Unifying Teams to Drive Performance
How leadership development and culture change helped a major electrical retailer unite competing teams, build trust and improve commercial performance.
Dixons Retail, owner of Currys and PC World, was operating in an increasingly challenging market. The economic recession had reduced consumer spending on high-value electronics, while competition from online retailers placed further pressure on traditional high-street businesses.
Against this backdrop, LeaderShape worked with the Computing Category leadership team to bring together two previously competing commercial functions, establish a shared culture and create a more collaborative approach to achieving business results.
MEASURABLE BUSINESS IMPACT
Stronger collaboration supporting commercial performance
~10%
Increase in cash flow
45
Employees brought together across two commercial teams
12 Weeks
Leadership and team development programme
The programme helped transform relationships between previously competing teams. An almost 10% increase in cash flow was reported, with the structural and cultural changes acknowledged as a major contributing factor, although not the sole cause.
THE CHALLENGE
Breaking down silos and building a unified commercial team
Mark Slater, formerly Commercial Vice President at Disney Consumer Products, joined Dixons as Computing Category Director with a clear ambition to establish new values and a more collaborative approach within his team.
The computing business was divided between hardware and accessories, with separate category directors overseeing teams that had developed different working cultures. The two functions comprised 45 employees, including eight managers, and were physically separated across two floors.
Both senior teams were focused on their own commercial targets and priorities, sometimes making decisions without considering the impact on the other function. Competition between colleagues was undermining opportunities for cooperation and mutual success.
The organisation needed to:
- Bring two competing commercial functions together under a shared vision.
- Build trust and cooperation between managers and their teams.
- Develop a stronger understanding of individual strengths and differences.
- Create a more cohesive, confident and productive leadership team.
- Encourage greater ownership and accountability throughout the business.
- Improve performance during the critical peak trading period.
The challenge was intensified by the economic downturn, organisational cost pressures and employees who were already working at capacity. Managers described the situation as constant firefighting, with tired teams and colleagues leaving the business.
LEADERSHAPE'S APPROACH
Creating a shared vision, stronger relationships and collective ownership
LeaderShape designed a focused team development programme to help managers move beyond individual targets and establish a common purpose. The approach combined individual insight, culture assessment, facilitated workshops and practical action planning.
01. Individual Leadership Conversations
One-to-one discussions with key managers helped identify existing perspectives, concerns and priorities.
02. Bringing Teams Together
The two functions were relocated onto one floor, creating more opportunities for communication and collaboration.
03. MBTI Step II
Personality assessments and feedback helped participants understand individual differences and recognise the value of diverse approaches.
04. Culture Assessment
A LeaderShape mini culture survey explored the existing and desired team culture, supported by the Five Dysfunctions of a Team framework.
05. Team Workshops and Coaching
Facilitated workshops helped the team define its identity, values, behaviours and shared vision for the future.
06. Shared Action Planning
A second workshop produced a practical action plan, with individual team members taking ownership of implementation.
CULTURE CHANGE
From internal competition to collaboration and trust
For many employees, the programme represented their first meaningful learning and development opportunity for some time. Being invited to contribute to the future direction of the team helped them feel valued and more engaged.
Rather than focusing exclusively on individual financial targets, the teams began to consider the wider customer journey and incorporate one another's priorities into their plans.
“It wasn't a realization, it was a slow burn – you started to look at things differently.”
“Trust was building. We stopped worrying about whether peers were seen as stronger than you or more hard-nosed, we learned to work together and build camaraderie.”
Managers involved in the programme
Over the 12-week programme, relationships improved and employees reported greater motivation and enjoyment at work. Even small changes, such as colleagues choosing to discuss concerns informally over coffee rather than through formal meetings, reflected growing trust and openness.
THE OUTCOMES
A more engaged, confident and commercially effective team
Stronger Collaboration
Previously competing teams began working towards shared objectives, considering the wider commercial impact of their decisions and supporting one another's success.
Greater Employee Engagement
Employees reported feeling more valued, motivated and positive about their work. Improved relationships and a stronger sense of belonging contributed to a healthier team environment.
Shared Ownership and Accountability
Team members took responsibility for delivering agreed actions, moving away from a purely top-down approach towards greater collective ownership of performance.
Improved Commercial Results
The business reported an almost 10% increase in cash flow. While the structural changes were not the only factor, those involved recognised the programme's contribution to the improved commercial position.
CLIENT FEEDBACK
“Danielle has been instrumental in helping me create the right culture and will to win within our newly formed team. The work we did on visioning the future and getting the team to take ownership and believe they could drive change was a key force in bringing the team together and creating trust, self belief and passion.”
Mark Slater, Computing Category Director, Dixons Retail
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Building a culture where collaboration drives performance
The Dixons experience demonstrates how leadership development can help organisations move beyond entrenched silos and competing priorities to create a more collaborative and performance-focused culture.
By strengthening trust, establishing shared values and giving employees ownership of change, LeaderShape helped create the conditions for stronger engagement and more effective commercial decision-making.
The reported improvement in cash flow illustrates how cultural and behavioural changes can contribute to measurable business outcomes, even during challenging economic conditions.