Robin van Wankum
Director, Organisation Transformation
In close cooperation with Susan Goldsworthy from IMD, we designed our unique Care to Dare program to make the Secure Base Leadership philosophy accessible for all employees. Susan trained a group of leaders at IG&H to be coaches in the program. I was asked to be one of those coaches. This was a new approach, as IMD usually works with independent coaches from all over the world.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the program?
This year we designed a remote version of the course. The philosophy is so fundamental for our way of working, we did not want to be dependent on the Covid-19 circumstances for sharing it with all our new colleagues. The program provides a common language and shapes our collaboration. However, the program is also impactful and personal and all about interaction. So, replacing it with an e-learning course would not suffice.
What does the program look like now?The program had a total overhaul. There are more sessions than in the original setup. But the sessions are much shorter. We need to consider that it can be quite intense for people to look at a screen for many hours. In the program we combine plenary group sessions, ‘home group’ sessions and e-learning. With ‘home group’ we refer to the small group of employees that, under the guidance of one of the coaches, form the secure base for the participants during the program. This is where everyone needs to feel safe and comfortable to be vulnerable. Some parts of the program such as the ‘lifeline’ or ‘grief cycle’ still need to be addressed in a comfortable, face-to-face setting though. That is why we close off the program with a face-to-face session that can hopefully take place next year.
What is the value of this program to IG&H?I think this training program is a very important asset that every professional service firm should have. To do challenging things, we need trust and protection from our leaders. This type of leadership has a positive effect on employee satisfaction and increases the net promotor score, as happy employees lead to happy customers. When you experience trust and a sense of protection, you grow faster and further. It also benefits employee well-being and retention, which makes us a great place to work.
This year we designed a remote version of the course. The philosophy is so fundamental for our way of working, we did not want to be dependent on the Covid-19 circumstances for sharing it with all our new colleagues.
Robin van Wankum - Director, Organisation Transformation
IG&H & IMD
This three-day course is taught to all employees and specifically tailors the Secure Base Leadership theory and method to IG&H’s way of working. Lastly, we are proud to say that we are also part of IMD’s leadership curriculum. Due to our drive for continuous development in secure base leadership, they asked us to be featured in their case series.
Robin van Wankum
Director, Organisation Transformation
In close cooperation with Susan Goldsworthy from IMD, we designed our unique Care to Dare program to make the Secure Base Leadership philosophy accessible for all employees. Susan trained a group of leaders at IG&H to be coaches in the program. I was asked to be one of those coaches. This was a new approach, as IMD usually works with independent coaches from all over the world.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the program?
This year we designed a remote version of the course. The philosophy is so fundamental for our way of working, we did not want to be dependent on the Covid-19 circumstances for sharing it with all our new colleagues. The program provides a common language and shapes our collaboration. However, the program is also impactful and personal and all about interaction. So, replacing it with an e-learning course would not suffice.
What does the program look like now?
The program had a total overhaul. There are more sessions than in the original setup. But the sessions are much shorter. We need to consider that it can be quite intense for people to look at a screen for many hours. In the program we combine plenary group sessions, ‘home group’ sessions and e-learning. With ‘home group’ we refer to the small group of employees that, under the guidance of one of the coaches, form the secure base for the participants during the program. This is where everyone needs to feel safe and comfortable to be vulnerable. Some parts of the program such as the ‘lifeline’ or ‘grief cycle’ still need to be addressed in a comfortable, face-to-face setting though. That is why we close off the program with a face-to-face session that can hopefully take place next year.
What is the value of this program to IG&H?
I think this training program is a very important asset that every professional service firm should have. To do challenging things, we need trust and protection from our leaders. This type of leadership has a positive effect on employee satisfaction and increases the net promotor score, as happy employees lead to happy customers. When you experience trust and a sense of protection, you grow faster and further. It also benefits employee well-being and retention, which makes us a great place to work.