ABB Drives Professional is a global talent development programme designed to strengthen strategic thinking and influencing skills among experts. It aims to clarify work purposes, provide tools for impactful skills and coaching, and promote understanding and execution of strategies. Emphasising cross-organisational collaboration and global teamwork, the programme is customised to local business needs in various countries.
Being future-prepared and speeding up global teamwork
ABB Drives Professional is a global talent development program for experts that strengthens their strategic thinking and influencing skills, as well as the development of their expert career paths. It also provides participants with a deeper understanding of strategic competencies and a forum to develop skills that highlight their competitive edge. Anu Saarelainen, Head of HR ABB, Drive Products, saw the need for the global strategic talent development programme. She underlines that the starting point for the programme was to clarify the purpose of the work and to give tools for impact skills and coaching.
Petri Sullström, VP Local Division Manager US, has been in a key role in setting targets for the programme in China and the USA. Anu and Petri both state that the ABB Drives Professional programme is a way to communicate the strategy. It enables participants to think about their own role in the strategy execution. It's an important tool to understand what kind of capabilities and competences are needed to make the strategy alive and therefore it gives meaning for own work and continuous development and learning.
Petri states that an important objective of the programme is to understand the big picture and to ensure that cooperation works at every level of the organisation. Cross-organisational, global collaboration is an essential skill for now and for the future.
“The ABB Drives Professional programme helps the development of the entire value chain to achieve strategic goals,” says Petri. He continues: "It's important to be able to combine diverse competencies and to know where to find support in the organisation, and therefore to succeed in work. It's about global teamwork when a colleague can be in China or Finland, for example. Proactive networking and collaboration in diverse teams are important topics of this programme."
“The programme has been delivered in India and China, and it is ongoing in the USA and Finland. Hanken & SSE Executive Education is responsible for the global concept. In addition, it is essential to have local ownership and delivery tailored to local business needs and culture.”
The ABB Drives Professional programme design is based on the global concept. Outside Finland, the delivery model follows the trainer approach. "The programme has been delivered in India and China, and it is ongoing in the USA and Finland. Hanken & SSE Executive Education is responsible for the global concept. In addition, it is essential to have local ownership and delivery tailored to local business needs and culture," says Anu.
"The programme has a tailored learning model based on strategic competencies. The design of the programme begins in each country by defining the strategic competencies based on local business needs. While the overarching concept remains the same, localisation is an essential part of delivery," continues Anu.
Anu recounts the origins of the programme. The concept was piloted in Finland in 2018. "In Finland, with our largest footprint, the need for the programme was greatest. We opted not to launch a large-scale global programme immediately, but rather to expand it after designing and testing it in Finland. We received positive feedback from both local and global management and were prepared to expand the programme to other countries. Collaboration with Hanken & SSE Executive Education has been seamless, with continuous communication and interaction regarding programme design and module feedback. It's also crucial to have a development partner who comprehends global business and can bring an academic approach to the programme."
More meaningful and better-prioritised work
Petri remarks that the impact of the programme is evident and tangible. Participants have gained clarity regarding their own role in the broader context and have enhanced skills in influencing and advocating within their organisation. Strategic priorities have become evident, as have the methods for achieving our goals. Anu adds that business directors view the programme as a vital tool for communicating priorities and future competencies, which confer a competitive advantage. The ABB Drives Professional programme also aids in clarifying expectations for various talent segments and facilitates open discussions about future needs.
"Collaboration with Hanken & SSE Executive Education has been seamless, with continuous communication and interaction regarding programme design and module feedback. It's also crucial to have a development partner who comprehends global business and can bring an academic approach to the programme."
According to Lori Tocco, Senior HR Business Partner at ABB USA, the programme provides tools to effectively demonstrate key competencies. Lori continues: “From an HR perspective, I observe that participants are engaged and feel that ABB is taking actions to help them grow and develop. Employees are eager for meaningful development opportunities, and this programme hits the mark. Actions speak louder than words!”
The programme has led to more meaningful one-on-one conversations; participants discuss applying what they’ve learned in the programme to their work. It’s easier for employees to defer to leadership for tough decisions. The organisation is learning that we want everyone to participate in discussions and suggest solutions. "I’ve been told this programme has helped some ‘come out of their shell’," summarises Lori.
Objectives of the programme
The participants are highly skilled and educated product engineering and R&D technical experts. The main objectives of the programme were:
- To gain a better understanding of strategy and to reflect it more deeply in one's own work.
- To identify and develop personal strengths with the assistance of self-assessment tools like DISC and 360 evaluation.
- To strengthen the expert career path and foster continuous learning.
- To develop interaction and behavioural skills relevant to strategy, such as a coaching approach and knowledge sharing.
- To have the opportunity to network with colleagues and become aware of the importance of networking in one's own work within a global organisation.