Leadership dialogues – when authenticity is your strongest asset
This case study underscores the critical role of well-prepared leadership dialogues in navigating organizational restructuring. By fostering open communication and addressing both operational and emotional challenges, such initiatives can significantly enhance the success of strategic changes within an organization.
Context: The bank was undergoing significant cost-cutting measures and workforce reductions under the “XYZ” strategy, leading to low employee morale and a need for transparent communication.
Challenges
Restructuring Impact: The retail bank was severely affected by cost-cutting and FTE reductions.
Employee Morale: There was a loss of confidence among employees in the bank's strategic direction.
Change Fatigue: Frequent strategy shifts had led to a sense of fatigue among employees.
Cultural Divide: A need to bridge the gap between the bank’s established, conservative clientele and its aspiration to attract younger, digitally inclined clients.
Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash
The Intervention
Leadership Dialogue Format:
Two-Hour Discussion Forum: Between senior managers and employees.
Purpose: To surface operational and emotional roadblocks to implementing “XYZ” strategy.
Objective: Strengthen employees’ ability to process the impact of organizational restructuring.
Structure:
Introductory Round: To set the stage and introduce participants.
Presentation: Overview of a current milestone of “XYZ” strategy.
Open Forum: Exchange of employee concerns and feedback.
Closing Remarks: Summarize key takeaways and next steps.
Roles:
Senior Managers: Acted as sponsors/hosts, welcoming participants and answering questions.
HR Workshop Facilitator: Moderated the discussion to ensure a balanced dialogue.
Preparation and Execution
Meeting Logistics: Ensured venue, catering, and travel arrangements were in place.
Leadership Briefing: Conducted group calls to align leaders on discussion points and strategic context.
Selling the Intervention: Highlighted the high failure rate of change initiatives and the necessity of open communication for successful implementation.
Pilot Execution
Locations: two major German cities
Participants: Up to 15 employees from various hierarchical levels.
Outcomes:
Active Participation: Employees were engaged, open-minded, and contributed positively to the discussion.
Positive Feedback: Participants rated the dialogue highly (7-10 out of 10), felt appreciated, and valued their input.
Requests for Continuation: Employees expressed a desire for ongoing leadership dialogues.
Key Learnings and Adjustments
Simplified Structure: Reduced agenda items based on manager feedback to ensure focus.
Enhanced Manager Role: Allowed senior managers to lead discussions, resulting in higher engagement.
Facilitator’s Role: Adjusted the facilitator’s involvement to balance the increased managerial input.
Conclusion
The leadership dialogues were a success, demonstrating the importance of structured communication platforms in times of organizational change. The initiative improved employee morale, fostered transparency, and strengthened the connection between senior leaders and their teams. By investing in such interventions, organizations can enhance loyalty, retention, and buy-in for strategic initiatives.