Client: Global Technology Manufacturer

The context

The company, once a popular technology brand in the 1980s and ’90s, had lost its luster to many competitors. As a result, the company struggled to foster an innovation-based culture and launch new products that would gain traction with customers. To rebuild an innovative culture and mindset within its workforce, the company requested a long-term, blended, experiential leadership development program for cohorts of high-potential senior managers, directors, and senior directors across different functions (engineering, marketing, finance, and IT). Throughout the program, they would not only become certified in an innovation curriculum and key leadership skills, but they would also be expected to build business cases and new product prototypes that would be presented to and selected by executives. The program also needed to be scalable, and rolled out to other groups at future dates.

Our approach

ZRG developed an online technology platform on which the innovation curriculum resided:

• Throughout the five-month program, the participants took a series of online modules that gave them digital badges/certifications in innovation
• We additionally conducted a number of in-person and virtual sessions that incorporated innovation topics, leadership development skills training, and facilitation of teams through the business case development
• The program also included a mentoring program and 1:1 coaching where participants would be matched with a company mentor throughout the program (and beyond), as well as with a ZRG developmental coach

The results

The program was very successful in that many of the business cases/new product recommendations received funding and selection for the company’s product pipeline. Based on this pilot, roll-outs of this program are being launched in different regions and functions on an ongoing basis. Within a year of their graduation from the program, 90% of participants were promoted. Several participants agreed that they will be able to apply what they learned during the course of the program to their day-to-day jobs. Many participants from past programs wanted to continue involvement with the program, so they now serve as mentors, coaches, and facilitators for new roll-outs.

Our expertise

Leadership Development, Leadership Skills Training, Action Learning, Career Development, Innovation

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