We recently completed a Learning & Development programme with Moneybarn, the UK’s leading provider of specialist car, van and motorbike finance to drivers who don’t have a perfect credit score.
When Christine McGuire joined the company as Learning & Development Partner training was function-focused. “It covered things like how to log an absence, or conduct a disciplinary meeting, but not much else,” she explains.
The business was growing very rapidly and there was a need to help new managers understand what was expected of them and to align themselves with the company’s values. What’s more, many of these managers were promoted from within – they started as agents but swiftly moved up into more senior roles before gaining any management experience. “We realised it was our responsibility to help them understand the difference between ‘doing’ and ‘managing’, then equip them with the right tools and the right skill sets to make that transition. That was the premise of the whole programme we asked OnTrack lnternational to deliver,” Christine explains.
What We Delivered
We worked closely with Christine and Catherine Diamond, Head of Learning & Development at Moneybarn, to develop the “Be Brilliant” programme. It focused on both Senior Leader and Line Manager development. Everything was built around the 70-20-10 model. Both strands of the programme therefore comprised half a dozen training modules spread over six months, but with a variety of activities, including coaching, mentoring and peer-to-peer learning in between.
The Results
“The feedback, both in terms of the scoring and the anecdotal comments, has been overwhelmingly good. More importantly, however, we’ve achieved the key business objectives we set at the beginning.”
Christine McGuire, Moneybarn
She makes the point that “We wanted to create a common language, with shared terminology that everyone is familiar with. Any discussion is a lot easier if everyone, right across the business, understands each other. Along with this, we wanted to get people to acquire the same skills, a shared toolkit, that enables us to connect and collaborate effectively. We’ve now got that – everyone is on the same page.”
“Another thing we made very clear at the outset was that we wanted the emphasis to be practical rather than just theoretical or conceptual. We asked OnTrack to give us stuff we could take away and immediately put to good use in our daily jobs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is very thought-provoking but I’m not really sure what I’m going to do differently because I know about it!” We didn’t want a programme that just got everyone talking…we wanted talking and doing, talking and doing.”
A clearly delighted Christine continues;
“We’re already seeing noticeable changes in the way people are managing, they’re using the same language and the tools, and everyone is on board with it, taking a common approach. I see it in meetings, in the way people make presentations, the way they handle difficult situations. It’s had a profound effect and that effect is lasting.”
Why was it so successful?
Mary Tillson, who developed and delivered the programme from the OnTrack side, thinks the answer is simple. “What I loved about this project, and working with the people at Moneybarn, is the way they totally embraced 70-20-10. The 70%, the doing bit, works best when absolutely everyone involved is totally onboard. We worked closely with the Executive Committee so they understood how they could support the practical learning activities of those that reported into them. Then we did the same with the senior managers, so they could support their line managers. We worked from the top down, and the bottom up, to make absolutely sure everyone knew what was going to happen and what was expected of them to make sure the learning happened in the way it was intended.”
The effect was electric.
“I’ve never worked in a business where this kind of programme quite so successfully permeated every corner of the building, everyone, from the CEO down, was talking about it…and very excited!”
Christine, while agreeing with Mary, has some interesting insights of her own. “There’s a very personal touch at OnTrack. Right from the earliest discussions, they were at pains to really forge a relationship with us. It wasn’t ‘Here’s a menu of training options, pick what you want for starters and mains.’ It was much more collaborative, I met everybody that we were going to work with, and they really wanted to get a feel for the company and our unique culture. Culture at Moneybarn is huge, and fantastic. It’s not a mission statement on a wall, but something we really live and breathe – sounds cheesy, but it’s true. It was important that we partnered with a company who really aligned with our culture and values.”
Part of this alignment was down to Mary herself. “We’re a really fast-paced, vibrant and young business, and I was worried that whoever came in would just stand there and give us some really dry content. The traditional suited and booted trainer was definitely not what we wanted,” Christine explains. “Mary is not only very credible. She’s a big, colourful, larger than life character who just gets everyone going with dramatic storytelling and fun exercises. She really hit the mark and pushed us way out of our comfort zones!”
An unexpected benefit
The training modules, for both senior managers and line managers, were delivered to groups of 10-12 people. “We made sure these were made up of people from very different parts of the business who would not normally interact,” Christine explains. “It was great to see them connecting and building great relationships. The fact we were all pushed out of our comfort zones, but supported and encouraged each other, created strong bonds. Between sessions, and now that the programme has ended, these groups still meet for a coffee and catchup. We’re working together, across departments, much better than before. That, for me, is just as important and meaningful as some of the things that were taught, those relationships that were forged during that period.”
Great feedback
Those who took part in the “Be Brilliant” programme were equally enthusiastic. Everyone loved Mary’s style, with comments ranging from “Excellent! Mary is very knowledgeable and a great trainer/presenter. I love Mary’s stories and it wasn’t death by PowerPoint” to “Great learning made relevant and fun. Mary puts the learning points into real-life experiences which made them easy to understand.”
Others like the fact they could immediately apply what they were learning. Feedback included “Good, very informative and topics covered were all relevant to my day to day work”, “Very informative, lots of useful tools to take back to the workplace” and “Informative, practical and challenging. All delivered with practical and engaging examples.”
Another reported that the programme was “Good – detailed, engaging, enjoyable, thought-provoking, positive.” Just what we were aiming for!
To learn more, speak to one of our expert learning and development consultants today.
