This services company decided to begin a process of management development in the context of joint management. The implementation of reduced working hours was an opportunity to begin the first stage. To support this change, BPI trained the local managers to lead teams based on shared analyses.

The context
Rebuilding the organisation
To keep ahead of its competitors this services company moved from a distribution channel based organisation to a customer-oriented organisation. Within this framework, the structures, IS tools and products required a substantial rethink. It was also decided to progressively organise work around processes and to introduce team-based organisation with extended responsibility.

The mission
Implementation of joint management
The agreement on the reduction of working hours represented an opportunity to encourage the philosophy behind this new way of working. It included implementation which is based on joint management of flexible working hours and the scheduling of days off. BPI supported a first stage of reflection which enabled the management agreement to be established for all the companies of the group maintaining this new philosophy and beginning to encourage managers to adhere to it.

Training of local managers
Training designed and led by consultants was set up to help the managers make the agreements work in practice. Over two days, based on a practical case study, the training provided tools to study the issues of workload and variations in workload. This technical input was completed with facilitation tools which enabled situations to be discussed as a team, agents' concerns were taken on board, and this allowed planning to be implemented which satisfied the company, its customers and the team members.

Operational support
In addition to the training, a support team consisting of internal managers and consultants was set up: depending on the context, the team supported department managers, trained HR managers, or facilitated dialogue between managers The team contributed to integrating the methods learnt during training in the everyday work of the enterprise.

The prospects
Sustainable change
Training in joint management of time enabled managers to experience a new method of management which will be implemented within the framework of teams with extended responsibility. This was in preparation for the deployment, scheduled for the following years, of the pilot experiments currently underway.
In parallel, new action on the effectiveness of managers' work and on collective behaviour was begun with BPI.