Portfolio - Qantas | future-platform

Qantas - A Leadership Development Experience

Qantas is one of the world's most successful airlines. By combining broad destination options and excellent customer service, they offer customers a range of travel and related services including booking and agency facilities, insurance, domestic and international flights, lounges, freight and baggage services. Operating for over 90 yrs and with 38,000 staff, 40,000 domestic and 150,000 international flights a yr, transporting over 22 million passengers a yr, Qantas is an icon in a very competitive market.

The Business Challenge

Facing a changing market and an economic climate influenced by large-scale global events, the Qantas executives identified the need to consolidate their approach to succession planning. ‘Increasing the strength of our leadership depth’ was identified as a key challenge to the future success of the business. Keeping and developing it’s talent is a key objective of Qantas human resources who engaged Future Platform to design and run to conduct four skill development and analysis programs for 80 chosen leaders. The process involved representatives from 13 Qantas divisions and focussed on five key leadership qualities. Future Platform created a multi dimensional, assessment centre based program to address individual and group needs within the context of Qantas’ business goals by using specifically tailored performance management, strategic thinking and modelling, presentation skills and group discussion facilitation exercises.

Program Objectives

To strengthen the leadership depth within the business to ensure continuity and confidence when managing teams and incorporating change. By using a cross section of leaders, an alumni was formed, stimulating shared experiences and new relationships during the program.

To improve the capability of the managers to effectively lead existing teams in difficult times and prepare themselves for their roles within the business

To provide an integrated, focused leadership development experience for those identified as having strong leadership potential

The Solution

Stage 1

Participating leaders and their chosen ‘assessors’ completed a leadership analysis tool (360). This feedback was provided to the participants in a combined report by Future Platform consultants, post the Development Centre.

Senior HR managers were trained as ‘assessors’ in the Development Centre exercise to ensure they had a chance first hand to experience the teams performing. Each participant received a set of briefing papers in preparation.

Stage 2

A full day Leadership Development workshop, facilitated by Future Platform, addressed day-to-day operational leadership skills such as change leadership, utilisation of performance data to run teams and plan, stakeholder management

A full day Assessment Centre where each of Qantas’ 5 key Leadership Competencies were assessed across four activities, providing a good depth of assessment (role play, a pre-prepared presentation, analysis task, and group work). These scenarios were observed by trained assessors from Future Platform and nominated HR Managers.

Following these two days, participants attended a one on one debriefing / feedback session. At the feedback meetings the candidates were provided with a report of their performance against the chosen leadership competencies. An overall report was developed for Qantas HR.

Stage 3

Future Platform continued coaching the leaders to ensure they developed the necessary capabilities required for their role as organisational leaders.