Bekaert

Bekaert International are a steel wire manufacturer based in Belgium, but operating in the US market. This market presented the company with a number of challenges and exciting opportunities for their wire products. These opportunities could only be realized if the company’s management team were prepared for the challenge. Therefore, the company sought the help of IMCA who together with Bekaert identified two key directives:

• To develop and implement appropriate plans to increase effectiveness in the marketplace.
  
• To provide opportunities for individuals to develop their personal effectiveness, managerial skills and expertise.

To achieve these objectives the courses would be delivered via a series of workshops. The course included the following stages:

• Stage one - Start up, covering the development of managerial skills, marketing concepts and organization issues.
  
• Stage two - Team projects completed which were identified as being of critical importance to the company.
  
• Stage three - Sessions devoted to competitive analysis and financial management.
  
• Stage four - Presentations by associates to senior management on their courses findings and recommendations for implementation.
  

The course proved to be successful. Projects devised on the course took time to implement but were used to address the organization’s strategic challenges. The associates who devised the plans were also given the responsibility for carrying them out and such ‘ownership’ ensures lasting commitment. The marketing director expressed his satisfaction with IMCA action learning: “We looked for the best training suited to our needs — action learning teaches not only the knowledge, but also the skills of how to do it”.