Global organizations face many layers of complexity. The uncertainty brought by inevitable change is further complicated by an organization’s size, target markets, and the economic environment in which it operates. Combating this complexity and ambiguity requires leaders to think strategically across the enterprise, work collaboratively, and communicate across lines of authority. At the enterprise level, organizations must accelerate the development of leaders, not only to address gaps in the leadership pipeline but also to empower leaders to define the culture and even the future of the organization.
The Challenge: Improve Collaboration
A global Fortune 500 electrical engineering firm approached UNC Executive Development for help transforming its learning initiatives. The company had three key objectives. First, it sought to dismantle rigid chains of command and vertically focused operating principles. Second, it aimed to improve collaboration across business units while helping leaders monitor global dynamics and trends. Finally, it identified several key strategic initiatives to implement over the next three years, all of which were imperative to the organization’s future.
Co-Designing a Custom Program
UNC Executive Development collaborated with the client to co-design a program for its global high-potential talent. The Executive Development team delivered this program in two 1-week onsite sessions over six months, held in locations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Between sessions, participants collaborated virtually on learning projects tied to the firm’s key initiatives. Each delivery included 130 participants from diverse geographies and business units, drawn from four groups: managers, directors, vice presidents, and senior vice presidents. Depending on the learning content being addressed, participants attended program sessions either in level-specific cohorts or as part of larger, multilevel groups. This allowed the program content to be customized to the unique needs of each participant, based on their level and role. This also created an opportunity for participants to come together across levels and address the current and future challenges of the organization as one united team.
The program’s content engaged a variety of UNC faculty, industry experts, and learning experiences, but it consistently delivered on the firm’s key areas of focus: customer centricity, innovation, speed, employee trust, and collaboration. This ensured that the program remained relevant to each participant’s role.
The Impact: New Leadership Skills, Increased Collaboration
UNC Executive Development and the client co-created a program that helped participants develop new leadership skills and solve organizational challenges by building strong collaborative relationships. Participants also learned to adopt practical, forward-looking strategies for gaining a competitive edge by better serving the firm’s customers. These new skills, behaviors, and organizational culture empowered leaders to thrive in a volatile and uncertain environment. This program is another example of how UNC Executive Development partners with its clients to co-design programs that drive real business impact by creating meaningful and lasting change.
