What our clients say
We've been working with companies for many years, offering our unique approach to professional development to a wide variety of organisations.
The commercial advantage we can offer businesses of all sizes has been proven time and again. Here is a selection of case studies illustrating the measurable improvements we can make to a company's bottom line.
McBride - Developing a coaching culture to facilitate business growth
Supplying more than 90% of Europe’s leading retailers with own-brand household and personal care products, McBride is a hugely successful business.
Robert McBride Ltd – the UK Division of McBride plc had identified coaching as a key learning priority within their organisation. As one of the UK’s leading providers of coaching and mentoring education,Sheffield Business School was a clear favourite to work with McBride to help them achieve their aims.
A full evaluation of the programme has shown that the coaching relationship has had significant positive effects. Those being coached have been able to set themselves stretching and challenging personal goals. They have also improved their ability to face challenging issues, and achieved their own professional, personal and organisational objectives.
“The team at Sheffield Business School has helped to inform how we are embedding coaching at McBride,’ ‘From the outset, we have sought to identify what success might look like and have thereafter undertaken surveys and focus groups to obtain feedback. ‘This feedback is then used to develop our approach and practice. The third party, independent academic rigour and flexibility offered by Sheffield Business School have been and continue to be helpful. ‘I have always found the team to be responsive to some tight timescales and they have provided some great challenges that have helped shape what we do.”
Ian Jenner, European learning and development executive at McBride plc.
Davy Tree - Organisational change that provides business benefits
Davy Tree is an Ohio-based, employee-owned organisation with 6,000 employees. It wanted to develop an organisational culture that empowers its employees to support each other.
To help them realise their goals, we developed the INSPIRE (Innovation Systems for Performance Improvement and Re-organisation) programme. A bespoke programme, INSPIRE gave managers greater powers to change complex situations.
Through the use of effective evaluation techniques, it provides evidence of organisational benefits. This has given managers the necessary skills, confidence and motivation to take on the role of internal consultants and organisational problem solvers.
“The INSPIRE programme developed by the University of Sheffield has led to real organisational change from the top down.”
City Region Leadership Programme - Working smarter not harder
In 2010, the Sheffield City Region Local Economic Partnership – LEP – was established to increase the pace of economic growth within the region through collaboration. The LEP brings together private and public sectors in a shared commitment to work together to ensure the growth of a rebalanced local economy.
The partners involved in the Sheffield City Region wanted to develop a strategic approach to leadership across the private, public and third sectors. In response, the team from Sheffield Business School and their partners from the University of Sheffield devised a unique city-wide leadership programme, the City Region Leaders hip Programme (CRLP).
Following its initial launch, the programme successfully demonstrated the value created by cross-agency working, and it has now been retuned and refocused to harness the synergy between public, private and third sector organisations and to develop broader partnership working.
“I’m now asking is this the way we do it because we have always done it like that, or can we look at different ways of doing it? So it’s really made me look at how we do our day-to-day jobs. ‘The course has gone beyond my expectations. I like the practical use of models that they gave us and we are constantly using examples from our own services. We work in teams with other public services, the voluntary sector, and also the private sector. Everyone brings a different slant to the table when discussing a problem you face, or by explaining the challenge in layman’s terms, you simplify the problem.”
Cath Toovey, station manager with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
The Youngman Group - Leadership development programme
The Youngman Group, one of the world's leading suppliers of access equipment, lighting towers and events products, wanted to build the business further, and encourage all staff – but particularly the young senior management team – to develop professionally and personally alongside the company's growth.
We worked with them to create a one-year bespoke leadership development programme, tailor-made for the company's employees.
As a result the company are seeing significant changes in working practices, and are developing strategies to increase business and remain competitive. Staff motivation and commitment has also increased as a result of individuals being more involved in organisational decision-making and change.
“The participants have developed significantly both in terms of their leadership ability and as a management team. They have enjoyed the challenges created by the programme and having completed the first year, most are keen to go on and do a further year’s programme – a great testimony in itself.”
Business Advantage
Sheffield Business School
Sheffield Hallam University
Stoddart Building, Sheffield S1 1WB