In 2019 we were asked to work with the senior Director team for the European Technology Services group in Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

The challenge was to ‘shake them up’ in a positive way, that would help the members reconnect with their drive as leaders and encourage further progression. Whilst generally a positive, the stability and comfort of the team meant there was little onward movement. To facilitate this, our team developed a series of interventions that helped the cohort to articulate what their leadership purpose was, why it was so important to them, and where they saw it ‘taking them next’.

This was achieved through a mix of insight-led discussions (using tools such as Emotional Intelligence Profiling and our Five Roles measures) and through group work and exploration of core leadership principles. We reinforced this with ongoing coaching and input from the delivery team.

The programme rolled out over 14 months – giving the participants time to absorb the material and conversations, and to road-test some new approaches with their own teams to help with their development.

Post-programme evaluation was through two routes – participant and senior leader feedback, and through longer-term monitoring of how the team evolved and moved forwards.

With regards to the former, all participants expressed how the journey (their word) had evolved their thinking and reawoken their passion for leadership. This sentiment was echoed by the European CIO, who was faced with a more buoyant, restless group.

Longer-term, approximately 70 percent of the team have either moved into roles that are within the wider organisation, or moved up the structure and taken on larger roles. This, for two of them, have included new global roles that cover teams in the US and Europe. The team is now seen as a key talent pool for the wider organisation.