Case Studies
THE CHALLENGE
How does a growing business, with a highly skilled workforce, ensure its workforce are led and managed to deliver exceptional customer service, maximise profits and retain its most talented people?
This was a strategic challenge facing Halfords. Their Autocentres division had grown rapidly by acquiring similar businesses and Halfords needed to ensure that, as growth continued, their customers received the best experience, regardless of Autocentre visited, and their profits were maximised through productivity gains.
Halfords were quick to recognise that investment in leadership and management training was critical to achieving its goals.
THE BRIEF
Nudge were asked to design a training programme which focussed on the fundamentals of people management and the role of the manager in their Autocentres. Specifics included better communication, effective time management, role modelling values and driving colleague engagement to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Design and development of the training was ambitious and it took just 7 weeks to deliver the first workshop. During this phase, we talked to the leadership team and spent time with Autocentre managers and frontline teams to gain valuable insight into how it feels to work in the Autocentres and to help us understand which aspects of the training solution were the most important. The leadership team’s engagement at this stage was outstanding and continued throughout the project which, in turn, hugely influenced successful outcomes. High engagement ensured the training was aligned to key business challenges and participants were held accountable to implement what they learned.
DELIVERY
The training course was delivered within 4 months. At peak rollout, Nudge were delivering four sessions a week in eight locations to over eighty managers. Peer coaching, feedback, practical discussion around current challenges enabled participants to understand how actions and behaviours affect business metrics like profitability, employee performance and customer satisfaction
Nudge trainers tuned into where the participants were at and by helping participants visualise the benefits of changing attitudes, mindsets or behaviours, participants gained the practical skills and confidence to make sustainable changes when back in their Autocentres.
THE RESULTS
The programme was exceptionally well received by all participants. 88% said they were using their new skills to lead and manage more effectively within thirty days of attending the programme. Their managers also observed improvements, most notably in time management, listening and giving feedback. Better still, managers attending the training have since evidenced an 8% improvement in garage utilisation and 3% reduction in unplanned absence.
THE NEXT PHASE
The training will be rolled out to Autocentre assistant managers in 2024 and a further phase of the programme will offer advanced people management skills as well as integrating the core training into their new manager induction programme.
WHY CHOOSE NUDGE?
Our approach to training is very straightforward.
Our clients tell us they love how we care about their business and getting the results they want.
We make things happen at pace, we challenge and we deliver.
We talk in a language that managers and leaders can relate to and we come armed with years of experience and success at changing cultures, mindsets and behaviours.
We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and tell us how we can help you to nudge your business.