Banking: looking into the future
We were commissioned by a departmental head near the beginning of the banking crisis. He recognised the need to prepare for a very different future.
We designed and facilitated a 'conversation' with the aim of focussing the senior team's attention on a range of possible futures. They looked at the implications of each scenario for the business as a whole and for their own function. Each possible outcome was calibrated against time horizons for a business upturn.
The investment banking sector had enjoyed a prolonged period of growth and recruitment. With increasing redundancies and fears about the future, we reviewed the current experience of morale and motivation, as well as perceptions of corporate culture. Silos were of particular concern. We developed forums in which the findings and their management implications could be owned and addressed.
We also looked at the structure and processes with the senior executive. This lead to the creation of a slimmer decision-making body at the top, combined with a reallocation of roles and responsibilities in the wider community.
