Case Study: Leadership Development at AstraZeneca
Background
Senior Skills and Development Managers at AstraZeneca recognised the need to develop the leadership skills and abilities of their Clinical Project Managers who spend a large part of their time facilitating multi-disciplinary project teams, the aims of which are to develop and research new pharmaceutical products. Aspire were invited to submit proposals for both an Advanced Facilitation Programme and a Decision Making Workshop for these project leaders as part of their leadership development portfolio.
Objectives
These programmes were designed to develop the leadership abilities and skills of Clinical Project Managers at this FTSE 100 company. The objectives were to:
- Improve and enhance the existing facilitation skills of clinical project managers in order to enhance team and project performance
- Enable future leaders at AstraZeneca to develop their decision making skills and facilitate effective decision making within their project management teams
Activity
- The programme was developed in partnership with the Technical Leader in Skills Development at AstraZeneca.
- A training needs analysis was undertaken by means of a questionnaire disseminated to all prospective participants. The questionnaire included closed and open questions to generate existing skills and knowledge of managers and examples of successful and less successful experiences upon which to base case studies and activities within the programmes.
- Both programmes were designed and delivered by Aspire and were tailored specifically to the responses from the questionnaires.
- The Advanced Facilitation Programme was delivered over a two day period, separated by a two week break. At the end of the first day participants undertook a multi-vote exercise to determine the content of the second day. The delivery of this programme applied key facilitation steps and processes with Aspire acting as facilitation role models.
- The Decision Making Workshop was delivered in one day and included content on decision making shortcuts, decision making models, tools and techniques.
- All content of the delivery included a wide range of learning methods including: individual, pairs and group activities, role play by Aspire, live demonstrations from participants, mind mapping, art work.
Results
- The programme evaluation was excellent. AstraZeneca were so happy with the outcome that Aspire have been invited back to complete the same programme again.
- Shared learning across project management teams, gained from the programme, has improved facilitation approaches, thus adding to the success of clinical programmes.
- %u2018I have worked with several external training suppliers and found Aspire to be the most professional and original in their preparation and delivery. Feedback from participants has been extremely positive, the majority stating %u2018this was the best training I have ever had'. Moving forward, Aspire will be my first choice for the future.' Karen Challinor, Technical Leader, Skills Development, AstraZeneca
- %u2018You talked to us like human beings; it wasn't all chalk and talk - excellent!' Workshop Participant
