Forum

Leadership to Align and Engage Employees at EDF Energy

The Situation

EDF Energy is one of the U.K.'s largest energy companies, employing nearly 13,000 people and generating, distributing, and supplying power to 7.8 million homes and businesses across London, the East of England, and the South East of England. Its rapid growth in the past several years, through acquisitions and mergers with other energy companies, has created a culturally diverse and geographically dispersed business. EDF’s top management established five “ambitions” relating to the company’s key stakeholders to better align the organization and drive improved results. One of the ambitions is “We want to be recognized as a learning business and a great place to work, so that our employees can be proud of their company.” Evidence from focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and employee surveys indicated that EDF had a long way to go in developing the leadership capability to shift to a “one company” culture fully engaging employees and achieving the ambition.

“The program is enabling EDF to apply a common language of leadership across the company and is helping EDF to meet all of its ambitions. Both the development and rollout of the program are bringing us together as one company, part of the sustainable culture change we aim to achieve.” —EDF executive

The Solution

EDF partnered with The Forum Corporation to help create and deliver a leadership development program targeted on the top 1,500 leaders in the company. It sought to improve the leadership skills and behaviors defined by the 4 I’s Leadership Framework: Inspiration (talents you exhibit); Involvement (what you do); Impact (your personal effect and the effect of your results); and Integrity (the kind of person you are and the way you come across).

The program provides practical includes tools and techniques to help leaders increase the clarity of their vision and purpose; improve the effectiveness of their communications; improve their understanding of people’s motivations; improve the support they provide their teams; and manage organizational change more effectively. Improving awareness of the impact of personal styles is key to the program. A 360-degree feedback process helps participants clarify their personal strengths and their areas for development prior to their undertaking a 3-day residential training event. The 360-degree feedback process is repeated after 9 to 12 months (and after a 1-day reconnect session), enabling participants to track improvements in their behaviors over time.

The Results

The proportion of EDF employees reporting satisfaction with the company has increased so far from 55 percent to 73 percent. Employees also rate their managers and supervisors as more effective in managing change, communicating effectively, being open and honest, listening to ideas and suggestions, and understanding their (the employees’) motivations. Eighty percent said the program improved their performance; it resulted in monetary savings for the company of £300-3,000 per employee. EDF estimates the program’s ROI conservatively at 230 percent.

For more information contact Forum.