Executive Bench Strengthening

How do we know if we have the level and nature of contemporary leadership capabilities that our organisation needs to help shape our future?

The Arbiter Team works closely with Boards, CEOs and C level teams on assessing leadership capabilities and development needs, on executive succession planning, and talent management tracking and insights. We work with organisations going through major transformations because of market place shifts, new or different expectations, mergers or acquisitions and when there is real need to shift the level of capability and performance up a notch. We know that each organisation and each situation is different, so we co-design the approach and solution for each engagement. We gain a deep understanding of our client’s context so we can work alongside them to deliver the outcomes they seek and the impact they need.

Client outcomes:

Assessing the Future Potential of a Newly Formed Fortune 30 Transformation Team

We worked with the leadership team of a ‘C’ level executive charged with leading the transformation, by example, of a major part of a Fortune 30 global business. The leadership team was newly formed from a combination of internal promotions and external recruitment and charged with being the catalyst and role model for new agile approaches to working. The Arbiter team worked with the globally spread members of the team through workshops, individual strategic conversations, targeted capability assessment approaches, 360 degree input, and individual and team feedback and development sessions. The outcome was a new level of commitment and awareness to development, changed behaviours and a clear path for succession management.

Leadership and Talent Assessment for a Newly Integrated Public Sector Organisation

When two large organisations were merged, we worked with the CEO and Executive team to develop the Leadership Capability Assessment and Development Needs approach that would enable a genuine uplift to meet higher demands. Over the succeeding months our Partner team met with hundreds of executives in a structured approach to identify their aspirations, to assess capability and recommend career pathways and development needs. We provided extensive feedback, 360 degree input, and actionable and informed Individual Development Plans for each executive. This enabled the organisation and its executive team to be well positioned and prepared for their broader roles.

Executive Succession Planning for an ASX Top 20 Financial Services Firm

The Arbiter team provided ongoing support for Succession Planning and Development through regular tranches of Leadership Capability Assessment and Development Needs reviews of executives and senior managers. This involved short workshops for specific groups, and at least two individual sessions with each participant, the second of which focused on feedback and other aspects of a customised development program. We also reviewed the capabilities and cultural fit of those the executive team wanted to bring into the firm.

Adaptive Leadership Capabilities in an Insurance Business

In an insurance business that had significant market and regulatory challenges, the Arbiter team worked with the CEO and executive team to assess individual capabilities and development needs and their accountabilities as team members. Individuals came to a better understanding of their capabilities, areas for improvement, and the expectations of the CEO and their peers. This enhanced individual performance and enabled effective successful succession planning. It also resulted in a more focused, trusting and self-aware team who were able to move much more quickly and openly in their decision making.

The Arbiter team has undertaken a number of senior executive assessments for the organisations I have worked with over the past five years. The executives were from an ASX top 10 listed company for the Australian work, and globally for a top 30 Fortune 500 company. The Arbiter team were professional in their engagement, quickly understood the issues impacting the organisations and were able to design a process that targeted the key issues we were facing. On the delivery, it was timely, insightful and thought-provoking. The assessment of our executives was detailed and thorough and the feedback from the people assessed was that they found the engagement challenging and rewarding and provided the candidates with insights that enable them to develop further. The outcomes from these engagements enabled my Leadership teams to make factual and data-based decisions on the people they selected to lead business activities.

The Arbiter team demonstrated outstanding capacity to develop and deliver a tailored executive assessment and development process that supported an organisational change agenda. They were able to combine organisational understanding with a personal approach to set a clear platform for changed leadership expectations, a new structure, and recruitment to, or confirmation of, executive appointments.