Roel Louwhoff CEO, BT Operate

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Roel Louwhoff CEO, BT Operate

• Cultural Differences in Organisations
• 1st September 2009

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Agenda

• What / Who is BT and BT Operate
• BT Strategy
• Culture Change
• What I Learned

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About BT

• BT is the world's oldest communications company.
• Today BT is one of the worlds leading providers
  of communications solutions and services,
  operating in 170 countries.
• Our customers include over 40 of the Fortune 500
  companies around the world.
• Our engineers make over 3m visits a year to
  install new lines, make repairs, upgrade service
  and improve the network on behalf of all
  communications providers in the UK

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Simplify and implement Global Network/IT
Operating Model
BT Retail BT Wholesale BT Global Services OneIT
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BT Operate Strategy aligned across group
BT Operate strategic objectives
BTs Vision
BT Operate Vision
BT Operate 2011 outcomes
BTs prioritiesfor Operate
Dedicated to helping customers thrive in a
changing world
99 RFT Customer Experience
Customer service
Standardised delivery with zero touch gt50
Invest in our networks
Significant reduction in controllable cost base
Cost transformation
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Creating the right environment

• Significant shift in senior team
• Progress in 1st line and team member
• Challenge remains middle management

CARE

• Progress reflected in CARE results
• Precision baseline (Feb 2007)- 64
• April 2009 - 73

• Focus on authentic open engagement
• Improving engagement against challenging
  operational environment
• Investors in People external accreditation
  huge improvement
• Focus in coming months on leadership and
  accountability The difference is YOU

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Creating the conditions for cultural change

• Leader led
• Simply the Start Events
• Simply lite events
• Lead BT Programme
• Investment in OEB SMT

• Symbolic actions
• OEB 360/bonus modifier (behaviours)
• Top 135 YSC assessments
• Learning Development Centre of Excellence
• Senior management refresh
• All hands question times
• Simply Sorting it - investment

• Align cultural levers
• e- performance system and managed exits
• Smooth Operators recognition programme
• Simply funding it easy access to accelerate
• Learning Budgets and Learning Council
• Simply Sorting It
• Honest Conversations
• 100 objectives completed

• Work at the front line
• Simply the Start Programme
• 500 Pride Builders Network
• Inspirational Leaders Programme
• Honest conversation
• Rolling out 1st line assessment / standards

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What did we learn?
What worked well
Needed to do better
If you think you have communicated enough -you
are wrong!
People will really get behind a Vision even if it
is tough
Huge capabilities in Organisation -but how to
unlock?
For a big transformation you need leaders before
managers at all (!) levels
How to get people to think Big Picture beyond a
1 year cycle
Having one structure (what) and one methodology
(how) delivers results
People can be innovative and think out of the box
in right environment
How to get more throughput from our leaders and
get the people off the bench
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What the British Say
What the Dutch Understand
What the British Mean
I hear what you say
I disagree and do not want to discuss it any
further
He accepts my point of view
Thats not bad
Thats good or very good
Thats poor or Mediocre
Quite good
Quite good
A bit disappointing
Perhaps you would like toThink about../I would
suggest
This is an order. Do it or be prepared to
justify yourself
Think about the idea, but do what you like
This is not very important
Oh by the way/Incidentally
The primary purpose of our discussion is
I was a bit disappointed That / It is a pity you
I am most upset and cross
It doesnt really matter
Im sure its my fault
Its your fault
It was their fault
You dont stand a chance in hell
Youll get there eventually
Keep on trying because Im heading in the right
direction
Please think about that some more
Its a bad idea dont do it
Its a good idea keep developing it
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Advice from 5 years of working in UK and BT

• Be yourself and be authentic
• You cant play a role forever
• Being open and honest will get you far enough to
  build bridges as long as you are not too direct
• Timing is everything
• Being Dutch helps to set the tone and achieve
  where others failed...

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