A significant amount of change, challenging targets and a flatter management structure made a compelling case for a step change for the AA’s Operational Senior Management team’s performance.  The previous three years had seen a rapid transformation and a re-focus on improving customer service and day to day efficiencies.

The team is responsible for the entire breakdown service, including call centres and patrols. However, they wanted to bring more rigour and alignment within the team as there was not enough time invested in improving how effectively they were working. They needed greater team cohesion and alignment on shared goals and accountabilities – otherwise, they were at risk of undoing some of the good that had been achieved. All this convinced our client that they needed external support and we applied a fast track programme to improve leadership team capability, bringing together key leadership disciplines to run their business operation more effectively to improve results.

The programme provided a structure, along with tools, to reflect as a team and create a roadmap for executing their strategy and goals, commitments for performance improvement and a shared understanding of key leadership principles that each needed to adopt. Overall the biggest benefit of the AA Operational Leadership programme was the increased focus on team planning and prioritisation with tailored facilitation to accommodate the dynamic nature of their business.

Steve Dewey, Operations Director said “for me the strength in our programme, as opposed to other options, lay in the fact our development was directly linked to achieving our business plans and results. We included monthly development reviews to ensure leadership team alignment, accountability and progress on embedding leadership team principles and disciplines. In an operational team, planning can get a bit neglected because you’re so busy with the day job. However, our programme provided clarity around what we had to deliver as well as improved the team’s interaction with each other and important Leadership disciplines.  It also gave us greater foresight and judgement which continues to positively influence our business results. I believe this work contributed directly to us being classed as the best for service by Which? but most important, objective setting and delivering on these has now become part of our culture – which was the whole point of our programme.”