CASE STUDY
Accenture Australia/ New Zealand
ACCENTURE ELEVATE LEADERSHIP COACHING PROGRAM: CREATING FLOURISHING LEADERS
About Accenture
Accenture is a public Fortune Global 500 company specialising in information technology services and consulting. It employs more than 5,000 people in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).
The Challenge
Accenture ANZ operates in a VUCA world which has resulted in significant change both internally and externally including leadership succession, Royal Commission banking reforms, an erosion of trust in business, a decline in the Australian dollar, global economic slowdown and increased political instability. Combined with an ‘always on’ mindset in employees and pressure from increased marketplace competition, there was a strong need for transformational change in Accenture ANZ leaders, to equip high performers with the skills needed to lead Accenture ANZ in the “New”.
Our Solution
Titled “Elevate – ANZ Leadership Coaching Program”, The Positivity Institute co-designed and implemented this bespoke, innovative Leadership Development and Coaching program. The objective of this 12-month program (running annually from 2018-2023) is to support performance achievement, leadership development, and a ‘whole person’ approach to workplace flourishing, as well as to contribute to cultural change more generally.
The Elevate program integrates the latest scientific research, methods and tools from the fields of Coaching Psychology, Positive Psychology, Positive Organisational Scholarship and Appreciative Inquiry.
Approximately 30 Senior Managers form part of the yearly cohort. The architecture consists of:
Full cohort days before, during and after the program (education on the complementary sciences of optimal human functioning).
- 360o Psychometric assessments and debriefs around leadership behaviours, motivations and impact as well as “best self” reflection and exercises
One-on-one coaching sessions with Masters level Leadership Coaches
3-way meetings with participants’ leader
Group coaching – small groups of 5 participants per session
Our Results
Outcomes
- Improvements in performance
- Engagement and wellbeing of participating leaders as evidenced by staff promotion
- Reduced attrition and increased employee engagement
- A broader and sustained positive ripple effect has been noted with leaders, peers, direct reports and other key networks
- Increases in self-awareness and self-management
- Career progression
- Improved delegation and communication
- Improved mindfulness
- Developing an authentic leadership style
- Creating greater role fulfilment
Post-Program Surveys
100% of program participants strongly agreed or agreed that the Elevate program:
- Was a good investment in time and energy.
- Helped with personal growth and leadership development.
- Would recommend the program to other Senior Managers at Accenture
In the longer term
- Accenture expects to see this type of transformation development continue
- Continue to expand their use of positive psychological interventions across the organisation
Testimonials
For Accenture, the investment and development of our people is crucial to achieve the outcomes of our Business Strategy. We offer a range a Leadership Development experiences in partnership with the best in class across the market.
In 2018 we identified the need to create a new program with a differential from the traditional Leadership Development courses. A program in which we could achieve transformational developmental change, to foster individual flourishing of senior Accenture leaders. We partnered with The Positivity Institute, to support what we call the “Elevate Leadership Coaching Program” based around the science of positive psychology. Through, individual one on one coaching, and reflected best self, we sought to help our people contemplate, experience and learn pathways for improving both performance and wellbeing and achieving best self in the workplace and beyond.
Since its launch in 2018, the program is continually evolving to incorporate and reflect the key needs of our leads. The Positivity Institute plays a key role advising and driving us on the trends in the field. PI helped us in establishing the foundations of the program and educating our people in the key elements of transformational coaching and coaching psychology. They helped us navigate challenges that an achievement oriented and performance based culture creates by giving people permission to focus on their wellbeing and best self.
The result of this engagement is reflected every year in the performance results of our participants, where they feel more empowered and motivated to face their personal and professional challenges.
Partnering with the experience and credibility of The Positivity Institute in this journey is a critical point for the success of the “Elevate Leadership Coaching Program”.
The Positivity Institute
ACCENTURE ELEVATE LEADERSHIP COACHING PROGRAM
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