Case Study - A Fresh Approach

When first approached to go on Excelus, I thought a fresh approach could be beneficial, as previous management development courses had supplemented my degree – A Fresh Approach – that’s an understatement!

My role in Woodlock Joinery has changed significantly over the last 11 years from Sales Representative to Sales Manager to Acting MD to Managing Director, explains Adrian Loughran.

Before Excelus my efforts were focused on managing personal change, defining my roles and responsibilities, growing into positions and learning to manage others as well as myself. Now I find myself focusing on managing the change process for the entire team as well as mentoring others through it.
Woodlock Joinery is a well-established business that had gone through tough times in the late 90’s when there was clearly a need for change but managing that change process was proving to be a struggle. Changing the focus was difficult and Excelus arrived at just the right time. A fresh approach got all the preconceptions out of the way very quickly – the first session of Excelus lifted a lot of monkeys off my back. It’s a common term ‘thinking outside the box’, one I’ve laughed at in the past, as I’ve always believed we know our business best – but genuinely this, along with the help of my peers, did allow me to develop my thinking and challenge my strongly held beliefs.

Excelus focuses on learning to lead, developing ourselves and learning how to more effectively develop others within our own business. By allowing time to develop ideas, it enabled me to return to the business to tackle complex issues, with the team, that needed resolved. As a result of Excelus, Woodlock Joinery has seen significant change over the last 12 months as the management team have faced many challenges. The factory layout has changed completely and with limited development has achieved significant gains.
Through Excelus we have initiated a new strategic process and embarked on a process of continuous improvement. Our strategy is defined at different levels by those charged with implementation and ownership. The focus is changing from purely production of a product to a complete customer offering. By developing a different culture where everyone is aware of potential customer concerns and Woodlock’s approach to dealing with these, we have begun to see greater innovation from all the team. One of Excelus’s claims is that participants ‘Learn to Lead’. Undoubtedly learning to lead is a constant focus. Excelus did give me ‘A Fresh Approach’. Although the programme for me has ended, it has only just begun for Woodlock Joinery.

Adrian Loughran
Managing Director Woodlock Joinery Ltd