Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd

Focusrite plc is a global music and audio products group that develops and markets proprietary hardware and software products. Used by audio professionals and amateur musicians alike, its solutions facilitate the high-quality production of recorded and live sound.

Having attended our Essential Management Skills course, Focusrite managers had the basic skills to manage well, so the next step was to look at how to help them raise their game and become leaders. Supporting leaders who do not manage a team, was also a requirement.

Having supported Focusrite with their training and development since 2013, we know the business and its people well.

After discussing their requirements in detail, we created a Leadership Programme for their Management and Leadership team, consisting of an upfront 360 feedback process followed by three 1-day workshops which delved into their results, as well as developing their leadership skills.

Around 60 people have been through the programme during 2020 and two further cohorts will follow in early 2021.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, Focusrite, like many companies, shifted to home working. This meant that the programme changed to online delivery rather than face to face.

As with many organisations, the shift to homeworking has brought new and different challenges for leaders and managers at Focusrite. They found the tools and techniques covered in the Managing Remote Teams course very helpful as it is designed for addressing and overcoming these issues.

The impact of the programme is already being seen across the business, with an emergence of stronger and more confident managers, who are showing a real desire to keep moving forward and developing their people.

In a Staff Engagement Survey that was conducted after the first few cohorts of the Leadership Programme, managers scored higher than previously.