GNIUS was asked by a multi-national world leader in high-tech engineering to help create and deliver a culture change programme.
To read about the narrative development and testing activity that came before, click here.
The roll-out calendar began with an immersive Leadership event…
Creating an experiential Leadership event that brings the culture change to life
The commitment of the Senior Leadership team is vital for any major change programme. But, on this occasion, our research indicated a significant degree of scepticism amongst senior leaders – the business was successful, so ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’
To challenge this attitude, GNIUS created something different. For the first time, the senior team would focus on people issues before strategy and finance. And, instead of the usual PowerPoint presentations and guest talks, there would be a series of immersive, experiential sessions, all designed to bring fresh perspectives to some neglected issues and encourage new thinking about how everyone in the business could work together better.
GNIUS developed and delivered all the sessions, including content, collateral and facilitation.
Session highlights included…
In pitch black darkness, we shone a light on mental health
In total darkness, listening to real life stories
For one of the sessions, leaders were led into a pitch-black room, designed to unsettle and disarm, but also to ensure that they listened without distraction.
Standing in the dark, they heard real-life stories of bullying, harassment and mental health struggles and were asked to imagine how their own people might feel.
As the darkness lifted the final storyteller appeared right in front of them, there to share his experiences first-hand and explain how he and others might be helped in future.
Finally, the leaders were asked to consider how they could help their teams back in the business and to commit to doing more by pressing the red ‘action’ button.
The Art and Science of Listening
As the leaders put on their white coats and entered our ‘listening lab’ they were introduced to an amazing array of listening stations, all designed to make them think again about their approach to listening.
Modern ‘old fashioned’ listening devices to make things memorable 
In contrast to the playful environment, each device was linked to a real-life story of improper equipment, lack of support, missed opportunities etc.
Keeping informed = ‘keep an ear to the ground’ 
As they listened, the leaders were asked again to consider how they could do things differently once back in the business.
The Power of Communication
In another session, the leaders found themselves in the foothills of a mountain range, a hostile environment.
They were divided into teams and challenged to communicate and collaborate effectively, to be open and honest and earn the trust of others.
With each group having a different business challenge to work on, they moved away from base camp, roped themselves together for safety and tried to cross a giant crevasse by fixing the broken rope bridges – defining the steps to overcome the challenge, that would result in a trusted and trusting environment, whilst raising performance.
Once back on solid ground they reviewed their performance and considered opportunities for better communication back in the business to improve the effectiveness of their teams.
A Great Start
The immediate response to the immersive, experiential sessions was overwhelmingly positive. And, in the days following, it was quickly apparent that the leaders were using their experiences to start role-modelling the new behaviours they wanted to see from their teams.
The next stage of our culture change programme was a rolling global roadshow for people managers throughout the business. So many leaders wanted their teams to experience the programme that several additional countries, venues and dates had to be added to the schedule.
To learn more about the roadshow tour click here. To discuss how GNIUS can help develop experiential events for your organisation contact Michael on 0330 088 0506