Binge Thinking

Go MAD Thinking wins award for increasing profits for the Co-op

Well the awards just keep coming this year. On Wednesday 20 October we were announced winners, for our work with The Midcounties Cooperative, for the Providing Education & Training category in the National Training Awards (East Midlands). Organised on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) by UK Skills, The National Training Awards honour those who have made an outstanding contribution and commitment to training in the workplace.

We were bought in to work with the Co-op following the merger of Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op and West Midlands Co-op to create a new business: The Midcounties Co-operative. It is a diverse operation that spans funeral homes, travel agencies, food retail stores, pharmacies, motor dealerships, estates management, post offices, childcare nurseries and head office support functions.

Said Trish Poole, Group General Manager at The Midcounties Co-op: "This programme was created to bring together the people from two organisations to share knowledge and a focus in order to increase effectiveness in the Society and move it forward - and it is succeeding. The measurable differences stem from the common language that people can now talk - it is about people being more creative about solutions." The benefits of the Go MAD Thinking 'Team Midcounties' programme far exceeded the Co-op's initial aims. Trading profits have increased by an incredible 25.8% in 2008. Managers now understand how the Executive think, work and what they expect. They all have a common language and way of working. One of the most visible successes of the programme was the 'Midcounties Got Talent' innovation scheme, which generated over 620 team entries from across the organisation and from all levels on ideas to take the organisation forward. Most of the ideas entered are being put into action. The Midcounties Co-op reports a 76 per cent employee engagement score with the innovation scheme and conservatively estimates a return on their training investment of at least 400%.