In dedicated practice of these values, there have been numbers of home runs.
• The Canadian Division of a global food manufacturer saved 28 million dollars in eight months, and saved several plants from closing, despite their high cost production in an underutilized manufacturing system.
• A global consumer goods plant in the north of England doubled machine efficiencies, thought to be impossible, and created a culture in which nearly everyone was enthusiastic.
• Cunard Ellerman Shipping Lines merged with savings of approximately 18 million dollars from combining sales forces and customer services, making use of one computer system, and combining ship management under one directorate.
• A Canadian national building products company integrated several faltering companies into one with a positive culture and profitable operations in less than three years.
• A top U.K. diesel engine maker, in a new United States Division, created a committed and bold business plan in three weeks. Typical time for such an accomplishment between the groups involved was eight months.
• A U.S.-U.K. car manufacturer improved its quality ratings dramatically on a very successful vehicle in a four week period while still meeting its schedule for introduction.
• An automotive engineering organization reported a 20% improvement in revenues and a dramatic improvement in efficiency of utilizing test beds. Its previous best was a 5% growth rate.
• In 13 months, a division of one the worlds largest informational technology providers reduced 1500 disparate products in five countries into one coherent product with great harmony in the face of a corporate culture that had been divisive and segmented.
• A major U.S. Air Force Base, in six months, reorganized a 20, 000 person human resource system with previously unheard- of grass roots support.
Most recently, during a six month program of training and coaching, a group of sales consultants in the wireless communications industry brought about an extra seventeen million dollars in sales, created an extraordinary team culture, and grew personally as professionals and as people. In the words of one participant,
The program sessions had a prolific effect on me, both from a personal and professional point of view. It challenged the way I think, the way I approach problems, the way I plan and the way I interact. My team was predominantly a team of twelve. Of the twelve involved in this training, I knew one of them reasonably well, but had no previous relationship with the other ten. Our business required us to generate 17 million of business in six months, a very unreasonable request, as the business was already selling 180 million a year, with a sales force of over 60, and there were only twelve of us. While skeptical, the challenge was accepted, and the training got underway to arm us for what was ahead. The training taught us to stand for our colleagues, to do all we could to ensure our team mates were a success, and whether through their successes or our own, to ensure that the team won through.
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