Barclaycard recognised that training alone could not deliver sustained improvements to Call Centre customer service skills and behaviour. We worked with them to develop a concise set of competencies for key roles which reflected the Barclaycard customer experience and key performance metrics such as JD Power. In parallel with a training programme for Customer Service Advisers, the competencies were introduced to Call Centre Team Managers through a series of two-day workshops which equipped them with the skills and tools that they needed to manage their teams against the competencies. Recruitment and Call Monitoring/Coaching processes have also been adapted to reflect the new competencies, providing a clear message to staff about what's important for success in the role.

We worked with the Risk Assurance Division within the Department of Work and Pensions to develop a clear picture of the competencies needed to meet the challenges of the future. Working with the Senior Leadership team, we developed a 'Technical Skills and Knowledge Framework' covering all jobs. This identified the key areas of technical skill and knowledge that would make a real difference to the success of the IAS team in the medium term, and also made links to the wider DWP competencies. We used the Skills and Knowledge Framework as the basis for an extensive programme of individual assessment and development planning and ultimately developed a learning and development strategy for the medium term.

We worked with Lexus Europe to identify the skills and behaviours that are required to deliver the 'Spirit of Lexus' experience to customers across Europe. These skills and behaviours were defined using a simple translation-friendly format which drew heavily on work which had already been carried out to define the Lexus customer experience. They were used to inform the training and development curriculum of the Lexus Foundation and also integrated into recruitment and assessment processes for retailer staff. By doing this, Lexus Europe provided retailers across Europe with a simple, unavoidable message about the skills and behaviour that define success in their business.

When North Lincolnshire Housing Services received a second 'poor' assessment from the Audit Commission, their response was to develop a Recovery and Continuous Improvement Plan, which included an investment in developing the customer service skills of their people. We worked with a Project Team including managers, tenant representatives and union officials to agree a Skills and Knowledge Framework, which covered all Housing Services jobs and identified the skills, knowledge and behaviour required to deliver effective customer service. This Framework provided the basis for a programme of customer service skills training, and also a range of supporting tools - such as a new performance management process which monitored individual performance against the Framework.

A major provider of professional services, RSM Robson Rhodes (now part of Grant Thornton) was undergoing a period of change focused on achieving significant increases in turnover and market share. The business recognised that an important first step was to develop a clear view of the skills, knowledge and behaviour that would deliver growth. We worked with a Senior Partner Steering Group and a Project Team to develop a Competency Framework in a user-friendly format which incorporated much of the business's own terminology. The Competency Framework was built into the Firm's ongoing performance management processes and was launched through a series of management workshops and staff briefings co-facilitated by us. It provided a focus and rationale for much of the subsequent training and development aimed at making business growth a reality.

We worked with Toyota to develop a Pan European competency model. The challenge was to integrate the ‘ Toyota Way’, alongside a standing set of values and behaviours that underpins the international success of the Toyota Motor Corporation, with the competencies needed to drive local strategies across several European countries. The resulting competency model supports performance management across Europe; it also forms the basis for development and succession planning activity for senior managers.