The client challenge

Our client from the investment banking industry takes a structured approach to both talent management and leadership development, understanding that both capabilities are important factors in ensuring high-quality client service and long-term business success.

As the company emerge from the post-slump economy, they wanted to support the leadership, HR and Executive Development team in understanding how best to support key talent to build the business back to profitability.

At the first glimmer of ‘hope’, the client engaged blackswan to support leaders in their personal development journey and to ensure the road to success was as fast as possible.

The blackswan solution

blackswan in conjunction with the leadership, organisational development and talent team developed a programme which created a challenge not only for the team themselves but to ensure that the key talent across the business were best positioned to grow the business and build back to profitability.

blackswan provided a real challenge to the team. Addressing the issues head on, asking the questions that others were afraid to ask and linking activity to real business improvement was key to the success of the programme. Supporting the team to help them think differently and come up with alternative viewpoints, the sessions were business focused; providing real business solutions.

Working with the senior teams, blackswan also supported individual Managers through a range of personal assessment tools. The testing process gave a quick, easy and accurate measure of personal style, coaching preferences and personality traits.

The client analysed the role of leadership in the pre-economic slump? We examined what they sought in leaders and how this added value to their structure and performance. We then went onto understand what worked and what didn’t and what the main lessons of the bank were when the turbulent times arrived.        

blackswan facilitated a thorough examination of what needed to change for their approach in the future and highlighted discrepancies, anomalies and major issues in the development of talent moving forward.

Once the issues had been tabled, we then looked at their approach going into 2010. What should stay, what should go and what needed to be radically different. Incorporating elements of external influences, after all, we all know what impact the press and the government have had on the banking system, we examined the implications of the Walker report and questioned the fundamentals of the current reward structure.

Finally, blackswan worked in partnership with the client to develop the blueprint for the future. As we emerge from an economic slump, how will the experience have changed what the client’s needs and expects from its leaders? Devising a new model and recognising the essential characteristics

The client outcome

The company is on the brink of a return to profitability. The world economy has experienced a recession and an impact on financial markets never seen before. Working with blackswan, the client is in a position to ensure the talent across the business is best equipped to achieve business targets.