How the Jeffries executive team modelled inclusive and collaborative decision-making to positively shape a unified organisational culture.
Client: Jeffries Group
Challenge: Executive team dynamics and functioning
Solution: Custom leadership development program
At Heart@Work, we live for moments like these – opportunities to foster unity and alignment through leadership development, bringing individuals together while propelling the entire organisation forward. And that's precisely what we got to do when the Jeffries Group, a world-class organics recycling business, invited us to shake things up.
Jeffries recognised that while the Executive team was comprised of talented individuals, the team had yet to establish a dynamic where free exchange of ideas was welcomed and unique perspectives were integrated into the decision-making process. Discussions often felt one-sided, with some team members taking a more passive role or echoing the sentiments of others. Martin Jeffries, Managing Director, reflected, "We didn’t want cheerleaders or supporters; we wanted the executive team's input."
“We tried to do a little bit by ourselves but we soon realised it would take years and required someone who really understood human psychology. It's not like you can flick a switch and you've suddenly got a new organisation” Martin said. This realisation set the stage for a transformative partnership with Jeffries to work on the executive team’s dynamics.
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The Jeffries team was the perfect client—open-minded, willing to try new things, and committed to evolution over the long term. A melting pot of perspectives, Jeffries boasts a rich tapestry of employees—a mix of blue and white-collar workers, from corporate veterans with decades of experience to others for whom English is a second language. We were officially welcomed into the fold when Jeffries issued us a personalised high-vis vest, making us feel like part of the family!
We knew that if we could help the Jeffries leaders deepen their awareness of themselves, their strengths, blind spots, and what truly drove them, the ripple effect would be game-changing. The positive impact on the team and company culture would mean they were set up to realise their corporate vision.
So that's exactly what we did.
We rolled up our sleeves and crafted a one-of-a-kind program based on the interpersonal elements of our Unifying Workplace Method™. We focused on developing clear paths for interaction, fostering an inclusive environment that promoted collaborative decision-making. The approach included a series of tools, personalised coaching, workshops and Leadership Programs covering leadership fundamentals, social awareness, generative listening, meaningful questioning and giving feedback.
For the first nine months, we worked closely with the executive team to increase their self-awareness about their individual leadership styles and effectiveness.
We gathered feedback from their team members and customers, and compared their performance to other leaders using the Leadership Circle Profile. This gave them a clear picture of what was helping or holding them back from achieving their vision. This was followed by a six-month individual coaching program aimed at shifting the team from reactive habits to more conscious and creative leadership.
Building on that progress, we expanded our work to operational leaders and those next in line for leadership roles.
We designed and ran a series of six half-day 'Leadership Fundamentals' workshops, giving all participants the skills they needed to lead effectively and consistently.
“It all felt really tailored, not just grabbed off the shelf. (It was) moulded it into our business needs and reflected the type of organisation we are,” Martin noted.
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The quantitative outcomes spoke volumes…
100% of participants agreed the program was relevant to their leadership role and met their expectations
100% would recommend other leaders engage in this work
100% increase reported in engagement, interaction and conversation effectiveness
Positive shifts were observed in annual employee engagement surveys
But the real magic happened on the personal and cultural levels:
Improved communication, understanding and engagement among teams
Built a more inclusive decision-making environment
Embraced collaborative, self-aware leadership
Aligned behaviours with corporate vision and modelled from the top
As Martin observed, "The training delivered to the wider team is having an impact on our entire culture. We can see the difference in the language that gets used around the office, and the understanding of different problems and how different people react. I can see our teams working better together. The output of our leadership teams has really improved and continues to do so.”
One particularly inspiring story was that of a senior manager with over two decades of experience. While initially embodying a more traditional leadership approach, this individual eventually embraced the new way of working with an open mindset and willingness to evolve. This manager now champions this work and has been accredited by Heart@Work to facilitate the program, now branded the 'Jeffries Growth for Generations Program', across the entire organisation.
Martin noted “An unexpected benefit was that we now have our own training infrastructure that we can facilitate internally and roll out across the organisation.” Through our work together, we equipped Jeffries with their own comprehensive leadership development program tailored specifically for their needs. More importantly, we transferred the skills and knowledge for their own people to effectively deliver this program in-house. This internal training capability allows them to embed the empathetic leadership approach at scale, for the long haul.
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To sustain the momentum, Jeffries invited our founder, Kristy Carter, to join their Board, ensuring the Heart@Work principles remained at the forefront of their operations and decision-making. Growth and development are now systematised, with feedback loops and mechanisms fostering continuous evolution across individuals, teams, and the business.
The collaboration with Jeffries showcases what it truly means to bring more empathy in fostering a healthy, high-performing team. Martin says, "We were concerned… ‘Is this just let's all play nicely together in the sandpit?’ And it's not. You might have to play hard, but you can do it nicely, and think about how you treat the other person."
He adds, "This approach goes beyond quick fixes; it's about cultivating a lasting cultural shift within our executive team. Through continuous training, coaching and reinforcement, we're embedding these principles of open communication and collaboration into the fabric of how we operate, ensuring that they become ingrained habits, not just temporary adjustments."
We're honoured to contribute to this transformative journey and witness the team advance their strategic vision with heart and unity. And yes, we're keeping the vest!
"Our main focus was organisational health. We wanted to see how our team functions and create an environment that provides clarity while involving everyone in decision-making. By having the team drive what they see as the most important tasks, we aimed to build that environment not just for the executives, but for the entire organisation."
Martin Jeffries, Managing Director
Program participant feedback
Hear from the Jeffries team why our work was given a 100% satisfaction rating: