Upskilling leadership in a virtual environment

A market leader in business software and solutions approached BTS with the desire to build better business acumen within its Human Resources leaders.

Adapting to innovate

Faced with a limited budget, the company asked BTS to repurpose an existing simulation for their program which had previously been delivered in a face-to-face format. BTS was tasked with adapting the simulation so that it could be delivered remotely.

The goal of the program was for the company’s HR leaders to gain a better understanding of the organization — including their strategy, priorities, and customer needs — so that they could better serve the business and customers’ demands. The program was also designed to help establish the organization as an innovator, thought leader, and trusted partner for its clients who were undergoing digital transformations.

“We had to convert the existing simulation to the new audience and virtualize the feedback.”

The process

Over the course of three days, participants experienced a faceted business simulation. The first day began with a group kickoff call and planning session. Teams broke up into smaller groups of five to become familiar with the virtual tool before competing in the first round of the simulation. The first day was built around key themes such as Vision, Strategy and Goal-Setting, as well as a Know–How (or learning session) on the company’s finances.

The second day began with a debrief and feedback discussion on the previous day’s simulation round, where the results of the competition thus far were shared. Then, a Guest Speaker from the Finance department initiated the simulation’s second round by describing their Cloud transformation, or a transition to becoming the leading digital business platform. The third and final day began with a debrief of the second simulation round, along with a final application and closing reflection session.

The impact

The program, known as the “Learn the Business Experience,” accelerated the organization’s Cloud transformation. When comparing leaders’ NPS scores before and after the program, provided below, it was evident that participants deepened their understanding of the company’s business.

Business impact

A few months following the program, the organization collected the following data about participants’ responses. 89 percent of participants responded and granted the overall program an NPS score of 94 out of 100.

• 100 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “the facilitators contributed positively to my learning experience,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.8 out of 5 in this category.
• 100 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “the Business Simulation contributed positively to my learning experience,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.8 out of 5 in this category.
• 100 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “the virtual workshop was an engaging experience,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.8 out of 5 in this category.
• 88 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “I will be able to immediately apply what I learned on my job,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.3 out of 5 in this category.
• 100 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “I have a better understanding of [the organization’s] business,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.8 out of 5 in this category.
• 94 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “I have a better understanding of [our] customer needs and expectations,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.5 out of 5 in this category.
• 100 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “I have a better understanding of [our organization’s] financials KPIs,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.6 out of 5 in this category.
• 94 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that “I feel comfortable to take part in discussions related to [our] business and strategy,” and ranked the program an average score of 4.2 out of 5 in this category.