Fast food, fast forward: fostering growth while preserving purpose

Client need

Amid changes in consumer preferences, an international casual dining chain needed to update its leadership strategy. The organization sought to reinvigorate its leaders, create more opportunities for its employee base, and expand its market share, all while preserving the best of its unique culture.

To achieve these aims, the organization collaborated with BTS to develop leaders who could bring this vision to life.

Solution

Working closely with the executive team and CEO, BTS and the organization co-created a virtually-facilitated coaching journey to help employees embrace change.

Leaders received the following forms of support:

• Ongoing consultancy
• One-to-one coaching for all members of the leadership team and other selected leaders
• Team coaching for the top team and some of their functional intact teams
• Trained HR partners who delivered powerful development conversations using the BTS 12 Shifts™ map

Following these development experiences, the chain’s leaders became coaches themselves in both one-on-one and team-coaching situations. They also learned to balance purpose and growth.

Results

Over the past few years, the business has outperformed its peers on like-for-like sales by +3.6%, delivered industry-leading margins, increased people engagement to 86% (+4%), and lifted customer satisfaction by 5.5%. These results are remarkable, especially considering the challenging state of the casual dining market.

Over the three- to four-year journey, participant satisfaction increased from 65% “would recommend” to 82%, and the chain came to rank first in a list of preferred casual restaurants.

The journey was such a success that it was later adopted by other divisions across the organization

“Going on this course gave me insight into the changes I have seen in my [Managing Director]. Rather than a series of models to use that I learned in a course it has become an organic way of working.”

“Going on Quality Conversations has saved my marriage.

“It’s been a valued, transformational partnership for us.”