Q1 · Baseline
The starting picture
Each manager, their line leader and HR read the same profile. The individual plan and leadership programme start with what this person needs.
Group View · Anonymised client example
15 managers. 15 ways to learn. One programme that fits each of them.
Middle managers at a South African financial services firm, about to start a flagship leadership programme. Each answered a 20-minute questionnaire. This is what L&D saw before spending a cent on teaching them.
20 min
per person
5
areas measured
3
people at hidden risk
The yearOne questionnaire. A full year of development.
Each person's plan runs on an arc, not an event.
Q2 · Update
Mid-way check
Repeat the assessment mid-way. Discuss what has shifted, what has dipped and what support needs to change.
Year-end · Bookend
Measure, close, open
A third assessment closes the 12-month plan. Check changes against evidence from work, then use the findings to start next year's arc.
So the individual owns their growth, the line leader knows how to support it, L&D can shape the programme — and HR can show the executive team what changed, in people and in numbers.
WHAT IT COSTThree paid assessments
1.3% of the programme spend.
R24,300 for the full year. The programme: R1,875,000.
Q1 baseline: 15 reports × R420, plus the Group View (R300 + R100 × 15)R8,100
Q2 mid-way update: the same again, while the programme is still runningR8,100
Year-end bookend: the same again, so change can be measuredR8,100
A measured starting point and two checks through the year. Use these alongside evidence from work to judge what the programme contributed.
01The group
No single way of teaching reaches everyone.
How each person prefers to take in and use new ideas:
Thinking it through5 of 15
Through people4 of 15
Big picture and ideas4 of 15
Step by step, practical2 of 15
A lecture-heavy programme plays to a third of the group. 6 of 15 are introverts who need quiet time to think before they speak.
02Patterns
Eight of the nine Enneagram types, in one group.
1
2
2
2
3
2
4
1
5
2
6
2
7
0
8
2
9
2
No single type dominates — unusually rich for one firm. It makes peer challenge strong, and it means disagreement needs deliberate facilitation.
Three patterns to design around: the 3s perform confidence under pressure, the 8s take up the space others need, and the 9s hold back their best judgement unless it's invited.
03What you can't see
Everyone copes. Not everyone is confident.
0
score low on coping with pressure
5
score low on self-confidence as leaders
3 people to watch
They cope very well but their confidence is low. Managers call them "completely reliable". They rarely ask for help, and they can leave without anyone seeing it coming.
04Personal, at scale
Fifteen people. Fifteen distilled profiles.
The same programme, different support — because each person gets their own report, and their line leader knows how to use it. Watch and anchor patterns are marked.
Aanchor
Branch Manager · JHB
Results-driven thinker. Steady under pressure.
Bwatch
Team Lead · Credit Risk · Durban
Careful and security-minded. Copes well; readiness low.
Canchor
Manager · Wealth Advisory · Sandton
Direct and driven. Thinks first; high readiness.
D
Manager · Compliance · Cape Town
Precise, quality-focused. Quiet and even-keeled.
E
Manager · Client Experience · JHB
People-first. Reads the room; steady.
F
Team Lead · Digital Banking · Centurion
Deep knowledge-seeker. Introverted; readiness low.
G
Manager · SME Lending · PTA
Results-driven thinker. Bounces back well.
H
Manager · Operations · JHB
Keeps the peace. Learns through people.
I
Team Lead · Anti-Financial Crime · JHB
Vigilant and careful. Readiness low.
J
Manager · Treasury · Sandton
Assertive, drives hard. Resilient.
Kwatch
Manager · Transformation · JHB
High standards. Copes very well; confidence lower than it looks.
L
Manager · Data & Analytics · Durban
Analytical, big-picture. Quiet and steady.
M
Manager · Learning & Talent · JHB
Warm, people-focused. High readiness.
Nwatch
Team Lead · Insurance Claims · Bloem
Harmoniser. Copes well outwardly; readiness low.
O
Manager · Branch Network · Cape Town
Creative, meaning-seeking. Even-keeled.
05What L&D did with it
They changed the order, the support and the measure.
1
The order
- The first two modules were re-ordered before delivery began.
- Mixed learning groups, so every group has different strengths.
2
The support
- A senior sponsor for each of the 3 people to watch.
- Quiet thinking time in every session, and no cold-calling in front of seniors.
3
The measure
- Every session linked to a real business target, checked against the baseline.
06Proving it worked
Agree the evidence before the programme.
Each person and their line leader agree what needs to change at work. HR and L&D link those changes to business targets, then check them through the year — not just attendance.
07 · What changed through the year
One group. Three assessments. An honest picture of change.
Illustrative 15-person group over 12 months — not this client’s measured results. The same people are compared at each assessment.
People in each assessment band · 15 in the group
LowMidHigh
Personal Mastery
BaselineQ1 · Start
UpdateQ2 · Mid-way
BookendYear-end · 12 months
10 higher · 3 unchanged · 2 lowerBookend compared with each person’s baseline band
Emotional Resilience
BaselineQ1 · Start
UpdateQ2 · Mid-way
BookendYear-end · 12 months
8 higher · 4 unchanged · 3 lowerBookend compared with each person’s baseline band
Most move up. Some hold. Some end lower. Report all three — not just the average.
For the corner office: claim only what holds up.
1 · Assessment
Show the gains, the dips and who still needs support.
2 · Behaviour at work
Check real examples with the person and their line leader.
3 · Business outcomes
Compare agreed results and costs. Account for other influences.
Changed assessment scores alone do not prove behavioural change or ROI. Use evidence from work to show what the programme contributed.
Divorce, relationship changes, bereavement or pressure at work can affect a score. A dip is a reason to ask and support, not assume what happened.