Case Studies

The challenges facing them

Upon assessing Schroders’ daily operations, particularly focusing on behaviours and cultural trends, I identified challenges that were hindering the company’s progress.

While the employees demonstrated motivation, awareness, and a desire to excel in their roles, there was a disconnect in how these elements were integrated to create meaningful impact.

Despite abundant training opportunities and self-assessment practices, the challenge lay in aligning these components seamlessly to drive real change and effectiveness within the organisation.

The objectives I created

The most important objective I felt was ensuring that Schroders adopted new behaviours to optimise their effectiveness.

For instance, they were given to feeling safer in silos. Conflict was largely absent, while control played a large role in how employees carried out their duties. It was important to make sure they learned the importance of looking at the bigger picture.

As such, I felt that senior managers had to be more trusting and delegate more. Rather than shying away from conflict, constructive feedback was to become a valued and welcomed part of the company culture

The approach I took

To address Schroders’ challenges, I crafted objectives aimed at fostering new behaviors to optimize effectiveness.

This involved shifting the company culture away from siloed thinking towards a more holistic perspective. Key objectives included encouraging senior managers to delegate more, promoting constructive conflict resolution, and fostering a culture where feedback is valued and welcomed.

Through a tailored approach, I conducted 6-8 coaching sessions with employees from various departments. Together, we focused on implementing leadership tools to facilitate a coaching-based leadership style, improve team trust dynamics, enhance presentation and negotiation skills, and refine feedback processes.

The results that followed

Following the implementation of the coaching program, Schroders experienced significant positive outcomes. Employees demonstrated a greater ability to adopt new behaviors and embrace a more collaborative approach to problem-solving.

The culture shifted towards one where constructive conflict resolution and feedback were valued, leading to improved team dynamics and communication. Leadership tools provided valuable insights into individual and team development areas, allowing for targeted interventions and continuous improvement. Overall, Schroders saw a tangible impact on organisational effectiveness and performance.

What they said

“In the midst of the pandemic, having to handle personnel issues virtually and dealing with bigger BCP issues for the organisation, these coaching sessions came at the right time for me. The sessions provided a safe haven and a platform to discuss issues without being judged. The feeling of rejuvenation and feeling positive after each session was great therapy for me”.

“The real-life scenario and role play was really effective. It allows me to put my thoughts into action, without having to worry about the consequences. Having Susan there to help point out some of my blind spots and make suggestions really helped to boost my confidence”.

“By asking thought provoking questions, Susan has dug deep and helped me uncover the roots of the work challenges I have been facing. She has also provided me with the right advice and tools, empowering me to be able to deal with challenges in a structural way. I feel very privileged to be a recipient of her coaching. It’s been an enriching journey.”