An IT division in a large UK bank had recently undergone a major restructuring programme fundamentally changing its operating model. The change programme had used external experts to design the new model and communicated extensively with staff during implementation. Financial targets had also been met, but there was growing discontent amongst staff and management was exhausted. Nine months after the change the banks regular organisation-wide survey showed that staff morale in this division was scoring much lower than all other areas – in spite of a programme of initiatives to address these issues. There was a sense of loss of belonging to a team, distrust towards senior management and lack of engagement from staff. It was realised that the foundations for the service and financial improvements were in danger if the staff issues were not addressed effectively.

JBBI’s assessment showed that there was an alarming capability gap in the organisation and that the recent changes were not embedded or sustainable. JBBI supported management in a total review of the operating model where staff and customers were truly engaged in providing insight and challenging the proposals. When a new operating model was presented it was widely endorsed by staff and customers. Implementation was quick and successful. Trust in management, morale and performance increased dramatically witnessed by an outstanding 50% improvement in employee survey scores