'Training is a good way to communicate change'
Management Development Programme – Tessenderlo Group
On 8
January, 50 Tessenderlo Group employees ventured onto Brabant’s snow-covered
roads. Coming from as far afield as France and Italy, they were all bound for
Leuven to attend the ceremony conferring certificates on those who had taken the
Management Development Programme, a tailored company-specific training course
designed in conjunction with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
Help, change on the horizon!
“The Chemicals business group was initially organised by country,” explains COO Frank Coenen. “When the vertical organisational structure was transformed into a horizontal European structure, we saw the content of the more senior management jobs change completely. Skills needed updating. A training programme proved to be a good way to communicate and integrate change. The reorganisation has thoroughly overhauled our supply chain management, for instance. That’s why the programme had to be completely tailored to our requirements.” Myriam Lonneville, Group Talent Management Director, continues: “We sat down with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School to determine which case studies most nearly approximated our change process. And these were real projects, not just exercises.”
Intellectual challenge and teambuilding
Frank Coenen again: “The company-specific format encourages internal networking and strengthens team spirit because the participants are together for several consecutive days. This kind of course really gets you thinking, even about your own specialty! We intentionally stressed soft skills, because they usually get overlooked.” Hudson and Outward Bound were brought in for the soft skills modules. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School organised the business modules and coordinated the whole programme. Why Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School? “The School has an outstanding reputation and is open to requests for tailor-made solutions,” explains Myriam Lonneville. “The School’s good relations with the other partners in the programme were also an important factor in our decision.”
Held over by popular demand
Frank Coenen: “You can look for missing skills outside the company, but you can also develop them in-house. Continuing education is important because it helps attract talent. Moreover, it has a motivating effect, which helps retain talented new recruits.” The programme was set up for the management of the Chemicals business group, but is now open to all business groups and is already in its fourth season. “We gauge the participants’ satisfaction and have noticed that it grows every year. We adjust the programme each time,” points out Myriam Lonneville. For Frank Coenen, the programme meets its objectives perfectly: “The return is difficult to measure. This programme fills 18 days spread over a year. That’s a serious investment, but I’m convinced that it’s worth it!”
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