Our Clients

Around 70% of our clients are from the New Zealand State Sector, and we have now worked with virtually every Wellington-based Government Agency and their offices around New Zealand. The remaining 30% come from the following sectors:

Case studies

In addition to our public programmes we design in-house development frameworks and programmes for organisations. Here are a few examples:

Leadership development 

The client engaged us to provide a customised development programme for their 40 leaders. They had already identified key needs around flexibility of leadership style, stakeholder management, communicating decisions, and engaging in strategic conversations with staff. We designed and delivered a programme which included 360 degree feedback, five workshops, individual coaching, and Action Learning peer groups. We facilitated strong involvement from the executive leaders, including an innovative process to cascade inspiring presentations on key strategic messages from level to level. Reviews found the programme to be highly effective. 

Review of pathways for senior leadership development 

The client brief was to: review current senior leadership development activities in their 21 member organisations; consider other useful options (including from international providers); and present our findings in a scoping paper with recommendations for a new integrated framework. We conducted surveys in each of these organisations, talked with key players in New Zealand and abroad, and provided a comprehensive 55 page report - all within an eight week period. The client was delighted with the result and used it to inform their new sector-wide senior leadership development framework.

Courageous conversations and conflict resolution

The client had around 10,000 staff nationwide and engaged Achieve Group to design and deliver a coaching skills development programme for their 200+ Branch Managers. We worked closely with their Organisational Development Advisors and designed a programme with an initial two day workshop, on-the-job peer development activities, and a half day follow-up workshop. A key success factor was careful liaison with participant’s managers in each district. We worked alongside internal facilitators to deliver the programme region by region over a two year period. Multi-level evaluation found it had a strong positive effect on both engagement and team productivity. 

Tailored management development

The brief was to provide a customised development programme for the organisation’s 13 mid-tier managers to attend as a cohort. We conducted a needs assessment via a 360 degree feedback assessment; then designed and delivered a programme to address the priority needs identified in relation to the organisation’s strategic direction. The format included executive team briefings, four sets of two day workshops, individual coaching, and facilitated peer learning groups. The competencies covered included: visionary leadership, coaching skills, building teams, leading change, strategic thinking, personal productivity and resilience. Review by an independent evaluator found the programme to be highly effective, and elements were retained for ongoing workshops.

Performance Management Training

The client had developed a new performance management framework, and engaged us to develop training on this for their 300 managers and 1400 staff. We designed a one day manager workshop to explain the new system and refresh manager’s skills for effective performance conversations. We also designed a half day workshop for staff, and a Trainer’s Training workshop for 20 HR staff to deliver the half day. Linda and Bryan co-facilitated the two day Trainer Training workshop, and delivered the majority of the programmes for managers around New Zealand.