1. 04/10/2012
The Practicalities of Developing An
Engagement Strategy
Our Story and Our Journey
Sean Morgan, Managing Director
BE Limited
A Group of Companies that Include Frances King
School of English and Quest Professional
• A bit of Background on Frances King and Quest Professional
• The Challenges Identified and an Overview of the Journey
• Tools and techniques
– Online In-house Forums
– The Role of External Advisor
– Personal and Professional Development
– The Leadership Environment
• Bottom line benefits and Customer Delight
• If I had my time again?
– Leadership Training for all
– Not outsourcing what I should have done
• What’s left to do and what’s ahead
– Leadership Training for All
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2. 04/10/2012
• Frances King School of • Quest Professional
English • Independent Training and
• English as a Foreign Recruitment for Business
Language School
• Belgravia
• Kensington
• 35 years • Parts 100 years(!)
• 70 Employees • 22 Employees
• £9.0mm Gross Revenue • £1.9mm Gross Revenue
• 6,000 Students per year • 300 Students per year
The Biggest Challenge is One of the
Other P’s!
Integral Performance
People Process
The Extended
Marketing Mix
For us, put simply;
Social Business challenges
conventional management wisdom
and
Physical allows for harmony and balance
Evidence between
otherwise possibly opposed
‘People and Process’
©Penny Ferguson’s Integral
Performance Model
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3. 04/10/2012
Tools and Techniques
• Online In-house Forums
• The Role of External Advisor
– Staff Consultation
– Staff Surveys
– Off Sites
• Personal and Professional Development
– Leadership Training
– Management Training
– Finance Training
– IT Training
• The Leadership Environment
– Trust and Security
– Empowerment
– Fulfilment
Key Completed Projects
• Designed and Built Bespoke CRM and School Management
System from MS xRM
• Virtualised IT (x4 buildings and x400 desktops)
• Outsourced our IT Support
• Rolled out pensions to 4%
• Pay rises amounting to 7%
• Bonuses
• Observations as best practice
• Permanent salaried contracts
• Personal and Professional Development
• Devolution of responsibility and empowerment
• Replaced the core accounting system
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4. 04/10/2012
Staff Survey
2010, 2011 and 2012 (about to happen)
• “Although we are encouraged to contribute ideas, I often feel like these ideas are
ignored in favour of whatever has already been decided behind closed doors”.
• “The School encourages us to go to seminars and get further qualifications which I
respect and appreciate”.
• “There are forms of communication but no checks on whether anyone is reading
what is communicated or if they understand what is going on”.
• “Training and development has become a forefront in FK operations and it’s
brilliant”.
• “Some people are told about training but not everybody…Why?”.
• “Now I have a line manager who has been given too much work, so he can’t
dedicate himself to support me, despite his best intentions”.
• “The leadership at ...at lower levels needs to be organised. Line managers often
seem pressed for time and are not always accessible on site when needed”.
• “I think i know what i need to do in my role, but i'm not sure of the standard i'm
expected to achieve and whether i am working to that standard or not. I think i
am”.
Change of perceptions
Q26. Have your perceptions about Frances King / BE Ltd changed during the last 8
months?
Response Response
Answer Options
Percent Count Apr-11
Yes, things have got better 45.2% 28 33.3%
Yes, but things have got worse 3.2% 2 19.3%
Not at all 21.0% 13 14.0%
Not sure 30.6% 19 33.3%
answered question 62
• Important set of answers because this is the first time we can see a
major shift
• An additional 12% of people think that things have got better and now
only 3% think things have got worse compared to 19.3% last time.
• This change in perception has primarily come about through fewer
people sitting on the fence (i.e. not at all = perceptions remain
unchanged in the last 12 months).
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5. 04/10/2012
In your own words, can you summarise what
you feel the reputation of the school is?
• School held in high esteem by both staff and students
• FK is seen as an excellent school in a great location and the
quality of teaching is considered very good
• Many also comment on welcoming, supportive, caring and
friendly nature of the school
• Ex-students very likely to recommend
• Seen as professional and efficient
• Some staff struggle with particular issues (space, pay,
time-pressure). Despite this, there is an overwhelmingly
positive view of the reputation of the school.
Bottom Line Benefits and Customer
Delight
• Student Numbers (Quest Professional) Grew 50%
in one year
• Advocacy up
• Engagement with Companies
• Succession Planning, Cancer and Heart Attacks
• Responsibility, Empowerment and Ownership
• Town Hall Attendance and Communication
• Discretionary Hours
• We are now have a portable process the staff
own
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6. 04/10/2012
If I had my time again?
• Leadership Training for all
• I would have dismantled silos faster
• One to One’s and best practice
• On “Not outsourcing”
– Roles Internally that should not be delegated
– Outsourcing
• Staff Survey follow up; OCD is required
• I would not use scoring for appraisals
• I would not have linked bonus to appraisals
• Joined visions sooner
Thank you
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