Building bridges: a team’s growth in adaptability, self-awareness, and cross-cultural understanding
Since 2019, IfM Engage has helped the multinational digital transformation company, Atos, nurture its future leaders through the Fostering Understanding of Excellence in Leadership (FUEL) for Emerging Leaders programme, drawing on management, policy and education research from the Institute for Manufacturing.
The IfM approach
Solving real problems that matter to the participants, in cross-company teams, is a key part of our programmes. These rich learning experiences challenge how people think, work with others and provide a real opportunity to learn and practice skills required for an evidence-based based approach to solving complex problems.
“The FUEL program nurtures future leaders, encouraging them to embrace change, develop critical thinking skills, and lead with purpose, whist creating a global internal network of individuals committed to continuous improvement and innovation. This is why the program has great organisational impact”.
Jaime Carrillo, Talent Director, Atos
The team starting point
In-company projects are an integral part of the FUEL programme. They offer an opportunity for personal development and a chance to make a company-wide impact while building global, cross-business and functional networks. Atos selects FUEL participants, who subsequently submit project proposals to tackle key business challenges, with a focus on those that show strong learning potential.
James remembers proposing his topic, “It seemed we lacked a space to voice our opinions, and the absence of feedback from management decreased trust. Even though people could speak up, their voices often went unheard, leading to frustration. At the time, it felt like a simple issue.”
A team of global talent with expertise in IT sales, project management, client engagement, and operational improvement united around the project “The Loop: Enhancing employee engagement, one feedback loop at a time.” Their goal was to transform employee sentiment into actionable outcomes and empower managers to support their teams effectively. The team members were drawn to this topic because they all believed that it could have a tangible impact within Atos.
The FUEL projects span six months, with key milestones including project scoping, problem definition, solution evaluation, and a final presentation to a panel of senior leaders at Atos HQ in Paris.
Teams work on their projects between taught modules, undertaking assignments that build skills and gather data for evidence-informed decision-making. IfM Engage tutors support the teams throughout to enhance their work and test their ideas.
About the programme
IfM Engage have co-designed and co-delivered the FUEL for Emerging Leaders programme with the Atos Global Talent Team since 2019. FUEL is a bespoke education programme designed to enable emerging talents to develop leader mindsets and skillsets in the context of the global Atos business. This practice-orientated programme builds strategic, problem solving, innovation and interpersonal capabilities drawing on research from the Institute for Manufacturing. The participants use these capabilities to address real in-company projects to develop their team-working, collaboration and complex problem-solving skills. With participants from around the globe, FUEL is a cross-cultural experience that allows participants to develop strong relationships and an internal network of future leaders.
The project learning journey
During their module in Cambridge, lengthy discussions unearthed a double realisation: firstly, a lack of shared understanding of their problem definition; and secondly, that the topic was more complex than they had anticipated. Consequently, they needed to refine their topic focus and develop a clear problem definition, which demanded significant research and effort.
James reflects on the discussion, “I fondly remember sitting outside, creating a spider diagram and brainstorming ideas. It quickly became overwhelming as we tried to see the big picture. This chaos helped us realise the need to narrow our focus. t was a valuable learning experience on how to approach a broad topic and find a point of impact.”
The complexity of the topic was intimidating initially, but the diversity of the team and having multiple perspectives were crucial. Steered by their IfM Engage tutor, the team applied the complex-problem solving methodology to enable them to breakdown and address an important part of the problem.
James remembers, “Bringing our heads together to understand the problem and come up with solutions really sculpted the project – having different areas of expertise, skillsets and personalities was key.” This experience underscored the importance of cross-cultural understanding and adaptability. They left Cambridge with a new mindset, learning to embrace diversity to solve complex problems.
Reflecting on the project, George remarks, “It felt like a game, seeing what we could construct from an unknown puzzle: we had all the pieces, but we didn’t have a clear picture.” Magda concludes, “One of the toughest challenges was agreeing on roles within the project team, which required us to establish our own dynamics and rules, demanding a shift in mindset and a deep respect for diversity.”
During the final presentation at Atos HQ, the team showcased their collaborative journey and cohesive approach, demonstrating shared ownership and mutual respect for each member’s skills. Their presentation inspired confidence and trust among the senior Atos leaders, who recognised the team’s vision and outcomes.
Meet the team (as pictured below, L-R)
• George-Alexandru Andrei
IT Core Sales Application Manager, Romania
• Linda Calvillo
Financial Planning and Analysis Manager, Mexico
• James Cracknell
Account Manager, Public Sector and Defence, UK
• Theodora Romosan
Team Manager, Romania
• Magdalena Warszawa
Global WFM Operations Manager, Poland
The impact beyond FUEL
The team remain dedicated to their project, which is being integrated into a wider initiative in Atos Romania, by mapping key research insights for company-wide access to foster new ideas and enhance effectiveness.
They are putting their FUEL project learnings into practice day-to-day. Having boosted their cultural awareness, they are now more confident working with global teams not only adapting to diversity but leveraging it. George highlights this, “The ability to adapt to various perspectives, learn to work with different personalities, and manage varying levels of motivation and commitment is a key learning point that I have taken forward into work life.”
The most impactful changes beyond the FUEL program involve:
• Decision-making: knowing how to deploy an evidence-based approach to achieve organisational outcomes.
• Global network: a company-wide network has been established, making organisational transformation more attainable. Team members regularly meet and support each other through the trust built during projects.
• Change agents: with a renewed mindset and set of skills, they have effectively become change agents within the organisation, driving continuous improvement.
Theodora concludes, “The social aspect of FUEL is invaluable, fostering networking and facilitating connections with like-minded professionals, mentors, and experts.”
How can we help you grow your talent?
Claudia Peverini
Programme Director and Client Project Tutor
Contact Claudia if you would like to receive further information about the FUEL Programme and other Bespoke Talent Development Programmes.
Dil Sidhu
Business Development & Programme Director
Contact Dil for an informal chat about all other services that our Executive and Professional Education Team can provide.