We have been working with Mitsubishi Motors for a number of years, developing trainings, curricula and certification programmes as well as delivering ‘train the trainer’ workshops for its European dealer’s network. To find out more about our work for this client, please read further.
“When developing trainings to qualify our European network, it was important for us to consolidate already existing qualities and expertise – CONTRACT as a specialist for process facilitation and training development in international settings was an ideal partner in this endeavour.”
Nicole Prins, General Manager Network, Mitsubishi Motors Europe
Mitsubishi Motors Europe is covering a far greater surface than we usually define Europe: It covers countries from Israel to Iceland and from Ukraine to UK. The geographic differences are great – so was the variety of approaches in the human resources development at dealership level in the various markets. Plenty of good ideas and best practices could be found and were to be shared in order to develop the network to best performance.
Clear targets were soon defined: Providing the markets with ready to use concepts for trainings and certification programmes. These concepts had to involve the experiences and best practices from the different countries and had to be set up in a way so they could easily be adapted to specific local needs and requirements. Last but not least the concept development and hand-over to the different markets had to be organized in a way to attain high acceptance of the training modules within the whole network of Mitsubishi Motors Europe.
A target not easily attained. But CONTRACT took the challenge! The basis of all concept development was the continuous exchange of experience during the regular meetings of the training managers. This discussion produced valuable information about the needs of the markets as well as a collection of best practice examples from all over Europe. Another important process was the discussion of and the commitment on common standards concerning competence and qualification of the different roles at dealership level.
Based on these standards, training modules were designed to be used by local trainers. The training concepts were developed in close contact with markets interested to implement these modules as part of their local training strategy. The concepts had to be set up in a modular way so they could easily be adapted to local needs.
One example for this was the development of the leadership training in cooperation with Mitsubishi Motors Norway. Specific local requirements were discussed with experienced dealer principals and the local training manager. Their expectations were translated into a two-module training concept. Regular feedback with the Norwegian market and the MME headquarters ensured that local expectations were met. Yet the concept had to be designed in a way that ensured easy implementation within training strategies of other markets.
A crucial step in the process was the pilot trainings carried out by a local training agency. And it worked out: Local trainers were able to conduct the training, relying on a detailed training programme, trainer briefing and presentations. The most thrilling experience for us was to observe the training without understanding a single word, since it was held in Norwegian: The vivid proof that mere words make up only 7% percent of the message. So we were able to get yet a much deeper insight into the effect the training concept and its methods could have on participants.
A final step was to collect the feedback from the trainers, participants and the observer team in order to complete a programme that could be handed over to the other European markets. What started as regular curriculum and concept development turned out to become a new pattern for creating common understanding of European business cooperation within a company. And that was worth all the effort!