Marks & Spencer

"We chose to work with Oliver Wyman Leadership Development because they designed a programme which is both robust and practical." HR Director, M&S

Created in partnership with Oliver Wyman Leadership Development, the programme develops senior leaders to drive the business forward in a challenging market. It has resulted in significant business benefits, including the creation of strong internal networks to drive efficiencies and improve processes, as well as substantial cost savings and profit increases.

Challenge

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is one of the UK's leading retailers, offering high-quality food, clothing, and home products. It also has an expanding international business. In mid 2009, M&S launched Project 2020, an ambitious transformation initiative designed to deliver a step change in how M&S operates and services customer needs. In line with the aims of Project 2020, M&S wanted to build senior leadership capability and create fresh impetus to drive the business forward.

M&S aimed to create an environment where challenge is encouraged to drive performance improvement and influence shareholder value. In addition, M&S aimed to develop an increasingly strong leadership coalition across the organisation, a sharper focus on the customer, and clearer accountability.

Solution

Lead to Succeed is aligned with the aims of Project 2020 and also builds on the "Your M&S" message: "yourself, your team, your organisation."

The programme was launched in 2009 to target the development of the 350 most-senior M&S employees. Its four modules combine face-to-face learning, business simulations with professional role players, feedback from pre-course assessments, and buddy review. Ongoing coaching ensures that participants define individual goals in line with the organisation’s strategic objectives, and helps embed learning.

As part of the programme, M&S defined its own distinctive leadership brand, relevant to employees, customers, and investors. This draws on the Oliver Wyman Leadership Development book Head, Heart, and Guts, which contends that "whole" leaders combine "head" to set strategy, "heart" to connect with the world, and "guts" to make intuitive decisions based on clear values.

The M&S leadership brand also has unique distinguishing attributes, closely aligned with the organisation’s values, competences, and corporate brand: driving innovation for customers, achieving quality for customers, and building trust.

This programme is sponsored and supported by the chairman of M&S and the executive committee. It is viewed as a strategic initiative to help the organisation achieve its goals. Members of the executive committee discuss with participants how they can improve business performance, overcome challenges, and drive shareholder value. Participants also make presentations to executives on the business impacts of their learning. These presentations help demonstrate return on investment in the programme.

Benefits

Lead to Succeed is an outstanding example of leadership development closely linked to strategic business objectives. M&S considers it a flagship programme and a key component of current and future people strategy.

Significant business impacts include the creation of strong internal networks to drive efficiencies and improve processes. The leadership population has taken increased ownership for driving business opportunities forward. Many participants have taken on significantly broader, more-senior roles since attending Lead to Succeed. The programme is being adapted for use across M&S’s international division to develop key international leaders.

Programme evaluation demonstrates a significant increase in leadership skills, personal impact, self-awareness, and confidence levels. The M&S leadership brand has also resonated widely with participants. When asked to estimate return on investment, participants attributed £10 million of increased profit, sales, and cost savings to the programme. The executive committee is so impressed with the programme’s results that they have increased the budget devoted to it.

Feedback from learning and development managers is also extremely positive. Many have commented on how engaging and interactive the program is and how excited they are to facilitate it. Because of the way the programme is delivered in the workplace, it has been observed that the learning is embedded quickly and easily.