CASE STUDIES

We are proud to have worked on amazing projects - development, coaching and training - for some fascinating companies, large and small, individually, as a team, as an organisation - from analysing business, analysing specifics about business - production processes, financial processes, marketing processes, sales and sales management processes which would include client-based analysis and industry analysis, including product line analysis and balancing, human resource and competence balancing. Here is a taste of what the situation was, what the client wanted, what we did, how we did it and what the outcomes were:

SMME

Packaging Industry
What we did

An SMME in the packaging industry had been operating for 20 years. After some unforeseen changes in the Directorship, a new Financial Director was employed. His mandate was to uplift the organisation and to enhance the overall productivity. In order to achieve this, Mentors was called in to assist. Our first step was to analyse the existing business structure and to determine the areas to be stabilized, improved or changed. We focused predominantly on structuring and implementing a Strategic Human Resource plan for the business which entailed which entailed implementing policies and procedures; drafting job descriptions; assessing the correct person-job fit; and setting up a transformation committee to launch a new era in the business. The result was a far more structured, organised and efficient operation. Most significantly, people who showed potential and desire are being developed and grown into new positions. The business performance improved as a result of all the staff, right through the hierarchy, being aligned with the company's vision as well as feeling like they are a part of the upgraded company.

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SMME

Manufacturing Industry
What we did

A small manufacturing company was experiencing a massive amount of financial pressure as the factory was unable to keep up with the demands of the customers. The business owner was feeling very frustrated as he was unable to meet existing customer's demands, nor was he able to take orders from new customers. The company's sales representative resigned as he believed that he could not sell a product that the company was unable to produce. mentors was called in to assist. Our first step was to consider the existing business operations, in terms of analysing the people within the organisation (their profiles and job specifications); the financial results; we conducted a customer analysis; and finally concentrated on removing wastage from the factory, in terms of operations, production and human actions. The biggest challenge was to embed a mindset of change and to instill a sense of urgency into the factory, when it had been operating in a certain manner for many years. The final result was a combination approach between enhancing the operational performance in both the factory and the office and purchasing a portion of ready made parts so that the company was able to function more effectively and under less pressure. The business's financial problems were alleviated, the owner is far less stressed, and the factory workers are able to meet the customer's demand far more realistically.

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Public Company

Technical Research Industry
What we did

A very large research organisation had several teams of researchers who needed to be managed. The team leader for each division was the best researcher in that department. This led to two significant problems: The company had lost their best researcher in each department and had gained inexperienced, and in many cases, unwilling managers. Mentors was asked to assist. We implemented a three tier approach to this situation. The first solution was to assess the individuals concerned so that we could determine their feelings, suitability to their new position and aptitude in this field. Once we correlated these results we engaged in a management and people oriented development programme to assist each manager in dealing with the individuals in their teams, encouraging the best results from them, and managing their departments as a whole. The final step was to conduct a final assessment, not just to determine competency, rather to assess how each team leader's manager perceived their behavioural change through this development process and to give and receive feedback from all parties concerned. The results were fantastic. Most of the team leaders were resistant because they came from technical backgrounds and were not provided with the tools or experience to work with others, let alone manage people. Mentors' approach empowered them with the knowledge, skills and behaviours require to effectively manage others, while still maintaining an element of technical action.

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Public Company

Engineering Industry
What we did

A fairly well established business had been doing well for many years. Their market share was stable, their competitive advantages were solid and their management team was young and dynamic, with a desire to take the healthy business to the next level. Mentors facilitated a strategic vision session, which highlighted the fact that the various members of the management team had differing visions for the future development of the business. Further to this, the fact that less than half of the team actually had a vision was cause for concern. Many people believed that a vision is an academic statement and considering the current success of the business, it was unnecessary. The problem remained that the business wanted to develop, yet had no idea where to or how. Departments were allocated tasks focusing on general and specific industry, technological and environmental trends in order to determine prospective areas for development. A thorough market analysis was conducted on an international scale to identify market potential, including competitor coverage and strength. This analysis provided a wealth of information to steer the management team in an educated and considered strategic direction. The marketing director of the business flew to various international business centres to set up international agents who would facilitate the marketing of the organisation's products through 4 diverse markets. Factors such as language barriers, cultural factors and distribution channels were all considered and impacted on the choice of agent recruited. To date the company is flourishing and has systematically grown its international presence.

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Multinational

Telecommunications
What we did

A multinational business in the telecommunications industry approached Mentors to work with their sales department to not only impart selling skills, but to change the mindset of the 14 member sales team so that their thoughts, actions and approach to business became strategic and yielded long-term results for the company. Mentors embarked on a strategic understanding of the business, their product range, customer base, target market and internal resources. Once we were equipped with this information, we began to develop the sales team first of basic selling skills so that they would immediately see the value and benefit of implementing a new approach. This worked incredibly well and when we progressed to a more strategic level of conducting business, prospecting, qualifying new customers and territory management, the tam were completely committed to using their individual strengths (as assessed by Mentors) to implement a strategic plan which would yield the most profitable long-term results for the business as well as for each representative. The programme was so effective that the National Sales Manager received a promotion to another country to help improve their sales department along similar lines.

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Multinational

Financial Services
What we did

A management team in the financial services industry had each member each responsible for running their departments independently. None of them (except the Managing Director) had ever had business training or been developed as managers. The management team had very diverse backgrounds which led to conflicting priorities regarding the most important spheres for the continuation of the business. Also, none of them felt empowered to run their departments independently. They did not feel competent to run departments without the continual guidance and support of the managing director. Very subtly, many of them indicated that they would prefer the other managers not to be aware of their feelings of inadequacy. This further complicated the situation, as peer support is often a very strong reinforcement factor in a management position. Mentors embarked on team sessions, focussing on management skills, accountability and performance management skills. The sessions dealt with realistic everyday managerial issues. The coaching time served to impart skills and knowledge immediately transferable to the workplace. Mentors followed up electronically with individual implementation sessions. In this phase of the development, most of the managers began to gain confidence and realize their own potential. The managing director stated himself to be satisfied with the performance of his team and with the results of the business. The biggest success was the personal feelings of competence which the individual managers feedback to Mentors as a result of our sessions.

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