In Autumn 2019, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) asked for our help to develop a programme that would meet the needs of 21st century leadership.

They were after a versatile and impactful programme. One that would support leaders to unleash untapped potential in themselves and others. And one that would enable them to identify the strengths and gaps within their teams – and then build on this invaluable knowledge.

Little did they – or we – know of the immense challenges leaders worldwide would be facing as 2020 dawned.

ERYC’s senior leadership team (SLT) had tried out numerous personal development tools in the past. They’d dipped their toes into those that looked at preferences, traits, and typical behaviours. You know, all the usual ones on the marketplace that you’ve no doubt explored yourself.

And yet they hadn’t found any that quite cut the mustard.

Powerful results from the offset

Step forward PRINT® – the tool that instantly helped the SLT get beneath the surface. The tool that enabled them to understand what was driving their behaviour, rather than simply shining a light on the easily-accessible and observable behaviours. After all, you only need watch a person to notice what they do. But what if you knew what was underpinning that behaviour? What if you could get your hands on the motivation behind why people do what they do?

I’m chuffed, yet not surprised, to say PRINT® was an instant hit with the SLT. They found it simple yet powerful. Accessible yet scarily accurate (their words, not mine). And it allowed them to move beyond the surface, peer into the unknown and open up a whole new world of why people do what they do.

In short, they found it a refreshing change from the traditional trait or behavioural models that can sometimes appear superficial.

A journey of exploration

For the next six months, ERYC’s 120-strong SLT team joined me on a PRINT® expedition. They began to explore their own motivational drivers. Understand what was driving the people around them. Shifted their perspectives and began to understand and appreciate each other’s motivations.

And, being able to pinpoint when they were at their best, when they were not their best and knowing what to do about it gave them the means to celebrate the uniqueness in themselves and in others.

As the H&H PRINT® coach, this is one of the reasons I love working with PRINT®. Not only do I get to accredit new coaches, I also have the opportunity to design and integrate PRINT® into bespoke development programmes for our clients. Its application is so versatile. It shifts perspectives. It allows people to understand and enhance how they act, react and interact with others. And ultimately it creates sustainable change. So, building impactful programmes that support an individual’s and a team’s personal development is easy.

Through a High Performing Team Masterclass, ERYC’s senior leaders readily shifted their focus to the strengths and gaps of their team. They quickly identified the most productive way to talk and communicate with one another. And they mastered how to apply PRINT® to achieve their goals and objectives.

The proof is in the pudding

As with any development programme, there are instant wins with tangible impact and other learning takes time to apply, practice, reflect and embed.

I caught up with Sara Arnold, ERYC’s Learning, Skills & Workforce Development Group Manager, to hear about the impact PRINT® is having across the organisation, and how it’s supported employees to bring out their best during lockdown and working from home.

 

Sarah, how has PRINT® added value to your leadership team so far?

PRINT® has been instrumental in building awareness across project teams, departmental teams and for individual development.

PRINT® has been invaluable in celebrating our differences and diffusing difficult situations. We’ve used it as a tool to explore challenges and create strategies to positively and productively move forward. It’s resulted in building much better relationships and really respectful understanding of one another.

How has the language of PRINT® helped spark meaningful dialogue at ERYC?

We’ve found that the language of PRINT® creates an inclusive common ground for us to use and leads to more professional and respectful conversations. PRINT® shifts your perspective and enables you to appreciate and understand another person’s point of view, it’s really powerful to start crucial conversations with.

 

So, what’s next for ERYC?

Beginning PRINT® development with 120 leaders has been a powerful first step for ERYC.

Now with its own seven-strong team of accredited in-house PRINT® coaches, the organisation is powering forward in its quest to cascade and further embed PRINT® across its workforce. It’s a brilliant example of how ERYC is committed to investing in people development.

Leadership isn’t just a title. We all have a brilliant opportunity to lead and manage ourselves. PRINT® empowers us to do this successfully and sustainably – just as we’re seeing at ERYC.

If you have an appetite to move yourselves and the people around you, and to remain resilient whilst grappling with ambiguity, PRINT® is a fantastic tool to take with you on your journey. Want to discover how it could supercharge your development toolbox? Contact us to find out more.