CLIENT
CHALLENGE
Alcan Inc. is the foremost aluminum manufacturer in the world.
In June 2001, CEO Travis Engen identified reducing the environmental
footprint of its operations and protecting employee health
and safety as "our top organizational priorities."
Individual leadership at all levels of the organization was
seen as the key element that would drive results in Alcan’s
"Journey to Zero" — zero work-related injuries
and illnesses. Creating a learning program which would take
EHS leadership to the next level was the challenge. Lyne Martel
is the Director of Training & HR at Alcan’s Primary
Metals Group and Gerard Dufour is Alcan’s Director of
Environment, Occupational Health & Safety. They both experienced
the impact and results of The MAXX, another exper!ence it
leadership program. So they turned to e! to design and deliver
a new approach to EHS Leadership training. The program would
need to engage people both intellectually and emotionally,
equip them with leadership skills and knowledge, and set the
stage for commitment and impact. It would also require a global
rollout from our multilingual facilitation team within a tight
time frame!
CREATIVE RANGE
Our client partners needed us to create a program that would
deliver tremendous impact. Don Jones, e! President and chief
designer, engaged in rigorous research, interviewing and observing
managers across the Alcan organization and learning about
the company’s culture, systems and processes.
Our client afforded us great creative license.
They supported the recommendation that the learning program
would take learners out of their typical work settings and
plunge them into an engaging simulation in which they would
be truly challenged and inspired to grow as EHS leaders.
e! SOLUTION…
Project Delta:
The Environmental, Health and Safety Leadership Program
The Project Delta experience pits two simulated
companies in an intense competition to win a contract for
manufacturing cars. Inside each company, the General Manager
feels pressure from the CEO (who is feeling pressure from
the Board of Directors) to increase productivity and reduce
costs. The Plant Manager is frantically trying to build momentum
on the shop floor. Machinists are churning out product at
an accelerating rate, dealing with clumsy safety equipment,
taking risks and being unable to effectively communicate their
needs. The Environment, Health & Safety Coordinators are
isolated, under-resourced and concerned that the EHS results
will reflect the strain of all employees in this time of change.
Project Delta mirrors the challenges of
participants’ typical manufacturing environment. For
example:
- The teams must learn to integrate the
skills and knowledge of workers, managers and safety professionals
- The teams must make tough choices and
reap the rewards and consequences
- The rules of high productivity and
cost control still apply and are measured and balanced against
the challenges of leading EHS
After a challenging first round in Project
Delta, participants in both companies hold a planning meeting
to systematically apply the principles of EHS Leadership.
These principles are introduced in two half-day workshops
delivered by EHS content experts. The second round of the
simulation enables both teams to put into play their newly
strengthened EHS Leadership practices, leading to breakthrough
results for both teams… in both EHS and in production
results!
The program wraps up with Impact!, e!'s
intense and engaging workshop. It both inspires and equips
each participant with the tools and structure for transferring
their leadership learning into Impact Projects immediately
upon return to work.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The learning outcomes include developing skills and
knowledge in:
- Leadership best practices that drive
world-class organizations
- Effective EHS management systems, principles
and models
- Leadership skills required for managing
EHS
- Key actions for making significant
and sustainable organizational change
- Commitment to making an Impact! in
the workplace
RESULTS
Due to the initial success of the program, Alcan Inc. decided
on a global rollout. More than 140 runs of the EHS First Program
have been delivered and implemented in 20 countries in ten
languages. More than 2700 managers, worldwide have participated
and are implementing Impact Projects across the organization.
Gerard Dufour, Alcan’s Director of
Environment, Occupational Health & Safetyreports that,
"We have had 25 percent fewer accidents and incidents
per year for the past two years since implementation. This
is one of the few training interventions that we have done
where people went into action immediately after training."
“Excellent simulation.
From dysfunctional to high
performance in 24 hours. Superb!”
“Project Delta allowed
us to ‘feel’ EHS issues from
very different perspectives. Great insights!”
THANKS
Lyne Martel and Gerard Dufour, our Alcan partners in this
project brought leadership and partnership every step of the
way. Their vision, commitment and faith in the project was
inspiring. That’s Impact! at its finest! And to our
training colleagues at DNV, who work tirelessly to help make
great learning happen…truly great partners! |
