Case Study: Improved productivity of a Leadership Team
Background:
A family-owned, mid-sized Tier 2 construction company with over 40 years of experience in the industry was facing increasing competition and complexity in its projects. As the company expanded from a local player to a regional force, the leadership team—composed primarily of family members and long-serving employees—struggled to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the construction industry. The team operated in silos, lacked strategic alignment, and decision-making processes were slow and inefficient.
Recognising these challenges, the company hired Hello Performance with expertise in organisational development and leadership transformation to fast-track the leadership team's effectiveness and better align them with the company’s ambitious growth strategy.
Challenges:
Lack of Strategic Alignment:
The leadership team, made up of family members and long-serving employees, held different views about the company’s future. Without a unified vision or cohesive strategy, the company struggled to align its operations and growth efforts.Siloed Decision Making:
Departments such as operations, finance, and procurement operated independently with minimal cross-functional collaboration. This led to conflicting priorities, project delays, missed opportunities, and higher costs.Legacy Leadership Styles:
Many leaders adhered to traditional management styles that were increasingly ineffective in the face of modern, more complex business challenges. Micromanagement was common, and delegation was poorly handled, which stifled the decision-making processes and caused inefficiencies.Unclear Roles and Responsibilities:
Many leadership roles, especially those held by family members, lacked clarity. There was significant overlap in responsibilities, leading to confusion, duplicated efforts, and internal power struggles.
Consultant’s Approach:
Hello Performance adopted a structured and tailored approach to fast-track the leadership team:
Strategic Alignment Workshop:
Hello initiated the process with a series of workshops designed to build alignment around the company’s vision, mission, and long-term objectives. We facilitated honest discussions among the leadership team, allowing them to confront diverging perspectives and collectively shape a unified strategy for the company.Role Clarification and Organisational Restructuring:
Hello worked with the team to define clear roles and responsibilities, ensuring that each leader understood their position and contribution to the company’s strategy. A new organisational structure was proposed, which reduced role overlap and streamlined the decision-making process.Leadership Development and Coaching:
A key element of the engagement was leadership development. Hello identified skill gaps and outdated management practices and provided one-on-one coaching to key leaders. Focus areas included improving delegation, fostering collaboration, and transitioning from operational involvement to strategic oversight.Cross-Functional Collaboration Initiatives:
Hello implemented initiatives to break down silos between departments. Cross-functional teams were established to work on critical projects, encouraging collaboration and fostering a culture of shared accountability.Decision-Making Frameworks:
To speed up decision-making, Hello introduced decision-making frameworks that empowered middle management to take on more responsibility and make quicker, data-driven decisions. This not only reduced bottlenecks at the leadership level but also improved responsiveness throughout the organization.
Results:
Improved Strategic Focus:
Within six months, the leadership team was unified around a clear vision and strategic direction. With everyone pulling in the same direction, the company was able to align its projects and initiatives with long-term goals, resulting in more cohesive business planning.Enhanced Decision-Making and Efficiency:
Decision-making processes became faster and more streamlined. Empowered by new frameworks, middle managers were able to make informed decisions, reducing the number of minor issues escalated to the leadership team. This allowed the leadership team to focus on higher-level strategic matters.Cross-Functional Collaboration:
The introduction of cross-functional teams led to better coordination between departments. Project timelines improved, and costs were reduced as teams worked together to prioritise shared goals rather than competing departmental objectives.Modernised Leadership Approach:
Leadership development and coaching transformed the management style from a traditional, hierarchical approach to one that emphasised collaboration, delegation, and empowerment. The leaders became more effective in guiding the company through complex challenges, and morale improved as employees felt more involved in decision-making.Increased Growth and Competitiveness:
As a result of Hello’s interventions, the company became more agile and responsive to market demands. This led to the acquisition of larger, more complex projects, which ultimately contributed to revenue growth and enhanced competitiveness in the regional construction market.
Conclusion:
The consultant successfully fast-tracked the leadership team of the family-owned construction company by realigning their strategic focus, modernising leadership styles, and fostering cross-departmental collaboration. As a result, the company was able to achieve faster decision-making, clearer communication, and improved overall performance, positioning it for continued growth in a competitive industry.