Harnessing the Power of Front-Line Employees
The Challenge:
A global auto parts manufacturer was starting its largest operational transformation to date, but low employee engagement risked the entire undertaking.
The Solution:
The organization and The Grossman Group created a path for plant success by transforming plant managers into empowered people leaders. Efforts included:
- Leading with data by researching industry best practices
- Developing a maturity model that outlined the path to best-in-class for the plants and pinpointed where they were on the journey
- Empowering plant managers with new self-service communications tools that even the busiest of plant managers could utilize
- In-the-moment coaching to help plant leaders navigate real issues as they happened
Key Results:
- Double-digit gains in engagement scores in one year for nearly all plants in the program
- 66% increase in one year in employee engagement scores at the lowest-ranked plant; the same plant became the best-practice model for communicating and operations
- 3 plants proactively asked to join the program after hearing about its value
- Communications were invited to join the task force to formally integrate the communication model in the companywide change approach for plant operations
- Increase in global best practice sharing using the plant communications playbook
- International Business Award and American Business Award Winner
“We are fans for life because you helped us, made life easier for us and I know I can count on you…”
- A plant manager from the pilot
