Background

Macro provides strategic and tactical facilities management services, across four continents, on projects as diverse as Invesco’s property portfolio, to running the operation of the Emirates Air Line.

Macro has been in operation since 2002, and developed organically as an extension to the building and property related services on offer from Mace, the international consultancy and construction company, of which Macro is a wholly owned subsidiary.

Working with Macro

Having worked with Macro’s Operations Director previously, running a successful leadership programme for his team working on a hospital contract, Kentish and Co was brought in to raise the awareness of customer service and a ‘one team’ approach.

Kentish and Co took participating teams on a secret service tour of places where you would expect to receive five-star service. Some places delivered top service and others fell short. Teams explored how they felt as customers to be on the receiving end of a particular style of service. They learned first-hand what excellent, good and bad customer service feels like. They were then mentored in how to transport this knowledge back into their own working environment.

Following a change of management at Macro, Kentish and Co was then asked to facilitate a senior management away day on leadership behaviours.

From this session, the concept of Macro Mania emerged. All Macro staff would be re-inducted by Kentish and Co, via short, fun training sessions. These explored Macro’s culture, behaviours needed to deliver world-class customer service across the business, and a ‘one team’ approach.

Kentish and Co also developed a ‘train the trainer’ course for selected Macro brand ambassadors. Going forward, these ambassadors would have the skills to run internal training for new joiners as part of their induction into the Macro way.

Client benefits

• Training ensured that Macro staff were delivering a world class customer service across their business.
• All Macro staff gained a clearer understanding of Macro, Macro’s values and vision for the future, and their role in making this happen.
• Staff learned new, effective behaviour and collaboration styles.
• Staff became not just employees of Macro but fans of Macro.
• The secret service tours gave frontline staff their first opportunity to express opinions around what great customer service looks and feels like. Staff were enthusiastic about this opportunity and felt that they were able to take the lessons with them into their own workplace.
• The re-induction sessions created momentum. Staff felt fired up and that they were part of something big. Staff gained clarity about Macro and where it is going.
• Macro staff from different contracts were able to meet each other, which took away a feeling of isolation. It also gave them the confidence to say that they can, and do, make a positive difference to the business, and this in turn could create opportunities within Macro for them.
• There was a lot of social media activity, especially on Twitter, on occasions such as world FM day with all the Macromania #FMselfies – which is great publicity for Macro.
• People commented many times that the Macro re-induction sessions had an incredible impact and relevance.
• Participants said they wanted more of this style of training.
• The half-day sessions worked well in terms of concentration and business continuity.
• The ‘train the trainer’ sessions transferred the relevant training skills into Macro, making the programme sustainable within the organisation and not dependant on Kentish & Co.