DS Smith is a leading global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services. The international company has a clear growth ambition with a focus on People Performance. Utilizing the full potential of their people is central to this.

​DS Smith asked us to create a clear leadership vision and a roadmap to realize that vision. The key question is: How do we develop people and how do we make development measurable?

As a first step, we determined where the organization is now in terms of leadership and where it wants to go. What are DS Smith's strategic goals and challenges? What are the core values? What are your challenges as a leader? What is already present in the organization that works well? What are we still missing? Which team tools will help us achieve our goals? Based on this input, we jointly have aLeadership Journeydesigned. What elements should the journey consist of? Which leadership aspects should receive attention?

The Leadership Journey contains severalTool box itemswhich we have introduced successively. Toolbox items are working methods for team leaders to engage in an interactive conversation with their team and to record common goals, tasks and results. Examples are a 'Personal Development Plan', a method to 'Reflect' and the '20 minute coaching' technique.

Every quarter we tackle a new topic. We start at MT level with an MT Toolbox session. It all starts from the leadership, they have to set the right example from day 1. We then train the team leaders at the various sites. How do they view the subject, what are their expectations and what is the desired outcome? The leaders roll out the Toolbox items in their team and set the standard in terms of focus and expectations. All employees then have 1-on-1 conversations with their manager to determine development points at a personal level that they can work on.

• The participants successfully complete the leadership program.

• The team leader consultation is designed and continued by the participants.

• The management team wants to broaden the program and roll out leadership across the organization. 

It follows from this wish'You come first' culture program  with a people-oriented leadership approach in which the experience and needs of employees receive more attention and are balanced with performance expectations. Result:

• High degree of connection and trust in the organization.

• High degree of ownership by employees for achieving results and goals in the organization.