Mattel

CHAMPIONING CHANGE AT MATTEL

Mattel is the best-known toy brand in the world, and generations of children have spent many happy hours playing with Mattel toys. When it comes to organizational change, however, the makers of Barbie™ and Hot Wheels™ don’t play around.

In May 2000, Mattel, Inc., under new CEO Bob Eckert, began a sweeping turnaround program. A new management team was brought in, new employees were hired, new teams created, and new agendas set. “Developing people” was identified as one of the key business agendas to drive the company’s overall vision of “Being the World’s Premier Toy Brands—Today and Tomorrow.” To support this strategy Mattel, Inc. created a new leadership development department. One of the challenges for Mattel’s leadership development staff was to identify strategies for integrating new people and building new teams effectively and quickly.

In May 2001, Mary Choi, Ph.D., joined Mattel as manager of organization development within the leadership development group. Her mandate was to create and implement systems and processes to drive positive change. She quickly saw the need for teambuilding interventions in several segments of the organization she supported to clarify roles and improve communications and interpersonal functioning. Choi, whose doctorate is in organizational psychology, was familiar from her work at a previous company with the Behavioral Style and Values assessment tools used by Milestones, Inc. She knew that these tools would be invaluable in getting several of Mattel’s new teams within the organizations she supported up to speed.

INTERNAL CHAMPION AS TRAINER
Choi engaged Milestones, Inc. to help based on its expertise with the tools she had chosen. Madelon Miles suggested an “internal champion” strategy for Mattel. The key to the strategy is to train an executive of the company in the use of the appropriate tools and techniques. This internal champion then assumes the role of trainer and implements the tools over an extended period of time. Based on Choi’s education and experience, this strategy was appropriate for Mattel.

Madelon ran teambuilding events with the Barbie Product Planning Group and the Global Information Technology Leadership Team. Choi attended the sessions, “sponging” as much information as possible and focusing on how to effectively integrate the use of this tool in other organizations within Mattel. A quick study, Choi then began running programs on her own, including one for the IT organization in Amsterdam. At Madelon’s suggestion, Choi is also pursuing professional certification in the assessment tools Milestones uses.

“The internal champion is an exciting approach,” says Madelon, “because it adds credibility and accountability to the process. That increases employee buy-in and program effectiveness.” Choi agrees, noting that employees sometimes see outside training as “an event” and may not accept it as wholeheartedly as they do when the training comes from a company insider.

An insider is also more aware of other factors that may impact the effectiveness of teambuilding, such as the effects of personnel promotions, brand management issues, and interdepartmental rivalries. Choi believes the internal champion is a good approach “because the insider can easily monitor and adapt to changing situations.”

After conducting the initial programs, Milestones, Inc. will consult with organizational development managers as needed. The firm can provide coaching on specific issues, help refine strategies, and keep the client up-to-date with the latest tools and tactics. For organizations implementing an extended program, the internal champion is an efficient and cost effective solution.

By encouraging clients to work independently,” adds Madelon. “It’s our interpretation of the famous dictum ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, become trained and certified in specific tools, we empower and feed them for a lifetime.’