Empowering leaders through experimentation
A major health fund’s LBE (Little Big Experiment) Management Development Program transforms leadership capabilities by empowering managers to design and implement innovative ‘little-big experiments’. This dynamic initiative aligns with strategic objectives, enhances stakeholder relationships, and elevates customer experiences.
Objectives
The major health fund is committed to amplifying its member-focused culture and ensuring a standard of leadership that supports strategic objectives. By empowering leaders to innovate and experiment to drive business and customer outcomes, the LBE Management Development Program aimed to:
Build the skills and capabilities of managers to ensure business imperatives are achieved
Increase the talent pool and enhance internal relationships
Build brand value
Center on the correlation between the fund’s Strategic Plan and high payoff activities necessary for success
Develop and implement participant-designed experiments to increase key business metrics, such as:
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
Coaching quality
Customer experience
Sales
Outcomes
The major health fund saw significant outcomes, emphasising key learnings and capability uplift among participants. The program enhanced leadership capabilities and activated their strategic objectives, fostering an adaptive and results-driven culture.
‘Growth doesn’t always come from one grand idea but often from a series of smaller, impactful changes. I learned to just do it—what do I have to lose?’ – LBE participant, Sales contact centre manager
Capability Uplift: Managers who completed the program led strategic behavioural change projects, demonstrating key competencies:
Developed teams through effective coaching.
Linked behaviour changes to strategic objectives.
Produced high-quality case studies illustrating the impact on key metrics.
Key Learnings:
Leadership involvement: essential for fostering engagement and innovation.
Collaborative problem solving: engaging teams in generating ideas improved processes and buy-in.
Innovative thinking: embracing new perspectives led to increased confidence and impactful changes.
Adaptability: openness to pivot strategies ensured responsiveness to evolving challenges.
Team collaboration: involving teams in decision-making resulted in more creative solutions.
Process focus: breaking challenges into manageable tasks improved overall performance.
Sustained efforts: committing to ongoing initiatives like quarterly reviews enhanced continuous improvement.
Reflective problem solving: allowing time for reflection led to thoughtful decision-making.
Results
Results from the case studies showcased a range of improvements.
A standout achievement was an increase in conversion of 11% in the Care Coordination Program, after targeted adjustments in agent training and communication strategies. There was a clear demonstration of mindset shifts and tailored coaching directly impacting engagement and outcomes.
Similarly, sales performance saw a notable lift, particularly in lower-performing groups, where sales volumes and conversions improved through revamped scripts and focused coaching. The program’s impact was evident in the individual success stories, such as a consultant on a performance improvement plan who reached key performance indicators through daily feedback and structured behavioural steps.
On the operational side, productivity gains were significant. Efforts to streamline frontline efficiency through reduced AHT projected potential cost savings of $800,000 annually, driven by improved handling of objection resolution and over-servicing.
Even in cases where experiments didn’t yield immediate results, groundwork provided valuable insights that refined strategies and strengthened engagement across the organisation. This was particularly evident in team’s increased responsiveness to changes in coaching and operational approaches, fostering an adaptive and results-driven culture.
If you want to unleash your team’s natural curiosity to explore and find new, better, and more efficient ways of working, read more about the GRIST LBE here.
Client
Major health fund
Audience
5 managers
Program
LBE Management Development Program
Duration
6 months
Purpose
To explore and address key challenges, ranging from improving customer and employee experiences to optimising productivity and sales performance
Deliverables
Development and implementation of a Little Big Experiment (LBE) by participants
Tactical Leadership workshops
Presentation of case studies and results
Coaching framework & operating rhythm
Theories Used
Aggregation of marginal gains
Self-determination theory
70-20-10: leveraging on-the-job application supported by coaching
Behavioural coaching
Deliberate practice
Purposeful experimentation
