A case study of a business re-energising and re-focusing itself to push out of recession more strongly.

1. Re-energising Exec Teams – Putting the fizz back into BWB Consulting
A case study published in “Connections Magazine” Autumn 2010
The Leadership team of BWB Consulting Engineers entered the recession on a high following their ambitious MBO. The down turn hit them hard, they reacted swiftly, refinancing the
business, reducing costs, laying off staff and reducing pay. The vision of the future post MBO evaporated and the Exec Team, understandably came under pressure; Communication,
relationships, focus, leadership and morale all suffered, replaced by growing defensiveness, blame and mistrust.
Over the past year, with the help and facilitation of Redwood Learning Ltd, the Exec team and first line managers have turned this around; taking ownership; discussing and debunking the
unspoken ‘elephants’ in the room; re-connecting as a team; and, re-gaining their focus and drive. This has led to a re-freshed business plan and vision; newly invigorated, joined up
leadership team that is communicating, looking outwards and starting to drive growth and morale back into the business… and there’s more to do.
Case study: Putting thefizz back into BWB Consulting
Putting the fizz back into BWB Consulting
2008 looked set to be a terrific about survival. We restructured gradually became demoralised. would only achieve this when our get to the root of their issues and out on the table in a creative,
year for consulting engineers and downsized our operation Even when we began to turn the leadership team started acting as help them coalesce as an e ective forward-looking way, and resolving
BWB. The business, founded in from 250 to 135 employees. corner in autumn 2009, we were a team: believing in itself and in unit. “We knew we needed a clear them positively. That took a lot of
Nottingham 20 years ago, had “Our management team had doing so with a fractious and each other. We wouldn’t be able vision for the business; we knew honesty and bravery.”
thrived on the back of the property never gone through this kind of stressed leadership team.” to turn things around until we got we needed more management “We’re by no means the
boom through the early years of downsizing before. But as our Around that time, Liz Hardwick- matters resolved at the top of the visibility across the business; and ‘transformed organisation’ yet,”
the millennium. Its services were business.” we knew we needed to re-engage Steve concluded. “But we’re well
in great demand and the business Liz started working on some of the organisation around what we on our way. The next step is to
had grown to 250 people across “We wouldn’t be able the operational deficiencies on the stand for. What we’d forgotten engage our middle managers fully
six o ces. The management team to turn things around people-side of the business. how to do was work together. We and bring them into the culture of
completed a highly-leveraged “We focused on improving decided on external development collective responsibility we’ve built
buy-out in April 2008 under
until we got matters
communication throughout the support, since we needed within the Senior Management
managing director Steve Wooler – resolved at the top of company. We introduced a new independence and objectivity.” Team. There’s been a palpable
just months before the property the business.” appraisal system for managers Paul and his colleagues change in mood, belief and
development market nosedived and their teams, and rethought worked 1:1 with each member attitude in the business. By taking
hard on the heels of the our training and team days. We of the 18-strong management a long, hard look at ourselves in
banking crisis. introduced a quarterly business team before bringing them all the top team, and acting on what
bulletin from the Executive Board together for a two-day session we’ve found, we’ve revitalised the
“When we completed the MBO billing fell by almost half, it was Smith joined BWB as its new HR and we gave people a greater say to rebuild their trust and belief business. Now we have to keep
we had great expectations for a essential. This was no quick hit: Manager. “I could see that people by encouraging their involvement in BWB. “We knew that if BWB working hard to ensure that the
great future. But when the market it was well over a year of intense felt ‘bruised’ by some of the in working groups across the was to transform into an e ective, fizz doesn’t go flat.”
crashed, developers started pain. We had to make some tough changes. We needed to re-engage business.” functional business the leadership
cancelling major projects. We had decisions, including an across- people: for them to see that we In parallel, Steve had asked Paul team needed to take personal
to switch quickly to an interim plan the-board 10% pay cut. Morale had a great business that could Redwood of Redwood Learning to responsibility for driving success.
that wasn’t about growth: it was plummeted and our people quickly move forward. But we work with the leadership team to That meant getting all the issues
Redwood Learning Limited - Leadership and Change Page 1 of 1
04/02/2011
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