and zealousness that sustained the change momentum on its own - a fact acknowledged by the partners of the joint venture.

Case C - Performance Management Systems

Industry	Engineering
Background	The young Managing Director of the mid-sized company was uncertain about the effectiveness of the performance measurement figures being reported, not only from the point of authenticity but also from the point of adequacy.
Business Focus	The Managing Director was keen to overhaul the Performance Management System and introduce a new and more effective model.
The ELS Way	A detailed study was undertaken to get a proper perspective by meeting senior and middle level Managers at their two plants in interior Maharashtra and at their corporate office. At the end of the exercise a total assessment was made of their long term goal, their production and sales processes, the new direction the organisation was taking, their existing corporate culture, and the impact the new measures were going to make. Partners in this exercise were the company's committed Human Resource staff, comprising of a veteran and two enterprising young Managers, who were eager to see the successful implementation of the new system, even in the face of resistance, as they clearly understood its benefits. ELS designed the new performance monitoring tool that highlighted the work of the talented, assisted the HR staff in its implementation and stayed with them right through, empowering them to face and surmount the challenges as they came.
The Outcome	The new paradigm was successfully implemented and the whole organisation got to realize the tremendous benefits generated by the exercise, in terms of productivity, profits and morale uplift.

Case D - Risk Taking & Risk Management

Industry	Indian subsidiary of multi-national glass-fiber company
Background	The biggest challenge to the organisation was that the senior management team seemed to lack the ability to think really BIG and take risks to achieve their objectives. While the expatriate Managing Director (MD) felt that his team members were individually brilliant, they failed to work cohesively and tended to depend excessively on his word -- particularly with a decision involving risk.
Business Focus	The MD was keen to infuse the sense of adventure in the senior managers and empower them to take risks, look beyond their own realm of operations and work as a team to achieve objectives that may, at times, lie beyond their horizon of attainment.
The ELS Way	With a firm conviction that the language and spirit of Team was essential for the business and that all risks are ultimately personal, a unique workshop was designed using the outdoors as the learning medium. With the setting of high adventure in an unfamiliar environment, the participants were provoked into experiencing never before challenges. Later, through facilitated discussions, they debated the range of organisational values they had come across during their sojourn. After ensuring that the values have been clearly understood and absorbed by all, they proceeded to establish personal commitment to these values.
The Outcome	The senior managers found the workshop to be powerfully effective, as they suddenly came face to face with their hidden potential. Not only were the objectives achieved but also many new discoveries were made about the group processes. So much so, it was decided to extend the learning experience down the line as well. Consequently, several workshops were held across the organisation to unlock the “Magic of Teams”.

Case E - Customer Service Management

Industry	Diamond Retail Industry
Background	Diamonds are high prestige and high value commodity, normally purchased by people who expect a certain standard of customer service. However, the retail staff manning the sales counters at the Diamond showrooms across the country lacked the finesse and discreteness that was expected on the job. Majority of the retail staff learnt through a process of on-the-job training by observing their seniors and learning from their own mistakes.
Business Focus	The Diamond industry leaders wanted their channel members to gain that certain 'shine' that was essential to not only meet, but also far surpass the demands of their customers. To this end, the Diamond industry wished to create an academy that would shape and hone the knowledge and skills of the employees, making these graduating cadres the finest available in the industry and the ones to create tomorrow's market, nationally and internationally.
The ELS Way	In the absence of any formal documentation of past practices to fall back on, detailed research was carried out nationally, to assess the needs and the level of customization required. The research findings were thoroughly vetted with and ratified by the industry leaders, which, thereafter, became the basis for the design of the modules and creation of course material for three day workshops on the art & science of retailing of diamond jewelry products, coupled with the superior skilled customer service required for the sale of luxury products. Separate segments of workshops were planned for: Showroom Owners / Managers - focused on managing & growing the business. Retail Showroom Staff - focused on enhancing the customer interface experience. The workshops were structured into three phases covering initial classroom learning, followed by on-the-job project and, finally, rounded off by a classroom academic input-cum-review session. The pilot workshops were conducted at the four zonal metros of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkatta and Mumbai and thereafter followed up by post-workshop reviews at selected showrooms at the metros.
The Outcome	The workshops got an overwhelming response based on which it was decided to extend these workshops to the rest of the country.

Case F - Leadership

Industry	Information Technology
Background	The 6 year old software company, with headquarters in the United States and having off-shore development centers in Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. The founder and CEO was keen to knit his senior team of managers together.
Business Focus	After the initial years of uncertainty the company had established itself with some highly reputed and established clients. The company had set itself the challenge of doubling its revenue to reach the magic goal of US$ 100 million within 2 years.
The ELS Way	After a series of individual meetings with the key business leaders (wherein it emerged that no one believed that this goal was feasible, given the host of internal issues), a leadership retreat was designed. The intent was to create a platform where individual managers could share their personal vision, where from a collective organisational vision for the future could be created. Thereafter strategies were prepared to take the organisation to the next level. A few select senior managers were identified for specific coaching. Follow up workshops were held to cascade the strategies to the next two operating levels.
The Outcome	At the end of the first year the milestones were met and the initial scepticism was transformed into belief, a belief that it could be done. The journey towards the US$ 100 million mark now continues with a determination that is unwavering. The Company is getting ready for an IPO, a thought that would have never crossed their minds a year ago.

Case G - CLP India. Powering growth through a culture of Whole Brain Thinking

Because thinking is at the core of everything we do, CLP recognised that the Whole Brain® framework offered more than just an interesting tool or concept; it would serve as the connecting thread between the organisation's issues, people, processes and culture.

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