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Zurich’s journey from disruption to clarity and confidence

One vision, one voice – activated across the business

Photo of a residential neighbourhood with a white version of the Zurich logo superimposed in the middle foreground
0%
of participants learned new knowledge and skills
 
 
0%
of participants have been able to apply what they learned
 
 
0%
of participants believed the programme was a worthwhile investment

About Zurich

Zurich is a leading global insurer, serving customers in over 200 countries and territories. With around 55,000 employees, Zurich provides general insurance, life insurance and employee benefits through its global network.

Zurich Insurance Group
Insurance
56,000 employees
 Zürich, Switzerland
Leadership development, culture

Challenge

Restoring confidence in leadership

Zurich were big, but to stay ahead in a competitive market they needed to be bigger. Mergers and restructuring had caused disruption across the ranks. The 2011 employee engagement survey revealed downhill engagement scores; pointing to a lack of open and honest communication and no trust in the senior leadership of Zurich to make the right decisions.

They needed to unite Zurich to lead it as one into the future.

Solution

Aligning leaders behind a shared vision for growth

Leaders were interviewed and conflicting viewpoints for future strategy ironed out to create one compelling story for Zurich’s future growth. This narrative was then cascaded down through senior leaders, into the wider leadership network and then down to managers.

Unifying vision was not enough. That vision had to be communicated across the business, and employees at every level had to be empowered. 90-minute workouts allowed managers to develop their skills in motivating, engaging and empowering employees whilst getting feedback from a coach.

Results

New behaviours learned and applied

  • 91% of participants learned new knowledge and skills
  • 87% of participants have been able to apply what they learned
  • 89% believed the programme was a worthwhile investment

How we've helped other organisations reach their leadership and culture goals