E.ON is an international energy company providing residential and business electricity and gas solutions. With over 9400 employees in the UK they are the 2nd largest energy provider.
The Challenge
Develop on their strategy to Improve People’s Lives by creating a coaching culture
Having seen the value of external coaching to the business through its ongoing and collaborative partnership with us, E.ON wanted to develop its people further. They wanted to help them improve the quality of conversations around performance, development, wellbeing and change in order to be in the best place possible to deliver on its People Strategy.
The Approach
Programme comprising engagement call, two workshops, recorded coaching sessions, feedback sessions and buddy observation to 180 senior execs and managers
We worked with E.ON to design and deliver a highly experiential ‘Great Conversations’ programme. The programme comprised an engagement call, two workshops, six recorded coaching and feedback sessions, plus an ongoing ‘buddy system’. Initially delivered to the UK Board, it was then rolled out to senior and mid-level managers.
HR Director and UK Board Member, Dave Newborough said, ‘We have a long relationship with TLC around coaching; the team gave us organisational insights into our culture. They were a great partner; collaborative, resilient and responsive to our needs.’
Results
More inclusive, focused conversations lead to increased efficiencies and performance and help deliver on the People Strategy
Reaction to the programme was extremely positive from the outset. Dave says, ‘The programme has been very successful - we have had real traction as it is so relevant to our everyday activity. We absolutely saw a leadership-led change in the style of Board conversations. The model created a different kind of conversation which really resonated with a lot of our managers, so they felt confident and competent to have the conversations they needed to have. It really exceeded my expectations.’
‘It has become part of our everyday business activity; it has been transformative in us moving towards our ultimate goal of helping each other to be at our best. It is a fundamental underpinning, helping us to bring the three areas of our People Strategy – fairness, building capability and wellbeing - to life. It has definitely been a worthwhile investment for E.ON and something I’m really proud of.’
Dave continues, ‘one year after rollout, it is clear that the programme has led to sustained behavioural change. Leadership conversations are better - more focused and outcome-based, and with more emotional intelligence. It brings the person into the conversation, is inclusive, and is enabling us to move from a ‘tell’, to a collaborative style of leadership.
Rather than seen as another 'bolt on', Great Conversations has successfully blended into the fabric of E.ON’s business and culture - so much so that it is no longer discussed as a discrete programme. It is a new way of engaging with colleagues, helping them to raise their performance, and supporting E.ON’s Strategic Framework.