Empower. A leadership behavioural programme for every employee

In 2020, weeks before the pandemic changed our lives forever, employees in VINCI Facilities had spoken up about a gap in leadership development opportunities to support their growth in a world of constant change. As is familiar, people were being promoted, typically due to technical capability and task proficiency yet with little experience in leading people and teams.

VINCI Facilities may have taken that opportunity to source an ‘off-the-shelf’ learning and development solution. Instead, with an approach of empowerment and trust in their teams, they sponsored an approach that would see their people develop the programme that they wanted. Through a series of virtual Think Tank sessions, hosted during lockdown and attended by volunteers of varying roles across the business, I led the facilitation of conversations and workshops where the group explored what the business really needed in terms of effective leadership behaviours.

We challenged what the company values really meant to individuals, what effective leadership behaviours had been observed, what future talent looked for in employers and so on and from these thought-provoking challenges, the content of a leadership behavioural programme, aimed at senior managers and leaders was borne. The content was transformed into a practical and professional programme with the support of VINCI Facilities’ L&D partner, Open Road Learning, and the Programme was launched in 2021.

Recognising that in talking about organisational behaviour, we were talking about culture, and if we were discussing culture, then this behavioural programme should be applicable to all, hence the Programme was adapted in several formats to make it relevant and relatable to every single employee of the UK-wide organisation, from Cleaner and Engineer to Managing Director.

It has since become the organisational culture change programme with a model that commits to continuous development for all and driving business change from within. It has been endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and is delivering measurable impact to learners, their teams and the business.

For further information about the Empower Programme in VINCI Facilities, read here.