Case Study: Enhancing Teamwork
The Client. Borden Dairy is one of the most well-known providers of milk and milk products in the United States. Borden provides a wide range of milk, cheese, and dairy products to consumers throughout the US. Borden is known for its quality products and familiar trademark, Elsie the Cow.
The Challenge. Many food production industries must balance the combined pressures of meeting customer demand and moving products with limited shelf life. The Borden environment is fast-paced and relies on sharp teamwork to ensure efficient workflow and on-time production. Borden contacted Trinity Training and Development to enhance communication among team members.
The Solution. Trinity met with senior leadership and plant employees to better understand the team environment, which included a complete facilities tour of the plant’s processes. Trinity then went to work crafting an interactive training session targeting three main outcomes:
- Help managers and team leaders understand personality issues that impact communication among team members
- Develop communication strategies for more productive dialogue and build greater levels of cooperation
- Craft clear action plans for sustainable dialogue skills back on the job.
The Results. Borden management reported that the session far exceeded their expectations, and conveyed the following impact:
- Improved communication throughout the plant, resulting in lower stress and stronger cooperation among team members
- Confidence in working through difficult conversations
- Decreased conflict and tension due to greater appreciation for diverse workplace communication styles
- Overall relationship-building among teams, as a result of training exercises.
“Thank you for the wonderful training session with our management staff at Borden Dairy. The feedback, interaction, and focus by all participants were phenomenal and well received. Your positive attitude and professionalism enlightened us in our understanding of our own, and our peers’ different communication and behavioral styles. Your energy and hard work in preparing for our training session and the results received exceeded our expectations.”
~ Dale Brunswick, Comptroller, Borden Dairy