Introduction
In early 2017, we met with a Senior Manager from the global pharmaceutical company, Mundipharma Technical Operations Ltd. A recent organisational audit undertaken by the company had made a number of recommendations, including:
- The implementation of a Learning and Development framework to ensure the continued professional development of employees across the group’s diverse teams.
- The creation of a coaching culture that would benefit both employees and future business opportunities.
Engagement with Gateway HR
Emma was engaged to establish the Learning and Development framework, looking at aligning personal development with organisational needs. Emma’s aim was to support the function in becoming part of a ‘learning organisation’, to not rely on external training programmes but to share skills and knowledge across teams.
Lead Performance Coach, Graham Ravenscroft, was brought in to create a 3 year strategy that would result in a self-sustaining inhouse coaching service and informal coaching culture. Graham designed and implemented a training programme and the workshops within. All workshops were purposeful, focussed on the benefits that coaching can bring to an organisation.
The original training programme included the following workshops which were delivered on a rolling basis over the 3 year programme, ensuring all employees (as reasonably practicable) were involved:
- Value in Values
- Introduction to coaching
- Managers as coaches
- Access to a 1:1 and team coaching session with Graham
- Provide CMI accredited coaching and management courses to a number of identified employees
The leadership of Mundipharma then encouraged employees to access the inhouse coaches.
The first workshop, ‘An Introduction to Coaching’, which was open to all employees included the value of feedback in the coaching process. As a result of feedback from this workshop, it was identified that there was room for improvement in this area. This led to a ‘Feedback Masterclass’ which was delivered to a group of employees, who then supported the creation and roll out of a full half day workshop on the subject area. This was then added to the ‘core’ training programme.
During the first year of this programme, Mundipharma Technical Operations had also taken the opportunity to review their corporate values. With coaching and their values being intrinsically linked to the behavioural traits sought by the group, Graham was approached to design and deliver a training workshop to help embed this set of values and associated behaviours into the coaching culture. To support the aim of being a learning organisation, Emma delivered Train the Trainer to key employees, enabling them to deliver workshops to their colleagues.
Outcomes
All aspects of the coaching culture and learning and development function have been implemented within the timescale, with measured success across the company.
Our partnership with Mundipharma Technical Operations has now come to a natural conclusion following the completion of the contract. The skills, knowledge and understanding they now have see them in a strong position to continue to implement and sustain the culture they sought to achieve.
Endorsement: written by Anna Trigg, HR Manager
Working with Gateway HR has helped our people really start their L&D journey. A journey which focused on company values, coaching, growth mindset and feedback. Both Emma and Graham have played a pivotal role in supporting our employees development, whilst helping our culture and values become reality. Working with Gateway HR hasn’t felt like having a third party provide support, Graham and Emma have absorbed our ways of working, feeling like they are part of our very own team. They ensured all training was bespoke to suit our business and culture, using language and methodology that spoke to our people.
Graham become our dedicated facilitator as our people immediately warmed to him. Graham has a fabulous sense of humour, is incredibly knowledgeable about how to get the best out of others, and a committed focused coach that provided 1:1 coaching where required. Graham placed equal amounts of enthusiasm in helping the business better understand how it could become more self-efficient. This included identifying talented individuals who started to run in-house workshops, and those that had the skills and ability to become CMI qualified coaches.
Emma partnered with us (HR team) to help develop our 18m L&D strategy. Emma felt part of the team from day one, and we couldn’t have commenced our work without her. Her insight and understanding of L&D is invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work side by side with Gateway HR.
