I see basically two results: the first is in the mindset of my management team (…), the second is that they are really implementing what they learned in the training program.
The program itself is based on workshops where the theoretical part is covered and, above all, following the workshops, individual coaching sessions which deal with real issues, which see the people who participate in the course engaged in daily corporate life. This is one of the most important aspects that gave me the conviction to invest in this path.
So, what can we say about this path, what are the tangible results of this training program? Well, I saw continuous improvement every day, transferring precisely what were the most typical managerial notions such as giving information, into everything that was the daily life of the company. And I was able to notice how there was a change in culture and approach of my managers towards their teams, but not only towards their teams and the people on their team but also among themselves. Therefore sharing much more information, communication and working together on how to develop the organization to achieve the expected objectives and results. Even during this year – so we worked not so much for the medium-long term, which we say remains as the basis for the strategic objectives, but we were also able to work on this year. And I realize that beyond those that are the soft results, perhaps the cultural change, the approach, the team work, the sharing of information, we can see first-hand those that are also numerical results. I believe that it is no coincidence that in the second part of our fiscal year the results were significantly higher than in the first part of the year. In the second part we achieved results with +15%, +20% compared to the same period the previous year in an evidently unfavorable economic context, and I am sure that part of this result is also the fruit of what is already been used by managers, what has been learned and used, transferred into everyday life from a corporate point of view.
Why did I decide to invest in this training? When I arrived at Lapp Italia I found a team of managers, highly competent managers in their activities, and with great potential to develop their managerial skills to ensure the sustainable development of the company, enhancing people, enhancing resources and managing them as best as possible, bringing out all the positive characteristics of each of our people. This meant that the foundations could be laid to achieve the company’s strategic objectives through the empowerment of the first line of managers, and from these through the involvement in the empowerment of all the people of Lapp Italia. This was the main objective, and I would say that along this path we managed to obtain an extraordinary result, which is to have trained managers within a year who are now able to develop and manage complex projects. But not only that: above all, to develop and manage their resources in the best possible way, working, bringing out from them all their potential to truly achieve these results. I believe this is an extraordinary result in such a limited period of time.
One of the most significant aspects of this program and which differentiates it from traditional training courses is precisely the involvement and relationships of people, in particular through the use of these coaching sessions. I say this because in my previous experience coming from multinationals who also invest in training programs I was able to notice how this aspect was truly the added value and differentiation compared to these traditional courses. So, beyond learning the theoretical notions, the next day is to work in the field, work alongside the people participating in this training, and really immediately put into practice everything that is learned in the classroom. It is this, I must say, that creates even more that relationship of trust between those who participate and between the trainer – in this case with Stefan. And above all it allows management to see concrete results immediately, without having the doubt that what is learned during this journey will actually be put into practice in the future. Therefore, this can be seen immediately, immediately and it is another of the important aspects that by seeing it immediately in the daily life of the company, there is also the possibility, at times, of perhaps realigning the objectives, and of intervening on situations which perhaps were not foreseen at the beginning of the training program but which are inserted by the councils depending on the needs. So, from this point of view, on a system, on a well-defined structure, there is the possibility of working in real time depending on people’s needs. Therefore, truly tailored to the needs of individuals and it is not a pre-packaged product.
When I met Stefan Gliesche who presented me the training program [at the time still called] Dolce Vita Business Plan, my first perception, my first sensation was that of finding myself in front of someone with great experience, not only from the from a professional, but also international point of view. And above all a person who, from a character point of view, expressed immediate sympathy and the right balance between the human aspects of the relationship and the professional aspects. And something that was very important for me to evaluate in order to really involve my managers, the managers of Lapp Italia in this process. A path that requires time, dedication, commitment, and therefore it is important that there is an immediate feeling and mutual trust not only between the people taking part in the course. But also with myself to be involved and really have a continuous exchange to, let’s say, ensure that the program works and is carried forward with everyone’s involvement. Therefore it is a program that requires commitment both for those who participate but also for the managers who decide to invest in it, who are personally involved. I think this is a very important aspect.
The program itself is based on workshops where the theoretical part is treated and above all followed by workshops with individual coaching sessions which deal with real issues, issues that the people who participate in the course see involved in daily corporate life. . And this is one of the most important aspects, I believe, and which gave me the conviction to undertake this path and to invest, also from the company’s side and also from an economic point of view, an important commitment but with an equally important value compared to other situations. and to other programs that perhaps deal more with the theoretical part and not the practical part.
My name is Roberto Pomari, I am the CEO of Lapp Italia and Lapp Sistemi Italia. The Lapp group is a multinational company owned by a German family that operates in the sector of special cables for industrial automation. I have been CEO since April 2012. My previous experience was gained in other groups in the same industrial sector, in particular multinational groups such as ABB and Schneider Electric.
Roberto Pomari
CEO,
Lapp Italia, Desio
