Capgemini and COURIUS: a powerful blend
Be the Future is a co-creation of COURIUS and Capgemini. Pam: ‘The program is expertly facilitated by both Capgemini and COURIUS facilitators in a format which is inspiring, enriching, collaborative and fun. We focus on continuous feedback and improvement so the program format and content has been developed to create the best learning experience for the participants.’
The facilitators create a safe learning space, a situation in which people can open up to each other, see each other genuinely, and thus connect with each other. Darren: ‘Combining a Capgemini facilitator with an external one from COURIUS, you get this really powerful blend of Capgemini experience coupled with external perspectives from COURIUS.’
Profound experience
‘The two of us work with the group from beginning to end. The first virtual part of the program is great because it builds up the pulse. We get the momentum going, we start to build intimacy, and we challenge the participants to take ownership of their own growth. Then we get together in France, at Les Fontaines, where we deep-dive on developing (self)leadership and powerful communication skills for two and a half days. And then we have a virtual peer session and an online closing day.
For me, the time in France is the crescendo. That’s where we have the most impact on the participants because we have the face-to-face experience. We really get to know each other. We have very vulnerable moments, it gets really intimate, and we grow together. The experience is incredibly profound. For me, that is so wow! And the feedback from participants is that it’s wow for them too!
High impact
‘Be the Future is a super program. I see a person walking in on day one of the program and I see a very different person walk away at the end. We have some people who come on day one thinking: Oh, this is regular leadership development, this is not for me, I don’t need this, I know myself, I’m already a good leader… And then at the end of the program, many of these people have changed significantly: their personality is different, they’re dressed differently, they’re talking differently, they’re behaving differently… In some cases their arrogance has gone, they’re humble and are eager to learn more. They’ve taken a step back, they’ve embraced the learning opportunity, and they want to take the learning further after the program. I’ve seen that so often. Be the Future is a short program, it’s not ten years, but the impact it has on an individual level in a short space of time is very, very powerful.’
A collaborative partnership
Asked for the way she experiences the collaboration with COURIUS, Pam says: ‘It’s really good. We’ve a very collaborative, open, trusting, professional – and fun partnership. And it’s easy: we’re very good at listening to each other, we we’re very good at acting on feedback from each other, we’re always looking at how we can improve the program experience not just for the participants but also for the facilitators. The program team and facilitators bring the program to life and they do this through their dedication and amazing personalities. The people of COURIUS are true professionals and good fun to work with. We don’t see each other as: you’re COURIUS and we’re Capgemini; we are really one team. We’ve made Be the Future very successful as a team and that’s kind of how we see each other and see ourselves.’
Wins for Capgemini
Be the Future is a big success, indicates Pam. ‘It has a life-changing impact, helping employees realize their potential. It enables them to understand themselves better. The program is not just for professional development, it’s there for persons as a whole. We’ve seen fundamental shifts for individuals, but also in teams. Participants use what they have learned and experienced on the program and often take some of the activities and implement them in their teams. We use Insights Discovery as a tool for determining an individual’s style and preference of communication. Since launching the program we’ve seen requests for Insights to be done within teams increasing, demonstrating participants are taking back and sharing the benefits of what they’ve experienced.’
As for Capgemini’s organizational goals, Be the Future meets the expectations as retention has increased. Pam: ‘The program results clearly show those that complete it are more likely to stay and progress their careers with Capgemini, we’ve seen a definite increase in employee retention and over 80% of program participants have been successfully promoted with 18 months which is an amazing achievement.’
‘Another great benefit we see are the strong networks that are developed. Often, it’s the first time that employees on the program meet each other. We see many new friendships form through the program, participants remain connected both locally and cross-country. These networks and friendships enable participants to share thoughts and ideas to create a better future for themselves and each other. For instance, one of the previous participants had to prepare a presentation for a client based in Germany. He reached out to one of his networks that was on the program from Germany who provided guidance around language and terminology, this support and guidance enabled him to deliver a more impactful presentation to the client. Be the Future connections and networks enable employees to deliver more or better within their work role.’