Case Study: Aviva
Aviva leaders committed to enhancing the skills of their people
One size does not always fit all. Having something tailor-made can result in a unique creation that fits like a glove. This is definitely the case when MBS Mt Eliza executive education sets about custom-designing a program to the detailed specifications of a client.
In late 2005, the global insurance firm Aviva approached MBS Mt Eliza with a specific, large scale assignment in mind.
Aviva wanted to enhance the leadership capability of their managers. They wanted to drive leadership right down through the organisation and examine the function of all roles – not just the executive team.
Mt Eliza Program Director, Margaret Holden recalls that “Aviva had very clear requirements on what they wanted. “After extensive consultation with MBS Mt Eliza Customer Relationship Manager, Eddie Tritton, they came to us with a level of trust and confidence that we would deliver what we promised,” she says.
The Aviva Leadership Program was designed around the following elements:
• Differentiation between management and leadership roles;
• Fostering responsibility to translate vision and strategy;
• Understanding individual leadership capability through 360º feedback; and
• Learning about new tools and models of leadership.
“Aviva Australia has a very solid commitment to the development of its people” says Margaret. “They see it as their responsibility to grow their people. They also recognise that such growth offers enormous benefit for the organisation.”
One of the objectives was to bring together the discreet functional areas of the organisation. Current or potential leaders from marketing, finance, distribution and logistics were brought together for each Program group. Margaret believes that this was a very potent and successful aspect of the Program. “Cross functional areas now had the opportunity to flesh out the individual who had previously just been a name to them,” she explains.
Aviva has 765 employees in Australia. From February to August 2006, 115 went through the Aviva Leadership Program. Margaret feels very strongly that a major feature over this period was the “extraordinary and exemplary” involvement of the Aviva executive team. “Approximately one month before each of the 10 programs, we would hold an ‘official launch’ at their site on St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. The entire executive team including CEO would attend and discuss the importance of, and their commitment to, the program.”
The first group was trialled as a non-residential, two-day session conducted at St. Kilda Road. The overwhelming feedback was that maximum value would be achieved by immersing the participants in a 2½ day session at the residential-style campus at Mt Eliza. “The daily realities of life are too close and prove too distracting when undertaking such learning in the workplace” says Margaret.
The following nine groups were conducted at MBS Mt Eliza. Margaret says “a member of the executive team would accompany the group on the first day, a different member would join them on the second evening and the CEO would usually come and close the program on the third day. It was truly inspiring to have such commitment from management.”
Included in the program was a one-on-one feedback coaching session aimed at identifying areas of work that could immediately benefit from the new ideas. The coach would then visit the individual at Aviva one month later. Although the sessions were private and confidential, Margaret says the anecdotal evidence indicated the participants really benefitted from the residential structure of the program.
“They understood, and accepted, that change was part of life at Aviva and they valued their exposure to new leadership tools and models,” she says. Margaret believes the feedback session was a “wonderful opportunity to train people in giving and receiving constructive feedback.” She says the feedback indicates “the new tools and skills are being applied in the workplace. The participants are more focused on the leadership of their people whereas the focus on task may have distracted them in the past.”
Chief Executive Officer of Aviva, Allan Griffiths, hosted a celebration breakfast at the National Gallery on 26 October to mark the conclusion of Phase 1 of their leadership journey. Along with his Group Director, Human Resources, Alexis Beckwith and as Margaret Holden refers to her, ‘Program Champion’, Kath Sutherland, the entire group reflected on the powerful learning they had undertaken.
Margaret discussed the organisational trends identified through 360º feedback which highlighted the need for “feedback to be built into daily interaction.” She also noted the need to “develop in-house coaching skills and for effective delegation to enable people to be inspirational leaders.”
The energy and commitment from Aviva continues with Phase 2 being launched at the National Gallery breakfast. ‘A-Leaders’ will take the form of a mentoring talent program and further leadership development modules. Margaret says the modules will include “Manager as Coach, Management Logistics and Strategic Leadership. We will continue the Aviva Leadership Program, although with a smaller volume of participants, and will also repeat the 360º feedback survey.”
There is no resting on leadership laurels at Aviva. Phase 2 will also include a six day Management Foundations Program for team leaders and New Leader Program for grooming team leaders (run by Jayne Jennings at MBS Mt Eliza). There are also a number of Aviva executives who have chosen to engage an individual MBS Mt Eliza coach to assist them with their own on-going learning.
“I must really commend the visionary management at Aviva” says Margaret. “They are wholeheartedly committed to the development of their people and have modelled their own approach and behaviour on what they want from their staff. They have also demonstrated their preparedness to change and learn new skills themselves.”
Margaret has found her work with Aviva “extremely rewarding and inspiring. The immediacy of the participants’ personal and professional development is very satisfying. It is reassuring to know organisations such as Aviva exist. It has been an enormous project and I am grateful for the positive professional feedback my colleagues at MBS Mt Eliza and I have received.” Margaret would also like to acknowledge the drive and dedication of Aviva CEO Allan Griffiths, Group Director of Human Resources, Alexis Beckwith and Organisational Development Manager Kath Sutherland.
