The document describes TakeON!, a flexible system and process designed to connect an organization's strategy to day-to-day operations. It involves regular team discussions around key business themes to generate ideas and actions. The goal is to build internal capability and create a culture of continuous improvement. TakeON! is proven to deliver tangible results such as increased sales, staff engagement, innovation, and collaboration. It provides organizations with tools and resources to tackle important challenges in a manageable way.

1. TakeON!® YOUR BUSINESS MATTERS
How can we
How do we work more
prepare teams for effectively across
major business the business?
changes?
How do I get my
people focused on
our strategic goals?
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012

2. TakeON!® WHAT REALLY MATTERS
TO YOUR BUSINESS
BUILDING A GENUINE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR PEOPLE “ he brilliance of this approach is that
T
AND THEIR CORE BUSINESS PRIORITIES IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING it provides the executive team with
SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE. the vehicle to constantly implement
our strategy through our people.
Never was this more important than during the
Imagine everyone in your organisation coming
THEMES TO COVER recession. Our TakeON! approach allowed us to
together regularly, to talk about improving
COMMON CHALLENGES quickly shift the focus of the organisation around
business outcomes and how they can contribute. things that really mattered – talking to customers
Business Matters offers a diverse range of themes, each
in tough times, ensuring we were safe and secure,
Hundreds of ideas are generated, and immediate covering a key business concept, which can be mixed and
driving new efficiencies, and repositioning our
actions are taken. The power comes not from one matched to support your specific goals. Some examples
brand. The process is part of our DNA and pivotal to
include:
single ‘silver bullet’ idea – but in creating a culture how we operate.”
where incremental improvement is constantly • nderstanding Our Business (building staff awareness
U —Managing Director, leading NZ bank
of organisation goals and their role in achieving them)
occurring.
• aking Personal Responsibility (getting your people
T
to take responsibility and be accountable for what
HOW TAKEON! BUSINESS they do)
MATTERS WORKS • aking It Easy (understanding what it takes to
M
make it easy for customers to do business with you)
TakeON! Business Matters is a flexible system of focused
discussions, tools and practices, designed to connect your
high-level strategy with day-to-day operations. TakeON! Business Matters works on the proven
Teams discuss key business themes in a structured, yet premise that ‘to create is to own’ – that if
flexible series of Teamtalk™ sessions. These are designed to your people generate their own solutions
achieve collaboration, and ongoing sustainable enhancement to business issues, they are more likely to
in attitude, processes and behaviour. own and implement them.
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 2

3. TakeON!® A UNIQUE AND FLEXIBLE PROCESS
“ he biggest impact
T
TakeON! has had in our
team and the business
is to get people to think…
YOUR TakeON! BUSINESS PARTNER WORKS CLOSELY WITH YOU
…thinking about process
TO IDENTIFY YOUR DISTINCT BUSINESS PRIORITIES, AND THE improvements and behaviour
TakeON! TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT BEST ADDRESS THESE. improvements, and more
importantly, get people excited
about coming to work.”
At the heart of TakeON! is the powerful TeamTalk™ process that drives focused conversations, —Major NZ finance company
idea generation and action around specific business issues.
TakeON!’s unique approach is reflected in the key principles of Continuous Improvement,
Constructive Dialogue and Collaboration.
CONTINUOUS USING DIALOGUE TakeON!
IMPROVEMENT TO CREATE A COMMUNITY
SOLUTION FOCUSED,
Many change initiatives fail because they run out ACTION-BIASED To ensure you have ongoing support, TakeON!
of steam. Our focus on building internal capability
coupled with the ongoing TeamTalk ™ framework,
ORGANISATION comes with access to our online resource centre
and community – the ON2net. Here you can:
ensures momentum is sustained.
By involving the entire organisation in constructive • download additional resources
dialogue around business priorities, more ideas are • receive ongoing coaching from the TakeON!
Continuous Improvement
generated and greater ‘buy-in’ and momentum is team
T E A M TA LK achieved. To create is to own. • connect with other TakeON! organisations
PERFORMANCE
INITIAL
ENG AGEMEN T
to ask questions and share experiences
Me to You
Typically in an
Download – generates and insights.
organisation this compliance
© ON-Brand Partners™
proportion is in Me vs. You
Debate – generates conflict
reverse. What does
TIME your organisation Us, together – generating
look like? Dialogue constructive collaboration www.on2net.biz
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 3

4. TakeON!® FOCUS AREAS
TakeON! RESOLVES
GOALS
COMMON PERFORMANCE
ISSUES IN FOUR KEY TakeON!
FOCUS AREAS: BRAND
YOUR BUSINESS
Connecting your people to your
PURPOSE
business goals, brand, purpose and
CHALLENGE PRODUCTIVITY CHANGE
market knowledge so everyone
knows what they are aiming for.
KNOWLEDGE
TakeON! TakeON!
YOUR PEOPLE YOUR PERFORMANCE
Growing your people through Stretching your people to deliver
working together better, developing better performance through new
challenges, greater productivity
©ON-Brand Partners 2009
their potential, better communication,
building your employer brand and focus and change readiness.
improving wellbeing.
EXPERIENCE
TakeON!
WORKING
COMMUNICATION POTENTIAL
TOGETHER RECOVERY
YOUR SERVICE
Guiding your people with QUALITY
WELLBEING BRAND
your desired service experience,
service quality, service basics, PROCESS
service process and service recovery.
BASICS
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 4

5. TakeON!® – DESIGNED TO MAKE A
REAL BOTTOM-LINE DIFFERENCE
WHAT MAKES BUSINESS MATTERS
TakeON! has been successfully
SO EFFECTIVE?
employed to address
a range of challenges:
• t tackles the practical ‘burning issues’
I • t tackles challenges in manageable bite-
I • uilding increased sales
B
for your business, with a focus on action and sized pieces to achieve real resolution before performance
increasing both productivity and momentum moving on to the next issue
• verall culture change
O
• uided development is blended with on-the-
G • enior management set the context, and can
S • eveloping the business plan
D
job application – Lominger research tells us that maintain transparency over how issues are being • mproving cross-functional
I
70% of what we learn happens ‘on the job’ rather addressed collaboration
than in a classroom or from others
• t builds internal capability, preparing your
I • riving organisational efficiency
D
• t involves everyone across the business at all
I people to accept and support change and meet • implifying customer processes
S
levels, making business concepts directly relevant future challenges more effectively and procedures
to their roles • reparing teams for major
P
• ou build on your current strengths, and what
Y
• mployees feel they have a voice and a direct
E is working now business changes
opportunity to influence the future • mproving staff focus on
I
• upport from your TakeON! Partner,
S
including online virtual coaching, enables effective customers
implementation, sustainable change and ultimate • mproving staff engagement
I
self-sufficiency • mproving staff retention
I
• trengthening the employer brand
S
• uilding stronger customer
B
“ he behaviours of my team members have changed. I have had to manage
T relationships
a negative team, who were reluctant to accept the changes in quality and adherence
and what was expected of them. Now I have noticed small changes in behaviours such
as putting forward ideas on how to improve how we perform. Now there is a lot more
focus on what we ‘can’ do!
—Large Australian superannuation administration company
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 5

6. TakeON!® – WHAT DIFFERENCE
WILL THIS MAKE?
TYPICAL AREAS
OF IMPROVEMENT “ hat mattered to us was
W Tangible Key focus: Quality
improving sales performance
in our contact centre. After improvements Error rate
down by 93%
achieved
• taff engagement
S
three months… not only have
• ales/market share growth
S
results improved quickly but
• Customer focus we have been able to reuse Key focus: Sales Key focus:
Employment brand
the resources time and time
90%
• ustomer engagement
C Sales conversion
again – it’s now a core part rate improved
• Customer loyalty
of how we on-board every
Staff attrition
8%
400%
Internal business down from 15% to
• taff working together/collaboration
S
new employee and get them referrals up
25%
Employee
• reater/faster/more successful
G up to speed.” engagement up
innovation — ontact Centre Manager,
C
Key focus: Innovation
• Process improvement leading NZ energy company
New ideas Key focus:
• Cost reduction
Collaboration
7000
implemented
• Better complaint management in one year
Working together ‘better’
• ndividual performance/contribution
I rating up from 39% to
“ his is an innovative and
T
• Internal communication
exciting business initiative 95% in 4 months
that ensures the business
maintains control and drives
the change while being
supported, challenged and
guided throughout.”
—CEO, major NZ finance company
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 6

7. TANGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED
ANY BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE
TANGIBLE RESULTS IT DELIVERS. TakeON! IS PROVEN TO DELIVER
STRONG RESULTS IN A RANGE OF KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS.
These two success stories highlight what TakeON! can achieve.
IMPROVING CONTACT FINANCE COMPANY
CENTRE SALES PERFORMANCE TURNAROUND
Despite being in a highly competitive This company needed help to achieve their strategic
industry, in this organisation there was objective to become ‘a very different finance
real resistance by Contact Centre staff company’. This involved developing a stronger
(200 FTE) to cross-sell other services relationship-based sales/service model, leveraging
to existing customers. Staff instead the distribution capability within the business and
focused solely on managing customer lifting the engagement of staff and customers.
queries.
And all this against a backdrop of declining asset growth,
The organisation also lacked a clearly defined
declining profitability in the ‘core business’ and decreasing
branded service proposition, making it difficult for Contact
staff engagement!
Centre staff to understand who they were working for, and
what their role was when dealing with customers. In terms of The Pay-off: Within 14 months our client had achieved strong results.
implementation challenges, as with any Contact Centre, time Business measures:
off the phone had to be kept to an absolute minimum, and call
• +12% income on previous year
quality measures had to be maintained throughout.
• Profit (before provisions) up 17%
The Pay-off: Within four months our client had achieved strong
results including: • 13% loan book growth (after 3 years of decline)
+
• 0% improvement in sales conversion rates
9 • Employee engagement up 11%
• % improvement in overall call quality
6 After reviewing the initiative, staff identified the following as the top three
improvements achieved:
• ontact Centre staff engagement increased by 14 points,
C
higher than the average across the organisation • Greater customer focus
• Working better together
• Stronger culture and engagement
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 7

8. GETTING READY TO TakeON!®
“ LS have been an outstanding
T
thought partner for our firm
and through their innovative
If tackling the core ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP SPHERE – and thoughtful delivery have
helped fundamentally shift
challenges that are YOUR TakeON! BUSINESS PARTNER how we manage, lead and
impacting your business engage with each other.”
performance is a top We are in the of development activities. Our role
— irector, People and Development,
D
business of then becomes one of trusted partner
priority, we’d welcome tier-1 professional services firm
helping clients where we guide and support those
the opportunity to build strong, responsible for the programme.
come and discuss sustainable Everyone at TLS understands and
organisations.
what TakeON! can do cares about business results. Our
We do that focus is achieving breakthrough
for your organisation. in two ways: performance with, and through people.
firstly, through the development We get a lot of satisfaction from the TakeON! – POWERED BY
of high performing people, teams relationships we have with our clients ON-BRAND PARTNERS
and cultures. Secondly, we help and the trust and confidence we enjoy
to build healthy and adaptable TakeON! has been developed
CONTACT THE in our ability to deliver results.
by ON-Brand Partners, a
organisations to sustain
LEADERSHIP SPHERE: performance over the long-term.
New Zealand-based international
‘business partner’ focused on
Call: 1300 100 857 One of the principles we cherish is design, innovation and execution
in Organisational Effectiveness.
Email: Phillip Ralph – Managing Director building capability and capacity in
Share our proven success in
phillipr@theleadershipsphere.com.au client organisations to avoid unhealthy
transforming a diverse range of
co-dependent relationships. The organisations.
www.theleadershipsphere.com.au
leader-led TakeON! series allows the BUSINESS For more visit us at
For more info on TakeON! business – and the people who run PARTNER www.onbrandpartners.com
visit www.takeon.biz the business – to be at the centre
For more info on TakeON! visit www.takeon.biz © ON-Brand Partners 2012 8