In the IT consulting industry, customers expect consultants to be trusted advisors with a broad set of consulting skills in addition to deep domain-specific skills. A domain-focused approach to training is not sufficient for a consulting business with an employee readiness agenda. Employees need to be aware of and take advantage of training opportunities within and across domains to be ready to deliver customer results and a company-specific customer experience.
Global IT consulting company Avanade’s Sales Effectiveness initiative transformed its sales workforce by taking a systemic approach to training as a component of a broader talent management strategy called Skill Family Revitalization (SFR). SFR provides a consistent global approach to revitalizing essential talent management collaterals: core skills, behavioral competencies, leveling differentiators, key responsibilities, leadership destination roles, job descriptions, career paths, and learning roadmaps. Within the sales workforce, all of these components were updated as an integral part of Sales Effectiveness.
Strategy Details
In partnership with business subject matter experts (SMEs), Avanade Global Learning & Development:
- Created three new Skill Families: Sales, Sales Enablement, and Account Leadership.
- Defined globally standard roles, responsibilities, and job descriptions within these Skill Families.
- Defined a set of shared and unique behavioral competencies that both connect and differentiate the new Skill Families.
- Created new training, including a Customer Engagement & Collaboration workshop series, and refreshed existing training.
- Updated learning roadmaps and career paths for all Sales skill families.
- Created a new user experience to access learning roadmaps that provides matrixed views by Skill Family, Service Line, Specialty Area, and Technology, reinforcing the message that customers expect broader consultants.
- Created and executed a change enablement strategy and accountability structure based on Avanade’s Leaders Teaching Leaders model. Global Sales was accountable to deliver the model and materials to Area Sales. Area Sales Leads delivered it to their Region Leads. Region Leads delivered it to their managers. Managers delivered it to employees. At every step of the cascade, the level above made clear the business drivers and accountability and training requirements of all Sales employees.
Results
- This fiscal year achieved 98 percent of Avanade’s sales target.
- Avanade’s employee engagement survey showed an increase in engagement from this workforce, with as much as a 14-point lead above the Avanade average and an 18-point lead above the industry norm.
Avanade Global Learning & Development is evolving from a training organization to a readiness organization in strategic partnership with the business. By taking a more systemic, holistic view of employee development needs, the organization is delivering better business and customer results.
