The start
A UK coffee company started 8 years ago has grown exceptionally quickly and today has 6000 staff and 460 stores. Directors are focused on today, looking after their own departments not the business as a whole or shaping the future. The US parent company and Cliff the UK President intend that fast growth should continue and invite us to work with the UK leadership team to develop a shared 5 year vision. Cliff and Gordon his HR director also wish to build a new level of teamwork in preparation for their imminent departure.

What happened?
It took time to get started (6 months to agree a workshop date!). Get-to-know-you meetings revealed frustrations at being late with the vision, suspicion at preparation work being done by the Marketing Director ("Is this going to be a fait accompli?") and doubts about whether the team could possibly agree a vision in the time available.

Despite this an initial 2 day workshop produced significant progress: a clear vision of success, 5 agreed upon "workstreams" each "owned" by two members of the team, and a new sense of capability as a team. However the energy dissipated quickly on return to the workplace. As a "conscience", we reminded directors of their commitments and booked a follow-up meeting. This generated a last minute rush of activity, just in time to take the vision to a business planning meeting with 28 "direct reports" the following week.

By the end
Direct reports pleased at last to have a vision, agreed with most of it, and raised some practical challenges. Their previously unspoken concern about how to resource the business for growth was being addressed.

How did Cliff view progress? "Tony has a very personable approach getting close to the heart of our organisation, effectively, and effortlessly, guiding us to achieve the agreed objectives. The individuals were left with an aligned vision and a real belief in the team's ability to deliver their goals."

Shortly after this Cliff and Gordon were promoted and received similar support from us to grow the business in EMEA region. Through the recent economic downturn Cliff has been heading up the largest part of the business: US Operations.