Aligning a KPMG Leadership Team Around a Joint Mission

Client Overview: KPMG UK

KPMG UK, led by a senior executive managing a business composed of several units, found itself in a challenging position. Despite having a team of highly intelligent and capable leaders, they struggled to unite these individuals around a clear, cohesive mission. The lack of alignment meant that while each member contributed significantly, the team wasn’t functioning as a focused, cohesive unit. This resulted in underperformance and missed opportunities for growth across key business units.

The Challenge:

• Lack of Unified Direction: Although the team was filled with bright, high-performing individuals, they lacked a shared sense of purpose and focus.
• Limited Accountability: With no clear joint mission, team members were operating in silos, with limited accountability towards collective goals.
• Suboptimal Performance: This misalignment led to inconsistent performance across business units, preventing KPMG UK from reaching its full profit potential.

Engaging Trev:

The executive at KPMG UK had heard about Trevor’s success in similar businesses and decided to approach him for assistance. Trevor was brought in with a clear mandate: align the leadership team around a shared mission and drive accountability to enhance performance and profitability.

The Solution:

Over a period of six months, Trevor implemented a structured and multi-faceted approach to address the leadership challenges:

• Strategy Events: Trevor facilitated several in-depth strategy sessions designed to bring the leadership team together. During these events, he guided the team through exercises aimed at clarifying and solidifying KPMG UK’s mission. These sessions helped team members understand their collective purpose and individual roles within the larger vision.
• Team Alignment: Using his ‘Mission Focused Leadership’ framework, Trevor worked to align the leadership team around clear, shared objectives. He emphasised the importance of working towards a joint mission, where each leader understood how their actions contributed to the overall success of KPMG UK.
• Performance Reviews: Trevor organised and attended regular performance reviews to ensure ongoing accountability. These sessions provided a structured environment where progress against key performance indicators (KPIs) was measured, and any misalignments or challenges were addressed in real-time.
• Strategic Guidance: Throughout the engagement, Trevor provided consistent strategic oversight. He helped the team navigate complex business decisions, stay focused on their objectives, and address operational challenges as they arose.

The Results:

By the end of the six-month engagement, the results were transformative:

• Improved Team Alignment: The leadership team was now working together towards a clearly defined mission, with a shared understanding of their goals and responsibilities.
• Enhanced Accountability: Each team member was accountable for specific KPIs directly linked to the company’s overarching mission. This clarity significantly improved focus and performance across the team.
• Profit Growth: The most critical outcome was a significant improvement in profitability across the participating business units. With the team working in unison, KPMG UK was able to capitalise on new opportunities and operate more efficiently.

Client Testimonial:

“My team consists of some very bright, highly intelligent individuals, but I was struggling to get them all focused upon a joint mission. I had seen some of the results Trev was achieving in similar businesses, so I approached him. He ran several team events for me over six months, focusing my team’s minds on our mission, attending regular performance reviews, and strategy sessions. We had great success with this approach, resulting in a much more aligned and accountable leadership team with clear KPIs. Critically, this resulted in a significant profit improvement across the participating business units. If you want to get your team focused upon a joint mission, I highly recommend you consider using Trev to support you.”
— Mike Linter, Global Head of Tax and Legal Services UK and Vice Chair, KPMG UK

Conclusion:

Trevor’s intervention provided the structured support and strategic clarity the leadership team at KPMG UK needed to align themselves with the organisation’s mission. By focusing on accountability, team alignment, and consistent performance management, Trevor helped the client achieve significant profit improvements and a more cohesive leadership team. His approach serves as a powerful case study for any business looking to align high-performing individuals towards a common goal.