Sales Capability Case Study

When a global eye care device company set out to build leadership capability among their front-line sales managers, they knew that achieving sustainable behaviour change would require a deeper approach. In collaboration with Lever – Transfer of Learning, the company developed an extension to their learning program grounded in a robust focus on learning application. These were the results.

The company is a global leader in eye care, committed to improving vision for individuals worldwide. With a rich history spanning over 75 years, it is the largest eye care device company globally, operating in 60 countries and serving patients in over 140 countries.

The Challenge: How to Build Long-lasting Sales Leadership Capability

The company conducted a review into the performance of its front-line sales managers (FLSM) in India. With an active talent development strategy and several new to the role of a sales manager, coupled with the beginning of a return to a ‘new normal’ post pandemic, the time was right to execute a formal sales managers development program.

From the outset it was understood that the most important outcome would be achieving sustainable behaviour change. The application of the learning was especially important in this context, as transforming leadership behaviours is complex. As such, Learning Transfer—the application of the learning as part of day-to-day behaviours—was front of mind early in the implementation process. It was not treated as an add-on or afterthought.

The Approach: ‘Learning Transfer’ Led Capability Building

A FLSM learning program was developed to build leadership capability and coaching skills, while demonstrating a consistent model of what ‘good’ looks like.

To embed the strategy and deliver the desired behavioural change, the company partnered with Lever to utilise their Turning Learning into Action™ (TLA) methodology and Coach M self-coaching tool, which leverages chatbot technology. Utilising the TLA methodology, Coach M achieves scale and delivers behavioural change outcomes in an organisation.

To maximise business impact, the global eye care device company was looking for support in accelerating the learning application to facilitate behavioural change. This is where Lever stepped in.

Embedding the Learning: Building Capability through Accountability

The program format was blended with self-directed learning content, 3-days face to face (F2F) program, then self-directed application exercises and Coach M. The topics covered included a coaching model, behavioural preferences, EQ and time management

To boost participant accountability for their learning goals and to provide a seamless experience to support the learning transfer into everyday behaviours, Lever held one-on-one TLA coaching conversations with the participants via Coach M. These conversations were held at various intervals throughout the three-month period after the conclusion of the face-to-face section of the program.

There is evidence that the more people reflect on their learning and are held accountable through facilitated conversations, the higher the learning ROI. Through Coach M, TLA supports learners in a structured way to slow down and reflect on their specific learning commitments. This helps hold learners accountable and creates sustained behavioural change. The TLA methodology puts specific, structured, and accountable reflection at the heart of the learning transfer process, increasing training ROI.

Part of the appeal of this approach for the company was the ability to demonstrate and measure individual action plan goal progression from the Coach M dashboard. (see below for example)

At the end of the F2F, managers were prompted by Coach M to create an action plan with up to three specific goals for how they would apply their learning. For example, goals included: Identify my emotional triggers and how I can manage them more effectively, manage difficult conversations with associates effectively, and practise courageous conversations.

Coach M prompted learners to participate in three learning breaks at different intervals following the learning. During these breaks, learners could pause from business as usual to focus on their goals and chat to Coach M about their action plan. Learners were asked to score and rescore their progress against their goals and outline the actions they’d taken that illustrated their score.