BT Wholesale

CEO Sally Davis wanted to agree new strategic priorities and reconnect the leadership team with a disengaged workforce.

BT Wholesale (BTW) provides network services and solutions to practically every UK business that’s reliant on communications. It makes sure that 300 million calls per day – and some 350 million internet connections – get through quickly.

New CEO Sally Davis identified the need to:

  • Refresh BTW’s strategy
  • Improve Right First Time (RFT) and Cycle Time (CT) measures to meet competitive pressure
  • Align the senior team and organisation around delivering the strategy
  • Increase and improve employee engagement

Our brief was to help the Wholesale Executive Board (WEB) agree the strategic priorities, then reconnect the leadership group with a disengaged workforce to deliver on the strategy – all in an energising and authentic leadership style. BT had struggled to engage its employees using traditional ‘Show and Tell’ slide-dominated communications.

Our innovative Rapid Strategy Deployment methodology enabled the WEB to focus and agree on strategic initiatives, and ensured clarity of both accountabilities and measurements. The WEB then used our execution toolkit with our support to deliver strategic implementation plans.

We prepared the Leadership team to engage all employees in the new strategy and deliver the ‘Passion Matters’ Employee Engagement program to 3,200 employees. Our role was to provide coaching and support to the Leaders in delivering and communicating the strategy in an authentic “Share and Invite”, engaging style rather than traditional “Show and Tell”.  This required a shift in management style and behaviours.

Using the foundations of the successful BT Design ‘Joining the Dots’ program, the events were designed, delivered and facilitated in a fun, engaging and experiential way for participants that incorporated a practical “hands on” business simulation activity.

Employee Survey Before After
I am confident about the future for BT Wholesale 48% 85%
I am confident about the future for me personally 50% 83%
Customer Survey
Right First Time products & services 58% 80%

The Rapid Strategy Deployment Process resulted in a major reorganisation with all resources aligned around customers.

The ‘Passion Matters’ Program engaged BTW employees around the goal of “Being number 1 for Customer Experience” and the role they have in making a personal contribution to achieve this.

The program enhanced the capability of the Leadership Team to implement the BTW strategy, which delivered a revitalised and engaged workforce, now focused on getting things right first time for the customer.