Clancy Case Study

Building a Transformational Leadership Culture

Empowering Middle Managers with the skills and confidence to drive leadership change

BACKGROUND

Equipping Middle Managers with a New Leadership Approach

Clancy, one of the UKs largest and fastest growing privately owned construction firms recognised that its Middle Management team needed support to transition from task-focused Managers to people-centric Leaders. With plans for Clancy to scale rapidly in the coming years, each Middle Manager would prove pivotal in maintaining team morale and driving performance through the anticipated change.

While many Managers were excelling in operational delivery, three common challenges emerged:

Managers were getting too involved in work too junior to their level, meaning transformational leadership approaches were rarely applied. With only 44% Managers reflecting they were working at the right level at the onset of the programme.
Limited time being prioritised to people development due to working in a highly reactive operational environment.
Siloed “contract only” focused approaches, leading to limited networks across the company and industry and many instances of work duplication.

Clancy required a solution that would provide bespoke leadership development without placing unnecessary strain on their Managers’ time. The goal was to design a programme that offered practical value to every participant, fitting around their demanding schedules while delivering long-term benefits for the organisation.

The challenge lay in creating an integrated, personalised approach that worked for both the Managers and the wider company.

SOLUTION

A Tailored Leadership Programme for Middle Managers

Clancy worked with STC to design and deliver a rolling leadership development programme for its Middle Managers, carefully selecting the right people to complete the training at the right time. 30 Managers have already been through the Programme and another 20 will be starting in 2025. The programme is designed to fit Clancy’s needs perfectly, whilst offering a tailored approach for each Manager. To enable this, the programme revolved around an integrated triad of training approaches:

360⁰ feedback, face-to-face (f2f) training, and coaching.

1. 360⁰Feedback
The programme began with a bespoke 360⁰feedback process tailored to Clancy’s organisational structure. A questionnaire was designed specifically so that it that would be relevant and could be answered by all levels in the organisation, ensuring a comprehensive view of each Manager’s strengths and areas for improvement.

The 360⁰ process was personalised, not machine generated, which led to an in depth understanding of each Managers unique leadership situation and style. Each Manager then had a 1:1 session with an experienced Consultant to review their feedback and develop actionable goals. These goals formed the foundation for their personal development plans and were integrated into the programme’s training modules.

2. Face-to-Face Training
The modular f2f training sessions were dynamic, practical, and engaging. Each module was tailored to address the specific needs highlighted by the feedback process, covering topics such as time management and forward planning. Additionally, key leadership skills such as coaching, delegation and managing commercial matters within their contracts were covered. Trainers adjusted the content to ensure every session remained relevant and actionable, using Clancy specific scenarios to connect with the Managers.

Our dynamic Trainers led sessions with energy and expertise, delivering content in a way that was dynamic, engaging and enjoyable. The collaborative environment fostered shared learning and created a sense of partnership among participants, STC, and Clancy.

3. Coaching
To reinforce the learning, each Manager participated in coaching sessions. This personalised approach allowed them to embed, enhance and accelerate the new skills into their specific contexts. They liked the 1:1 sessions and said it was helpful to look at situations in depth, get a different perspective and be able to reflect on their actions. The coaching sessions encouraged the Managers to step out of their comfort zones, build their confidence and tackle real-world challenges with clarity and purpose.

The coaching also acted as a force multiplier, helping Managers to implement their new skills quickly and effectively. This hands-on support made the Programme’s impact both immediate and long-lasting.

Clancy’s Directors played a critical role in the Programme’s success, sponsoring and attending sessions, monitoring progress, and ensuring alignment with organisational goals. Additionally, close contact with the Clancy’s L&D team through updates, in session participant, post-module summaries, and follow-ups ensured continuous improvement and helped drive the feeling of partnership.

RESULTS

Transforming Leadership at Every Level

For Managers
The programme led to significant personal growth for Clancy’s Middle Managers. They developed stronger self-awareness, transitioned from process-focused to people-focused leadership, and gained the confidence to tackle challenges in their roles. Delegates reported a clearer understanding of their strengths and felt more empowered and confident to lead their teams effectively.

For Teams
The shift in Leadership approach created a ripple effect across Clancy. Teams are more collaborative, engaged and motivated as Managers adopted people-first techniques. Managers noted a confidence rating of 87% when reflecting on their people development skills, which is more than a 30% increase from the beginning of the programme.

For Clancy
Utilising unique STC techniques such as BIGGER and COSTA, Clancy now has a shared language for how they approach change management and coaching, cementing a culture of continuous Leadership development at Clancy.

The programme demonstrated that tailored, people-focused development is an investment that pays dividends for individuals, teams, and the business as a whole. Due to the high impact created by the Programme, Clancy has decided to enhance their investment further in these Managers through the creation of The Inspiring Club. This will become a management community, made up of the 30+ Managers and will grow as other Managers go through the Programme. The managers will continue to receive targeted support to embed and reinforce their skills, will share best practice between them and ensure they are at the forefront of change in the years to come. People development isn’t a one time thing, it is an all time thing.

97%

OVERALL PROGRAMME EFFECTIVENESS

80%

MANAGERS WORKING AT THE RIGHT LEVEL AFTER 3 MONTHS

39%

INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL AWARENESS

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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“I know that the course will have been different for us all – but I think a highlight is the increased knowledge of the challenges faced by the colleagues on the programme. It helps to contextualise some of the cultural challenges we face as an organisation, and I am certain I will be using the network of people I have met to support ongoing understanding and to reinforce the learnings.”

Justine Moon, Marketing Manager at Clancy

“Without a shadow of a doubt, i have never benefited more from a course in all my years.
Each module covered a different topic, very relevant to what we do on a daily basis, and what Matt was able to do was show us a different outlook as to how to approach and deliver these topics.
These are changes i have taken into my every day working and have done so since the very first module.”

Stirling Training Consultants