Newmedica - Building Trust in the Virtual Space
Newmedica, a leading provider of ophthalmology services, found itself in the midst of major change. Since joining the Specsavers Group in 2016, the company had grown substantially, requiring evolution of the management structure and the development of a new strategic vision. Since the Senior Management Team responsible for the development and implementation of this vision were based all over the country, they called on Ghislaine Caulat from Black Gazelle to help them work more effectively and build trust. Some of the managers involved kindly shared their experiences with us for this case study.
The problem: A team in a state of flux
With a mix of people who were new to the business, some who had been with Newmedica for a long time, and some who had recently come across from Specsavers, the Senior Management Team struggled with a lack of social cohesion and shared understanding. The fact that the majority of the work was being done virtually was another factor team members had little opportunity to get to know each other outside of the task at hand, and everyone was perpetually busy.
“There was a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm within the team,” muses Central Operations Director Dave Price. “The problem was a lack of structure and clarity to balance out that energy. We were doing a lot of ‘solutionising’ in the moment rather than thinking long-term and delegating.” Managing Director Rebecca Lythe concurs: “We were guilty of a lot of ‘yes, yes, yes’ but not enough in-depth conversations about how those things would come about.”
The presence of different personalities and levels of experience in the team also led to some friction, much of which was being delegated to Rebecca to deal with rather than solved among team members. “With all the recent and ongoing changes to the makeup of the team, we felt that we needed a way to bring everyone together and work on getting us to perform at the level required,” explains People Director Kate Skilton. “Ghislaine came recommended, and we initiated the development process with her.”
The intervention: Challenging the way people communicate
To get to the bottom of the issue, Ghislaine started by shadowing one of the Senior Management Team’s virtual meetings. She then conducted individual interviews with each director to understand their personal qualms and desires. After briefing the team to outline the process, Ghislaine asked everyone to complete some pre-work and self-reflection. She then conducted a total of four three-hour workshops over the course of two weeks. These workshops focused on four essential pillars:
Developing a shared understanding
Building trust within the team
Agreeing on ways of working virtually
Considering how the team communicates
“To be honest, I was very skeptical at first,” confesses Karen Croker, Director of Contracting & Managed Services. “I felt like I’d sort of seen everything when it comes to leadership development and frankly, I just wanted to get on with my job.” Luckily, Ghislaine’s approach managed to convince Karen and her colleagues. “Once I had my one-on-one conversation with Ghislaine, I felt much better. Her approach was unique, it made me stop and think.” Kate Skilton agrees: “Ghislaine continually challenged us, while also making sure to bring quiet people into the conversation. She’s really good at pushing for clarity, which I think empowered people to be honest.”
Ghislaine used the neuroscience-based “NeuroColor Inventory” and various other exercises to help the team understand their own and each other’s communication style preferences and ways of thinking. She also asked the team to turn their cameras off during meetings to facilitate deeper listening. This raised some eyebrows at first. “We all felt it was ‘bonkers’, but it really made us think,” says Commercial Director Caroline Hudson. “It made me realise I often have too much input going on when I’m in meetings. I also learned a lot about how to use my voice more effectively.”
At the end of the workshops, the team created a charter with a new shared purpose, goals, and agreements about ways of working they can refer back to. Ghislaine also observed another meeting several weeks later to assess the team’s progress and offer some final feedback.
The outcome: Heightened awareness, deeper understanding, greater effectiveness
The members of the Senior Management Team widely agreed that the development process was very valuable and made an impact, both inside the team and for members individually. “This process was a real eye-opener. I started to think much more in terms of dynamics and how people were feeling,” says Karen Croker. “I felt much happier at work afterwards because it helped me move forward with some relationships that I felt stuck in. I was totally converted!”
“The process made me realise I’m not always great at listening – I’m often already thinking I don’t agree,” admits Finance Director Michael O’Keeffe. “I make a conscious effort to
slow down and listen now, and to ask my team helpful questions rather than solving an issue for them.” Dave Price agrees: “I now sometimes turn my microphone off to make sure I’m listening rather than talking all the time.”
The team also saw a shift in dynamics and meeting effectiveness. “We have jumped up a few levels in terms of what we talk about, the meetings are now strategic rather than getting stuck in operational matters,” explains Kate Skilton. “I don’t think we were an easy group to work with, but Ghislaine made a huge effort to make this work for us, and it made a really big impact.” Caroline Hudson adds: “It feels like we now have a shared vocabulary to work with. It has enabled us to work more collaboratively, rather than each person doing their own thing and the others simply signing off on it.”
