Client

The Client is a multinational company offering technology platforms and app-based services that provide transportation, food delivery and freight shipping.

Challenge

The client was seeking a solution to help underrepresented technologists gain the skills needed to grow their careers.  They recognized that being a strong engineer requires more than just top-notch coding and that the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships with colleagues and leverage leadership skills is fundamental to their success, regardless of whether they are an individual contributor or a manager.

They were seeking a solution that would enable participants to learn and implement leadership competencies to keep pace with a complex, demanding and highly competitive environment.  They wanted to provide junior engineers with the opportunity to take development courses aimed at growing core leadership skills such as effective communication, leading with resilience, and self-knowledge, among other topics. They also wanted to create a culture where community, connectedness and collaboration would be fostered.

Solution

AMS senior consultants collaborated with the organization’s HR Talent Management, Engineering, and Diversity & Inclusion teams to conduct a formal evaluation (gap analysis) of current leadership practices within the targeted group. Skills were evaluated against a robust set of best-in-class competencies and behavioral characteristics linked to demonstrated results for leadership success in similar environments.

A comprehensive and structured 6-month leadership development program was developed, with learning tracks tailored to address core leadership skills required, focusing on key gaps and critical skills needed in the client’s organization and culture. To inspire and broaden a culture of sponsorship and cultivate a diverse, cross-functional engineering community, participants were paired with senior managers or directors who would meet with them monthly for support. Exercises were designed for participants to continue growing their skills and interacting with their cohort between the monthly programs. Relevant resources, including digital learning supplements and Toolkits with models, techniques, and exercises, were provided for continued learning outside the classroom.

Each program concluded with participants creating a Personal Action Plan to be shared with their Sponsors and Managers for tracking progress and receiving further coaching and feedback. To meet global demands and maintain consistency of approach and facilitation, all sessions were delivered in the Virtual Learning Environment, leveraging interactive tools to increase engagement and participation.

Critical steps to the solution implementation included interviews with prospective attendees, their managers, sponsors, and senior leadership to elicit thoughts on skill requirements and challenges. An assessment model was assembled based on interview results and senior consultant industry experience. This model was reviewed and validated by client stakeholders for relevance and alignment with current organizational role delineations, functional practices, and leadership challenges.

A detailed recommendation in the form of a comprehensive Leadership Excellence Model and Program RoadMap was developed, including Course Objectives and Design, Pre-Work Assignments, Application Exercises, Participant Toolboxes, Action Plans, and Sponsor/Sponsee guidelines. Programs were delivered over a 6-month period, and feedback collected after each course further informed the relevance of the content to address skill and knowledge gaps within the cohorts and address the particular culture of the client.

The Leadership Development Curriculum included courses such as Navigating the Organizational Matrix, Journey to Cultural Intelligence, Communication & Relationship Building Skills, Strategic Stakeholder Management, Dynamic Problem Solving, and Executive Presence. Each course was developed and facilitated using a dynamic learning design, which included scenarios based on the client’s experience, thought leader questions, tips to apply what was learned, individual and group interactive exercises, a toolbox with further information on tools and techniques, and Personal Action Planning. Participants committed to actions documented in their Personal Action Plan, which was shared with their Managers and Sponsors.

Benefits

The concepts presented, explored, and practiced during the curricula were supported and endorsed by attendees and business sponsors. The soft skills enhanced individuals’ ability to expand their skills based on each topic covered. This included their ability to expand their sphere of influence and political awareness, use influence skills to focus on improving quality and the customer experience, and expand their awareness of other cultures and practice more inclusive behaviors. Additionally, individuals broadened their thinking to view the “Big Picture,” enhanced their communication skills to become more audience-focused and deliver messages with impact, and created more robust stakeholder engagement and communication plans. They were also able to think, operate, and lead strategically, develop more confidence in themselves, and take ownership of their career development.

All cohorts adopted a networking approach, allowing them to further explore ways to apply and maximize the benefits. Delegates reported immediate adoption of the illustrated principles both during the program and post-curricula, thus achieving both the internal adoption and promotion desired by the client.

"Working with the team at AMS was a pleasure.  The expertise, willingness to work toward our shared goals, and focus on helping us to innovate new solutions was refreshing."

Global Tech Program Manager