NTA Regional Award Winner, Providing Education and Training;
Go MAD Thinking Co-op goes MAD

A business improvement consultancy firm has used its unique and propriety thinking system brand of training to increase profits for the Co-op.

Following the merger of Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op and West Midlands Co-op a new business, Midcounties Co-operative, was born. It is a diverse operation that spans funeral homes, travel agencies, food retail stores, pharmacies, motor dealerships, estates management, post offices, childcare nurseries and head office support functions.

Co-op bosses realised that to unify their business they needed excellent leaders and managers who could communicate with each other effectively. They needed to establish a 'One Midcounties' organisation with a joined up culture, now known as "Team Midcounties". And the best way to do that, they decided, was to go MAD.

Go MAD Thinking Ltd (it stands for Make A Difference) is a consultancy offering businesses a unique "shared thinking" system founded on rigorous research.

Midcounties Co-op involved the top 55 managers from across the newly merged organisation, each with responsibility for a strategic part of the business. Go MAD's programme was broken down into four stages. First came an analysis of challenges facing the new business and its Executive Team, followed by development programmes for the 55 managers and the 12 members of the Midcounties Co-op Executive.
The fourth, vital ingredient was the Business Improvement Challenges. The Executive team agreed 10 targets, and six specially created teams of managers bid for which challenge they got to work on.

All 55 (in their teams) attended a three day "Solution Focused Thinking" training programme. It taught them to apply Go MAD's thinking framework to their group challenges, and develop individual leadership skills by having the opportunity to lead the group.

After 90 days there was a major feedback event to the Executive when all the achievements were shared. Once the first set of challenges were complete, new teams were formed and the next challenges were selected. This has become a rolling programme.

Overall cost of the training was £193,000. There was no cost in taking the trainees away from the workplace because they were solving actual business challenges and so adding value whilst out of the office.

The benefits of Go MAD's programme have far exceeded the Co-op's initial aims. Trading profits have increased by an incredible 25.8% in 2008. Managers now understand how the Executive think, work and what they expect. They all have a common language and way of working.

One of the most visible successes of the programme was the "Midcounties Got Talent" innovation scheme, which generated over 620 team entries from across the organisation and from all levels on ideas to take the orgaisation forward. Most of the ideas entered are being put into action, making savings for the company of £264,000.

15 properties which had been empty for a combined period of 50 years have all been let and at the head office paper use has dropped by 2 million sheets thanks to new ways of working. Midcounties Co-op conservatively estimates a return on their training investment of at least 400%.

"This programme was created to bring together the people from two organisations to share knowledge and a focus in order to increase effectiveness in the Society and move it forward - and it is succeeding," says Trish Poole, Group General Manager at the Midcounties Co-op. "The measurable differences stem from the common language that people can now talk - it is about people being more creative about solutions."