CASE STUDY 3

Capability building and Manager Enablement at Scale Across Diverse Markets

A global FMCG organisation operating across 12 markets needed a way to align leadership and coaching standards without slowing down execution. Learn how managers improved execution consistency, corrected performance issues faster, and strengthened leadership capability across diverse cultural contexts.

Service category: Capability Building & Manager Enablement

Transformation scenario: Rollout of a competency model and coaching methodology across a multi-country organisation

Sector: FMCG / Consumer Products

Geography: Europe (anonymised)

Context Enabling managers across a complex, multi-country FMCG organisation

Organisation: Global FMCG company with regional headquarters overseeing 12 countries, ~4,000 employees across office functions, manufacturing, and a large field sales population.

Strategic intent: Establish a common leadership and coaching standard that would improve execution and accountability in high-growth markets
and enable managers to translate strategy into day-to-day performance.

Business challenge Scaling manager capability without losing relevance

Highly diverse languages, cultures, and leadership norms across 12 countries.
Strong differences in management approaches between office-based leaders and sales managers leading remote, target-driven teams.
Managers are under intense commercial pressure with limited time for training.
Low engagement unless immediate, practical value was demonstrated.
Risk that “HR frameworks” would be seen as theoretical, bureaucratic, or irrelevant.

Role Capability building and manager enablement at scale

A pragmatic, field-tested rollout of a global competency model translated into daily management behaviour, supported by a coaching methodology embedded in real sales routines.

Focus:

Turn an abstract global model into usable, manager-ready tools.
Enable managers to coach for performance, not “have better conversations”.
Drive behavioural consistency across countries without cultural flattening.

Approach: translating competencies into real managerial behaviour

01: Local needs assessment across markets

Interviews with sales managers, sales reps, HR, and country leaders across markets.
Mapping gaps between global competency definitions and actual field behaviours.
Identification of “non-negotiable” leadership behaviours and critical business moments (performance feedback, underperformance conversations, coaching sales results, leading across cultures).

02: Competency model translation into observable behaviours

Reframed competencies into observable sales management behaviours.
Clear differentiation between field sales and office line managers.
Behavioural indicators written in plain, observable language.

03: Coaching methodology tailored to business reality

Introduced a lightweight coaching framework adaptable to sales check-ins, territory reviews, and underperformance conversations.
Positioned coaching as a performance accelerator, not a developmental “nice-to-have”.
Emphasis on asking better questions, clear expectations, and accountability without micromanagement.

04: Modular, time-efficient rollout across countries

Short, high-impact modules embedded into existing meetings and sales forums.
Core materials translated and culturally adapted.
Practical workshops focused on real manager cases, not theory.

05: Manager enablement tools for daily use

Coaching conversation guides linked to competencies.
Observation checklists for field coaching.
Simple self-assessment for managers to track their own behavioural shift.
Practical examples drawn from real sales scenarios in each region.

06: Reinforcing immediate value and credibility

Use of real performance scenarios from sales and office environments.
Quick wins showcased to build credibility and engagement.
Managers practised conversations they would have the next day, not “someday”.
Integration of competencies into performance management and talent reviews.

Results and business impact Consistent execution, faster performance correction, stronger bench

Improved sales execution consistency across markets: the rollout reduced variability in how managers set objectives, review performance, and address underperformance, driving more predictable execution across 12 countries.
Faster performance correction in the field: managers moved from reactive problem-solving to structured coaching, shortening the time needed to address underperformance in territories and accounts.
Higher productivity of sales managers: coaching was embedded into existing sales routines, reducing time lost to repeated escalation and issue handling.
Stronger bench strength for sales leadership roles: clear behavioural expectations and coaching capability improved readiness of high-potential managers for larger territories and regional roles, reducing reliance on external hires.
Enhanced quality of performance conversations: regional leaders reported more outcome-driven discussions, with clearer linkages between behaviours, actions, and business results.

Why does this matter for organisations in France?

This case demonstrates how manager capability building can succeed at scale, even across cultures and languages.
This approach shows the importance of pragmatic, business-first design when time and attention are scarce.
Particularly relevant for organisations with: multi-site operations, sales or field teams, managers promoted for technical or commercial expertise rather than leadership skills.

Ready to empower your managers to lead change at scale?

Start with capability building and manager enablement

When managers operate under pressure across sites, countries, and cultures, capability building must deliver immediate business value. A focused manager capability assessment and coaching framework can create clarity, consistency, and confidence—without adding complexity.