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A people-led organizational transformation

Strategic need: to equip Yodel leadership with the resilience and agility needed, to deliver a highly ambitious organizational transformation under a new CEO and top team.

Population: Over 150 colleagues over a 2 year period, including executive and senior management.

Impact: The SHARP model and language was embedded into Yodel’s culture, both at an individual and organizational level. The focus on collaboration, psychological safety and people-focused leadership have been intrinsic to Yodel’s transformation into an industry-leading organization. The impact on Yodel's people is evident, with a 35% increase in participants "feeling more energized" and a 57% increase in participants working in their peak performance zone.

Context:

As one of the UK’s largest delivery logistics companys, Yodel have always put customers at the heart of their model. However, they had a more mixed record with their own people. After years of market volatility, they needed a new vision to return to a leading position, as well as the internal leadership to enable it. With the direction set by incoming CEO Mike Cooper, the senior executives of the company sat down and assessed how they could best support their people to deliver it.

"The most striking thing is that Potentialife has evoked more passion in individuals than I've seen many development interventions do in my career"

Mike Cooper
CEO, Yodel

Under the guidance of People Director, Lynne Graham, Yodel saw their people were going to be in a demanding work environment, and would need to be at their most agile, resilient, energetic and motivated if they were to succeed. Lynne didn't want a program centered around the top team, but rather a program that would involve all management throughout the company. To do this, she understood the value in linking individuals and team development to the broader organizational context. Working with the Potentialife team, including Daniel Philbin-Bowman, Angus Ridgway and Hattie Crosthwaite-Eyre, Lynne saw Potentialife as a natural fit for this scalable, strategic approach.

Program Design:

Potentialife and Yodel partnered to tailor the Potentialife program to fit Yodel’s strategic objectives. Creating company language that resonated with all levels of the company, participants were able to get practical from day one. Yodel’s leadership understood the power of integrating individual’s development with day-to-day business operations, and used this knowledge to bring the program to life for participants with incredible success, from the board room to the warehouse floor. Such examples include, adding 5 minutes to the end of an OpCo meeting, in order to to discuss that week’s behavioral change. Similarily, a new style of listening to colleagues in the tea room. These changes had a huge practical impact throughout Yodel.

"On completion of this program I asked my wife to reflect on what she had noticed during the last year, “you have never been so busy, but so calm, engaged and grateful”"

Andy Johnson
Head of Health & Safety

Impact:

The Potentialife program has brought colleagues closer, demonstrating the program’s emphasis on collective leadership. However, a key objective of the program was to allow every Yodel participant to go on a journey of self-reflection. The focus on small changes has been incredibly impactful, helping transform Yodel’s language and culture into an organization centred around collective leadership and personal flourishing. Particpants reported a 31% increase in time spent "exercising strengths", and a 100% increase in time spent "in flow".

"In my career I've been part of many leadership development programs, and I wasn't sure what was left to learn! Potentialife has been a revelation"

Mike Cooper
CEO

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