Clariant
Coaching a new Management Committee to operate quickly as one team
Challenge
In January 2015, Clariant established a new internal organization to deliver services for internal end-to-end processes on a global scale. In doing so, the company moved from a function-specific services operating model to process-driven Global Business Services.
The new Global Business Services organization (GBS) was created from scratch, with a clear but ambitious roadmap.
Their aim was to quickly clarify all key processes and transfer the necessary knowledge to its newly built shared service centers. In addition to this, the company aimed to manage these changes with all internal stakeholders and business units, with the goal of implementing process excellence across all services by the end of 2017.
Hans Bohnen who had been successfully running one of Clariant’s largest BUs over the last 5 years was appointed as Head of GBS. In that role, he also took over a totally new Management Committee (MC), which he had to quickly engage in a collective change journey.
This meant first clarifying the vision and strategic objectives of GBS, then making a quantum leap from being a 'working group’ to rapidly working as a ‘real team’
Solution
Hans Bohnen had already experienced Krauthammer’s expertise in coaching top teams when he was the Head of BU. That’s why he decided to call upon Krauthammer to design and deploy another customized high-performing team program in 2015.
After some individual interviews, two collective questionnaires (TASK², DISC-WPMOT-enquête), and a team meeting observation to gauge the current situation, Krauthammer created a tailor-made program, composed of teams workshops and collective coaching.
A total of 6 sessions, each lasting a day and a half, were spread over 10 months in order to clarify GBS’s vision and strategic objectives, and then foster and anchor teambuilding, team spirit, and teamwork within the MC.
Results
The team finalized GBS’s vision and its strategic objectives for 2017. It then focused on its collective dynamics, clarifying its raison d’être, code of conduct, desired leadership style, governance, roles and responsibilities, Odus Operandi, strategic priorities, and typical agendas.
The team practiced consensus, dealing with tensions, giving, and receiving feedback, and speaking with one voice. Bilateral discussions were held, enabling individuals to identify ingredients and personal actions needed to capitalize on their strengths, work on their limits, and build and reinforce interpersonal trust.
When Krauthammer and Clariant started the journey, a TASK² survey helped to identify key collective strengths and development points. A DISCWPMOT survey supported an understanding of individual behavioral and motivational profiles and in strengthening commonalities and differences to improve interpersonal communication between team members. In 2016, personal coaching and some team workshops are envisaged to further anchor new routines and behaviors.
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