Elevating a Manufacturing Company’s Retail Leadership Skills and Competencies

The Challenge: A need for an improved leadership development program

The American-based retail arm of a multinational manufacturing company sought to unify its leadership under a cohesive philosophy, emphasizing the development of soft skills and strategic thinking. Despite an initial training program for new leaders, the company recognized the need for a continuous development framework that would evolve with its leaders’ journey up the corporate ladder. The company required a program designed to embed essential soft skills and strategies early on, while also ensuring continuous growth and development for leaders as they advanced within the organization. Initially, leaders received training at the beginning of their roles, but there was no continuous development program in place to support them as they took on new responsibilities over the years.  

The company’s desire to increase internal promotion rates highlighted the necessity for such a program. However, it lacked the internal bandwidth and a team large enough to develop and implement this initiative. Moreover, the company needed to foster more connection and collaboration across departments, as there was a noticeable disconnect affecting the overall synergy.  

The Solution: A thorough needs assessment 

The company partnered with The Judge Group to establish a standardized leadership process aligned with the company’s core philosophies and policies. The ultimate output goal was a sustainable leadership development program that would support leaders continuously throughout their careers within the organization. The collaboration with stakeholders was integral, characterized by regular weekly meetings, fostering a true partnership from inception to completion. Judge initiated the project by conducting a thorough needs assessment to pinpoint the essential competencies required. Subsequently, Judge crafted a tailored curriculum addressing the skills and knowledge required for multiple levels of leadership to succeed within each identified competency.  

Throughout the three-year engagement, Judge always maintained a team of at least six professionals, including a learning strategist, 3 instructional designers, and a program and a project manager, dedicated to this project. Central to this endeavor was the learning strategist, who played a pivotal role in creating a partnership with subject matter experts, identifying core competencies, designing a comprehensive curriculum map, and delving into extensive areas of expertise.  

Judge developed curriculum for twelve competencies, encompassing e-learning modules, videos, virtual instructor led sessions and practical exercises, resulting in numerous deliverables. Judge demonstrated adaptability and flexibility, calibrating the project’s pace to match the client’s workload and velocity requirements. 

The Result: Creating an impact

The meticulous needs assessment by Judge at the very start of the engagement proved to be a cornerstone in pinpointing the company’s challenges, which paved the way for an impactful leadership training program. This initiative has significantly bolstered the executive team’s confidence in their leadership offerings. With a clearer grasp of its leadership requirements, the company has now positioned Judge at the forefront of its operations, and there is now a second project pending. This engagement has not only solidified Judge’s status as the company’s premier partner but also stands as a testament to the substantial outcomes derived from their collaboration.