CONSUMERS ENERGY
CLIENT SUCCESS STORY
“Learning is a strategic driver for our company. Our leadership development
strategy is aligned with the company’s strategic priorities. We are measuring how
our leadership development efforts improve the performance of our leaders.”
Stacy Mowrer, Director, Learning and Development, Consumers Energy
Supporting Mid-Level Transitions at
Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy is a regulated electric and natural gas utility with 8,000
employees serving 10 million residents in Michigan. With a significant
percentage of leaders at retirement age, the company’s leadership
development strategy focused on three critical transitions that leaders
make during their careers. The first program planned, Leading with
Impact, was aimed at leaders of leaders to help them perform at a high level
in the role.
To respond, Consumers Energy looked for a strategic learning partner
with a proven best-in-class solution that would help mid-level leaders
make the necessary mind-set shifts and behavior changes to succeed.
Breakthrough Leadership from Harvard Business Publishing became the
foundation of the Leading with Impact program.
Customization and Sustainment Make Learning Stick
Consumers Energy customized the core solution with its own programs
and tools. To effect real and lasting change in the organization, the
learning and development team also extended the 17-week cohort-based
experience with rich, ongoing, learning sustainment activities.
AT A G L A N C E
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Accelerate transitions for leaders
of leaders
AUDIENCE
300 mid-level leaders
OFFERING USED
Breakthrough Leadership
IMPACT
> 90% of participants reported an
increase in skills and capabilities
> 100% engagement among senior
leaders asked to participate in the
program
continued »
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CONSUMERS ENERGY
CLIENT SUCCESS STORY
This program is not offered as a
one-and-done opportunity. Sustainment
is vital to keeping our leaders engaged.
Jerry Kaminski, Manager, Learning and Development, Consumers Energy
Leading with Impact is designed to connect learning with real-life
challenges that leaders face in trying to accomplish their objectives.
Through short bursts of formal learning, cohorts of 12 to 25 learners have
time to absorb and process new information, reflect and internalize their
learning, receive feedback from others, and practice applying their new
skills on the job.
Customized Delivery
Consumers Energy leadership development facilitators are certified via the
train-the-trainer option to teach the Harvard Business Publishing content.
This approach helps the company scale the program, integrate it with
other in-house development, and incorporate face-to-face learning.
Working Differently
Capstone projects are due at the end of the program. Each individual
takes on a project in their area, applies new learning on the job, and then
presents both how they applied their knowledge and how they work
differently as a result of the program. Follow-ups with supervisors show
that this method is particularly effective in changing behaviors.
New Skills and Capabilities
Leading with Impact delivered impressive results, including high
participation and completion rates. The first cohort self-reported an
average of more than 11 percent behavior change by program conclusion.
More than 90 percent of participants across all cohorts reported an
increase in skills and capabilities. The average net promoter score is more
than 70. Senior leaders, seeing the business value of the program, stay
engaged by serving as subject matter experts during the program and for
sustainment activities.
The strategy of starting with mid-level leadership has paid off. Once the
organization began to see the results, it put its support behind the next
development initiative for the larger first-time leader population.
SUSTAINMENT FOR
SUCCESS
Consumers Energy’s learning and
development team realized that
lasting change in the organization
would require a long-term
sustainment effort. Executives
and senior leaders are playing
meaningful roles in Leading with
Impact sustainment activities.
Before a cohort launches, the
supervisors of participants
attend webinars to understand
expectations and their roles in the
program, and to identify needed
resources to ensure success.
Webcasts with senior leaders are
very popular. The first live podcast
featured the company’s new CEO,
who shared her vision and support
of the program, and answered
questions.
The sustainment program sees
senior leaders from across the
company engage in discussions
or webinars to keep the learning
alive. Program managers maintain
contact with graduates, providing
information from Harvard
ManageMentor modules and
other sources to a growing alumni
population.
Program graduates describe their
experiences in videos that are
available to new participants via
the company’s SharePoint site, and
graduates are recommending their
direct reports to the program.
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Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.