Counting down to Christmas in style

With Christmas and 2016 just around the corner, at Team Maier we find ourselves excited (Christmas is nearly here after all) and full of anticipation for the year ahead!

We’ve been looking back on some of our highlights from 2015; what went well, where we felt we delivered success for our clients, and what we’ve learnt along the way.

So, as much as we love chocolate in the Maier office we’ve scrapped the traditional Advent calendar and created our own countdown to Christmas featuring our highlights from 2015.

 Court side with the Lawn Tennis Association

Now in a different era, the LTA find themselves really looking to the future by drawing on values and strengthening their mission to get ‘more people playing tennis more often’. We’re known for our coaching and team work, but our work with the LTA took on a bigger, bolder format to a 300-strong work force.

The day was jam packed with a variety of plenary and group work – all designed to inspire and engage delegates in truly understanding the company vision, as well as giving individuals the opportunity to discuss and capture stories that demonstrate how they live the values on a daily basis.

All of this was brought to life through the creatively artistic skills of graphic recorders, Inky Thinking.

 

The results from this first stage of work are now being used to connect with the LTA’s expansive volunteer group, develop a performance management programme for new and existing managers and revisit induction and appraisals systems. What’s not to love!

 “It was absolutely fantastic and your team were a joy to work with – they love my team; I love your team so it’s happy days.” 

Vicky Williams, People Director, The Lawn Tennis Association 

  Fashion matters – London College of Fashion

Communication and collaboration with staff and students has been at the heart of what has evolved into an organisation wide change programme at London College of Fashion. With an exciting and hugely ambitious move ahead of them in 5 or so years time to a single site in Stratford, there’s a real sense of energy and urgency to realise potential at all levels – to deliver demanding agendas with pace and total alignment.

Much of our work together has been around the creation and development of dynamic leadership teams across all of the Schools and departments to help deliver the shared vision. We often talk of the private sector being able to work faster and slicker than the public sector, but this organisation could take on even the best of them!

“We have worked with Maier now for several years and Karyn and her team have been instrumental in helping us to transform the ways in which our management and leadership teams across the college operate, lead and collaborate. It has been a really successful partnership.”

Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion 

LCF’s #Fashionmatters fundraising event was another great highlight for us. With the 2015 showcase dinner raising over £80,000 – creating 63 new scholarships and bursaries.

 

 Bravery is just in their blood – Asos

It is genuinely exciting to be working with a company who have innovation and creativity as part of their natural DNA – it’s their life blood and is contagious to all who have the luck to work with them.

Part of our role in working with their Executive and leadership teams is to help them develop and strengthen processes and behaviours to keep them top of their game. Ingredients in the mix include; entrepreneurial thinking and risk taking, creativity in everything they do and all of it with pace, energy and verve.

They’re always looking for opportunities to strengthen leadership behaviours, along with fresh approaches to cultural transformation. Roll on next year, where we look forward to working on the next phase of this exciting programme together.

“Maier have been brilliant at helping us get our Exec team even more aligned in delivering the Asos vision and ambition, company-wide. Through events which cover anything from how to get the most out of our meetings, through to how we work together as one strong and dynamic Exec. Challenging, fun, honest – that about sums it up”.
Nick Beighton, CEO, Asos

 

  Enjoying the creativity of publishing with Harper Collins

What a privilege it has been contributing to the ambitious and visionary direction of Harper Collins. Much of our work has been with the Children’s division – a fantastic team of inspiring and talented individuals who continuously strive for perfection and improvement in both their leadership styles and their approaches to business.

As if that wasn’t fulfilling enough Karyn also had the luck to meet with one of their authors, Judith Kerr. Judith is one of the most engaging women, still producing amazing children’s literature. For those of you who were lucky enough to have been brought up on ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’, we’re already filling the stockings with her latest book ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’.

Image courtesy of The Storybook Girl

 

  A united front

Housing associations are currently facing huge challenge in how they need to operate in response to the latest government thinking and policy. We work with a number of them (RHP, Victory, Catalyst, Flagship) providing us with real insight into the complexity of change that’s going to be required to successfully deliver the new agenda.

The common denominator between them all is the need for super aligned, agile, effective, highly communicative top teams. It’s about confidence in dealing with the curved balls and surprises that any company or organisation needs to be ready for – it’s impressive to now see them each developing their well-considered yet confident and forthright strategic responses. 

‘We all really enjoyed yesterday and felt it was a real success with some great progress made – so thank you for facilitating it so brilliantly. I thought you got the pace and tone of the day spot on – and were excellent at not letting us skirt over the more tricky stuff’.

David Done, Chief Executive, Richmond Housing Partnership

 

Okay, so there are 25 days in Advent and we’ve featured just 5 highlights…but there’s only so much time we all have! If you want to hear more, we have a wonderful bunch of Client Managers who would love to share more of the same.

Happy Christmas one and all xx