2008 Oct - Barclaycard - Acting on Change

Last Updated (Tuesday, 06 January 2009 15:42)

Quest worked with one of the leading UK credit card companies during mid October 2008. A large team took part in Quest's Acting on Change team building programme.

Change exists all around us and the relative rate or speed of change is constantly accelerating – you only have to look at the advances and impact of technology across almost all areas of business and life to see such change. For many people, periods of change can be seen as a real challenge and a time of uncertainty, yet for others change can not come fast enough and is seen as an exciting and rewarding opportunity.

As the name suggests the Acting on Change programme has been designed specifically to help organisations and their teams with managing all of that change.

The delegates from Barclaycard had a business meeting for most of the day. Mid way through the afternoon, they broke out from that meeting and were divided into 3 teams by Quest. Each of those teams were given a detailed briefing note instructing them to prepare to deliver a mini pantomime version of a well known childrens fairy-tale, in exactly two hours time.

The 3 teams were then further subdivided into a further 5 teams each of which was allocated a role in the preparation of their theatrical production, for example scenery production and script writing.Quest provided all of the materials required, from make-up to scenery production materials and kit. The teams then cracked on with their task, and it was not long before the hotel conferencing suite and breakout rooms resembled behind the scenes at The London Palladium!

However, just as the teams were starting to make progress, Quest threw them a large curve ball in the shape of some major changes to their preparation: The themes that the teams had assumed they would be applying to their panto’s were tossed aside, and Wild West, Pirates of the Caribbean and a Military theme were all introduced. The costume departments went into overdrive, and the scenery makers went back to the drawing board!

Change had hit the teams and as is so often the case in the workplace with no warning. However, without exception all the teams managed the new information very well, and 1.5 hours later the first team of actors took to the stage with a flourish, and 7 dwarfs all dressed as cowboys began 3 superb and hilarious productions. Effective role allocation, clear and well delivered communication and very precise time management had seen all 3 teams through a huge, but great fun, change process.