Transforming a fragmented leadership team into a driver of performance
Challenge
In October 2022a new era began for this Iconic French brand, leader in the FMCG sector, following its majority acquisition by a Private Equity fund.
The strategic objective is clear: optimise production capacity and strengthen industrial performance, with a direct impact on the supply chain.
The industrial site has major assets:
- largely local production
- integrated and efficient industrial ecosystem
- solid CSR strategy
The plant manager has been in post since 2018. Before the acquisition, the site's management team operated under the close guidance of a very operational corporate team.
After the acquisition, the organisation enters a phase of rapid transformation.
The factory leadership team has 50% turnover, upsetting the existing balances.
Several malfunctions appear quickly:
- Decisions made in silos, generating operational misalignments
- High operating pressure, accentuating tensions between teams
- Resistance to change, hindering digitalisation and automation initiatives
- Leadership gaps, particularly in coaching, conflict management and communication
These dynamics slow down decision-making, complicate problem-solving and affect industrial performance.
Without targeted intervention, the risk was twofold:
- to slow down the strategic transformation expected by investors
- to weaken the site's cohesion and performance
About
In a context of industrial transformation and change of ownership, A site's performance depends as much on its systems as it does on the quality of collaboration within its management team.
When leaders operate in silos, the consequences are immediate:
- slowed decisions
- interdepartmental tensions
- loss of operational efficiency
- difficulty driving change
The core question was therefore: how to transform a newly reconstituted group of leaders into a truly aligned leadership team capable of driving the site's industrial transformation?
Strengthen the collective effectiveness of the leadership team in order to:
- Develop a common vision and leadership cohesion
- improve the cross-functional communication and collaboration
- to speed up decision-making and problem-solving
- strengthen the leadership and team management skills
- support the implementation of transformation initiatives (digitalisation, automation)
A strategic consulting program structured team coaching over 7 months, Combining in-depth diagnostics with group support.
Phase 1 – Kickoff & Diagnostic (1 month)
- 360° feedback
- Team assessment
- One-to-one meetings with team members
Objective: to identify team systemic dynamics and obstacles to collaboration.
Phase 2 – Core Team Coaching (6 months)
Team coaching sessions focused on the site's real leadership and performance challenges.
Topics covered:
- Building a shared vision and leadership cohesion
- Effective communication and psychological safety
- Strengthening delegation and empowering teams
- Collective decision-making and accountability
- Change Management and Resilience
- Action plan to embed new practices
The approach aimed to make the team's systemic dynamics visible and to install new ways of collaborating in the service of industrial performance.
✔ Breaking down silos and improving coordination between departments
✔ Faster, more aligned decisions
✔ Smoother internal communication and faster resolution of production problems
✔ Increased team engagement with boosted morale and motivation
✔ Leadership open to innovation and transformation initiatives
✔ Successful adoption of new digital and automation initiatives
Are you facing a similar situation?
During periods of transformation – changes in ownership, growth, digitalisation or restructuring – Team leadership cohesion is becoming a strategic lever for performance.
Team coaching allows leaders to align, speed up decision-making, and strengthen operational execution.
Would you like to strengthen the effectiveness of your management team in a context of transformation? Let's discuss it.