Mitchell Phoenix - Leadership and Management Training

In 1989 Aalco decided to invest in strategic leadership development as a part of their strategy for maximising the performance of each of their profit centres. They wanted to give each profit centre autonomy, and at the same time create a sense of unity throughout the business.

Aalco approached Mitchell Phoenix and asked us to help them create a common management culture and language, and to ensure that there was a consistent management approach across their independent distribution centres.

We have been working with Aalco

ever since.

Initially the most senior executives in the business attended Mitchell Phoenix' leadership development programs, and in subsequent years Aalco have sent their general managers, sales managers and warehouse managers to Mitchell Phoenix for leadership training.

A key factor in Aalco's success in creating a common, future-focused culture has been their willingness to work from the top down. As new managers come through Mitchell Phoenix programs, they quickly recognise the leadership behaviours exhibited by their managers,who often learned and refined them working with Mitchell Phoenix some years before.

This helps new managers to develop their understanding of the company culture and why it is successful.

"The Governing Change training course has equipped our managers with the necessary tools to manage their teams and achieve a high level of success. It enables all of us to take a consistent approach when managing our people."
Andy Howitt, Regional Director, Aalco

"A must for any senior manager striving to improve not only their own skills but to improve the quality of their environment and organization."
Paul Lewington, Logistics Manager, Aalco

"This has been by far the best management course I have ever been on."  Charles Hellawell, Aalco

Titus is a manufacturing business making a range of products, a number of which assist in the assembly of flat-packed furniture. Mitchell Phoenix were asked to run a project to help Titus re-evaluate their business strategy.

We worked with the board to develop and articulate a new approach to their business, which centred on the end user (the person who assembled the furniture) rather than Titus' direct customer. As a result of this, Titus needed to create a clear structure and

direction for implementing the new strategy. Mitchell Phoenix helped Titus formulate their vision, mission, strategic aims and the values of the organization. Subsequently, Titus redesigned some of their products so that the end user could put furniture together in less time. The redesigned products also lowered the cost of manufacturing the furniture.

"Attend [Governing Change] to improve personal attitudes and management style, to get a very structured insight and overview of the psychological aspects of management in order to be able to manage change."
Samo Prodan, General Manager Titus International - Slovenia

"[Governing Change] opens the eyes of both experienced and less experienced managers to the application of sound ideas and the resulting action to change. This makes it a very effective learning environment."
Matthew Hurley, President USA Titus Lama Huwil

Mitchell Phoenix trained the senior management team at Midwich in the 1990s.

In the early 2000s, in order to strengthen their strategy of acquisition and organic growth, the Managing Director and his team realised they had to raise the wider management group's level of skill. Midwich embarked on an integrated program of training and development, utilising the courses offered by Mitchell Phoenix.

Now everybody who holds a management position at Midwich will have completed a Mitchell Phoenix development program,

and actively displayed their ability to implement the principles of leadership and management required by the organization. In this respect Midwich are a strong example of how to build and maintain a highly competitive, results driven, people centred culture.

"I have been on a number of courses in my time. Forget the rest, this is the best. It holds your attention all the way through. Unlike other courses, you are not distracted or fighting to get out. Amazing experience."
Darren Lewitt, Director, Midwich

"To understand leadership and these practical techniques in creating a true forward thinking culture, this course is excellent."
Steven Fay, General Sales Manager, Midwich

The largest privately owned Lloyds insurance underwriting business, Canopius has grown significantly over the last seven years through a mix of organic expansion and acquisition. In 2008 they called in Mitchell Phoenix to help with the development of the managers in their Operations teams. In the years since then we have created and delivered bespoke programs for executives from both the Operations and Underwriting sides of the business, at all levels from senior manager to first line operative.

The leadership team at Canopius use Mitchell Phoenix programs not only to raise the level of skill of their managers, but also to contribute towards their long-term strategic aim to create a culture that is recognizably the 'Canopius culture', such that it not only supports the performance they require, but it is also a distinctive part of their brand in the wider Lloyds marketplace.

"Groups report that when you walk around the company, you can see who has been on a Mitchell Phoenix program and who hasn't"
Sylvia Emson, Human Resources Manager, Canopius

"[Foundations of Management] changes you as a person, providing a comprehensive and practical guide to management and leadership."
Joff Percy, Claims Manager, Canopius

Case Study: how do you extend culture into a newly acquired business?
click here to read

Interview: Canopius Head of HR, Julie Snow, discusses how to build culture in a constantly evolving organization
click here to read

Employee engagement and retention, or lack of this, is a product of management and strategy. If the management are not ensuring a company is growing or moving in the right direction, employees soon realize and make their plans accordingly.

In 2006 HSBC Channel Islands asked Mitchell Phoenix to help develop their senior management group. In particular, labour market conditions in the Channel Islands mean it is important to ensure high quality employee engagement and retention: because of the residency requirements, all the companies based there are competing for the same group of potential employees.

Mitchell Phoenix worked with HSBC CI's senior team to create an environment in which employees could excel – an environment where they are valued and challenged, and where their potential is being fully realised by the organisation. In the succeeding years we have worked with the wider management group to help ensure a consistent culture across the business.

"Mitchell Phoenix assisted in creating a common management culture, a greater focus on results, heightened awareness on adding value, much greater focus on planning and preparedness, more focussed communications and ultimately, increased effectiveness within the business."
Stuart Taylor, Managing Director, HSBC Private Bank

"The evaluation feedback we have received has been excellent and as a result of employees undertaking the programmes we are beginning to be able to bring about the necessary culture change within the organization."
Natalia Bachelet, HR Manager, HSBC Private Bank

In the 1990s Microsoft UK went through a period of rapid growth. The demands of this growth put huge pressure on executives' time. Mitchell Phoenix seminar leaders reported that the car park at Microsoft was full at 6.00 in the morning!

Mitchell Phoenix were asked to assist in improving managers' decision making and their ability to prioritise.

Working with the Managing Director, the Executive Committee and down to supervisor level, Mitchell Phoenix 

helped Microsoft to create an organization which truly valued time and was effective in its management.

The business adopted a collective approach to the use of time, especially in meetings. Further, through concentrating on the quality of decision-making around time usage, the quality of decisions relating to every part of the business improved.

"This clarified and emphasised a number of areas of management that made a significant difference to me. I would thoroughly recommend anyone in management to attend a Mitchell Phoenix course."
David Langridge, Senior Director, Microsoft

"The Mitchell Phoenix Governing Change course took me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to think and act in new constructive ways. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to develop or sharpen their leadership skills."
Mike Lloyd, MIcrosoft Schooling Solutions Lead

When HSBC Private Bank was set up in the early 1990s, one of the aims was to develop an organization with a strong structure and culture. Mitchell Phoenix were called in to assist in this project, and we have been working with HSBC ever since.

HSBC require high quality people to generate, build and sustain high quality, long lasting business relationships with their customers. Because of this, as the organization has grown, HSBC have placed a strong emphasis on developing their staff from the top of the business down to first-line supervisors, from relationship managers to those working in a support function.

Running bespoke in-house programs in both London and the Channel Islands, Mitchell Phoenix have been and continue to be heavily involved with this project.

"It will make you think hard about how you can take your business further. You will find yourself adapting new approaches to dealing with and influencing change and getting the most out of team members by planning and motivation."
David Rumsey, HSBC

"You will see yourself in a completely different light and realise that many of the barriers you place in front of yourself are self-imposed and surmountable."
Paul Smith, HSBC

Mitchell Phoenix first worked with Microsoft UK in 1989. Microsoft had identified organizational effectiveness as crucial to their future success. They had developed a three segment model: if the company runs well, the employees are engaged and
committed, which means the
customers are satisfied and continue to work with the organization.

Microsoft were in a period of rapid growth. The employees were highly technically proficient, but needed to rapidly strengthen their management capability in order to sustain their organisational effectiveness model and keep pace with the exponential growth.

Mitchell Phoenix equipped Microsoft with a management culture which was more strategic, and focused more clearly on the future and the creation of business results.

"If you want to bring out the best in you and the people you manage, this is the perfect course to ensure you begin with a solid foundation."
Aidan McCarthy, Microsoft