Financial Services Client Case Study
Project-based experiential leadership/skilled volunteering program where participants collaborate with a NFP/social enterprise client on a real business challenge
About Our Client
Our client is a global financial services company. We partner with the corporate foundation and learning & development teams to design and deliver three project-based experiential leadership programs each year in Australia and across several countries in Asia.
Program participants collaborate with a NFP/social enterprise community partner on a real organisational challenge over three months.
Challenge
The core learning outcomes are focused on helping leaders and emerging leaders build their confidence solving problems in complex, uncertain, and ambiguous environments – and build the mindset, skillset, and toolset for adaptive and empathic leadership, customer-centred design, collaborative problem solving, innovation, and strategic thinking.
The program is mapped directly to the company’s competency framework, performance expectations, and the key skills to strategically develop at specific levels of leadership.
Opportunity for Impact
Dynamic4 was engaged to deliver part of the program in 2017 (a good friend and collaborator facilitated this program from 2015) and we took over leading the program from 2018. Since 2017 we’ve had the privilege of working with over 340 talented leaders and 33 great NFP/social enterprise clients in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand with these programs.
We’ve successfully delivered the two Australian 2023 programs, the program in Asia is in progress, and we’re getting ready for 2024.
We refine the program every year based on feedback and to adapt to changing conditions. This has included delivering the program in-person, online, and hybrid.
The programs use an action learning approach with learning through doing and coaching while blending in skilled volunteering. We work with NFP/social enterprise clients on real and high-priority adaptive challenges to facilitate the learning outcomes. It’s based on a true value exchange:
- The program participants receive a unique and meaningful opportunity to apply and embed their mindset, skillset, toolset, and behaviours by working with the purpose-driven client on complex problem solving, regenerative innovation, and strategic thinking
- The NFP/social enterprise client gets a team of high-performing and skilled program participant bringing their skills, experience, networks, technical expertise, and commercial perspective to work on a real and high-priority organisational challenge
“They’re like part of our team and ensure that the program runs smoothly, acting as a trusted intermediary between our teams and the not for profits we work with.”
Learning & Development Lead
Approach
- Co-designed the program with the client that is right for their organisation, priorities, and budget. We refine the programs every year based on learnings, feedback, and changing conditions
- Project-based experiential learning approach – focused on learning through doing with coaching, targeted skills training, and reflective practice
- Participants collaborate with a NFP/social enterprise client on a real business challenge over three months
- Learning outcomes are achieved through doing – and the project client gets the value of having a team of talented people working on one of their real business problems
- Bring together thinking and practices from human-centred design/design thinking, business model innovation, and agile ways of working
Opportunity for internal coaches to develop their coaching
Results & Feedback
“100% agree the program exceeded their expectations, was a valuable use of their time, and would recommend the program to colleagues.”
“Dynamic4 are very collaborative and open to feedback. Ben is very personable; he puts people at ease through what can often be a challenging process. He brings credibility to the work that he delivers, especially given he has considerable experience in social impact and financial services.”
Learning & Development Lead
Make contact now and say hello. We’ll have a chat to understand what you’re looking to achieve, the budget and timeline you’re working with, and how we can work together - to get your idea to market.