Transforming Leadership Development: Hemsley Fraser's Strengths-Based Approach
Hemsley Fraser, a leading global training provider has consistently ranked among the top 20 worldwide for over two decades. As part of a new C-Suite initiative Hemsley Fraser asked Kate Jennings Coaching to help bolster their leadership style with a Strengths-based coaching series.
At the end of our programme, Hemsley Fraser reported increased engagement scores, lower staff turnover, higher morale, enhanced psychological safety ad increased productivity. The success of the program was so notable that it was featured in HR Magazine, highlighting the transformative power of strengths-based leadership development.
The Case for Strengths-Based Programs
Why did Hemsley Fraser, along with many other forward-thinking organisations, opt for a strengths-based approach? Research indicates that organisations utilising strengths-based programs experience substantial benefits:
Higher Employee Engagement: Organisations experience a 7-23% increase in employee engagement.
Enhanced Performance: An 8-18% improvement in performance.
Reduced Turnover: A significant reduction in turnover rates, ranging from 20-73%.
Implementation: A Multi-Faceted Approach
With the support of Kate Jennings Coaching, Hemsley Fraser implemented a strengths-based leadership development program to address its internal challenges and rejuvenate its workforce. Contact us to find out how we can do the same for you.
Key Interventions and Strategies
1:1 Coaching
One-on-one coaching sessions with Kate were pivotal in helping employees understand and harness their strengths. These sessions enabled participants to:
Harness Their Top Strengths: Employees learned to understand and leverage their top five strengths synergistically, known as the "smoothie effect."
Strengths in Action: Recognize how they utilise their strengths in different aspects of their roles.
Leadership Application: Apply their strengths as managers and leaders to achieve excellence at work.
Motivation and Energy: Discover the link between their strengths and their motivations, identifying ways to address any misalignment.
Manage Potential Pitfalls: Identify and manage potential pitfalls from the misuse or overuse of their strengths.
Facilitate Knowledge Sharing: Create opportunities for those with Thinking strengths to share their insights and strategies, enhancing the team’s overall understanding and capabilities
Support with Resources: Provide access to data, tools, and continued learning to help these individuals thrive and continue to contribute impactful insights.
1:1 coaching sessions with Kate formed a key part of the programme
Team Workshops
We ran a series of team workshops which played a critical role in fostering a collaborative, strengths-focused culture. These workshops enabled the Hemsley Fraser teams to:
Leverage Unique Strengths: Discover and maximise individual and collective strengths for greater impact.
Boost Productivity: Understand how individual and team strengths influence productivity.
Strengthen Partnerships: Harness diverse strengths within the team to create powerful partnerships.
Value for Organization: Recognize the value of team strengths for organisational and stakeholder relationships.
Manage Shadow-Sides: Identify and manage potential gaps and ‘shadow-sides’ in team strengths.
Enhance Psychological Safety: Foster trust and collaboration, enhancing psychological safety across the team.
Promote Cognitive Diversity: Use strengths-based language to address differences and enhance cognitive diversity.
Action Plans: Develop targeted action plans to achieve goals, seize opportunities, and overcome challenges.
Comprehensive Leadership Development Program
Over several months, and with the support of Kate Jennings Coaching, Hemsley Fraser rolled out a strengths-based leadership development program encompassing a range of leadership themes. Participants were continually encouraged to reflect on:
Strengths and Leadership Issues: Which strengths helped or hindered them with specific leadership issues.
Supporting the Team: How their strengths could support the team.
Partnerships for Growth: Who can be partnered with to fill gaps?
Further Development: How can strengths be further developed to help achieve team and organisational goals?
Supporting Mechanisms
Alongside the formal program, Hemsley Fraser implemented additional support mechanisms to reinforce learning and application:
Action-Learning Sets: Regular small group meetings where delegates solved each other's issues using a structured format.
Peer Coaching Trios: Groups of three to develop coaching skills through peer interactions.
Impact and Outcomes
The strengths-based leadership development program had a profound impact on Hemsley Fraser. Key outcomes included increased engagement scores, lower staff turnover, higher morale, enhanced psychological safety, and increased productivity. The success of the program was so notable that it was featured in HR Magazine, highlighting the transformative power of strengths-based leadership development.
Conclusion
For HR executives seeking to enhance leadership development within their organisations, Hemsley Fraser’s experience underscores the effectiveness of a strengths-based approach. By focusing on understanding and leveraging individual and team strengths, organisations can foster a more engaged, productive, and resilient workforce, ultimately driving sustained success and growth.
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Interested how the Clifton Strengths Finder can boost your team’s performance? Contact me to find out how we can achieve the same outcomes for your business
Kate Jennings