- 24,500 employees
- Banking
- HQ in Singapore
- Global network across 19 countries
Facilitation
The Challenge
The finance department found that many of their employees just didn’t have a voice at the table. They were not able to make a positive impact when representing their department in meetings and struggled to share opposing points of view.
The department leaders wanted to upskill finance team members with the confidence, credibility and skills needed to shift from transactional communication to playing a more assertive role. The leaders also needed to be able to critically assess and predict the needs of the business, form insightful solutions and present their ideas to achieve buy-in for the greater good of the business.
It was identified that a series of workshops to develop communication and advisory skills would support the changing environment of the bank.
The bank worked with the Institution of Banking and Finance (IBF) in Singapore to determine what skills are critical for the future of banking employees and then asked JET to develop the workshops and have them accredited by IBF so that the employees would not only develop the skills, but have a credentialled certificate at the end of the workshops.
Facilitation
The Solution
JET created 2 different workshop outlines, one for anyone wanting to build their confidence in communicating as an internal advisor, and one for the leaders who needed to consult to the business and achieve outcomes as trusted advisors. The outlines were presented to the bank, who reviewed them and gave their input for further customisation.
Role play scenarios were created and shared with the bank to ensure realism and relevance. JET then took the programmes to the IBF and went through a rigorous accreditation process with IBF. The approval of these two workshops took 3 months.
Following this:
- 220 team members from the finance department attended the first 2-day workshop, 20 at a time virtually
- 100 managers from the finance department attended the second 2-day workshop, 12 at a time virtually
Although everyone would have loved for the workshops to be face-to-face, the virtual format was necessary at the time due to Covid restrictions, and the reactions to the workshops were exceptionally positive.
Facilitation
The Result
Team members overcame their fear of speaking up. They understood why they may face difficulties with different people and how to handle their reactions. This resulted in better communication, the finance team members presenting a better image, and better outcomes for the business. Many of the participants shared that they felt they had developed personally as well, and couldn’t believe the change in their confidence to communicate after only two days.
Managers had tools to ensure they presented their ideas in a way that the Stakeholders could relate to it and this achieved much greater buy-in. They became more respected and had a stronger voice at the table.
There are now new staff joining the bank and the finance department wants to conduct both workshops again for all newcomers and to offer the second level to anyone who may want to continue their development from attending level 1.
In July 2023, JET has had both courses reapproved by IBF in readiness.
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