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Documentum’s Winning Strategy: Developing Leaders Remains Top Priority
Documentum, a leader in the highly competitive enterprise content management arena, has remained committed to supporting great people and developing their ability to lead—even as other firms in its industry were felled by a down economy. Although Documentum has downsized in the past, its investment in leadership development has never wavered.
Training Director Bryan Gillette explains, "Developing people is a non-negotiable priority for us. Especially in a challenging economic environment, we are constantly reminded that our value lies in our people. Increasing their ability to lead is instrumental to the continued success of our company."
When Documentum first approached Advantage partner Kent Houston, managers’ responsibilities were expanding rapidly. An internal survey had revealed that employees wanted more focused support from their managers, so Houston helped develop a workshop that taught managers how to improve their coaching skills. He also referred Documentum into the pilot of Conductor. In this self-discovery experience from Real Learning Company, managers learn the best practices that help leaders become effective coaches and mentors. Documentum had input in moving the program from beta to final product.
 Retaining Top-Notch Employees
Two years later, Documentum had evolved along with its industry. "Growth was still important," says Gillette, "but our competitive driver by that time was attracting and retaining top-notch employees. We often use the quote, ‘People join companies; they leave managers.’ We wanted an initiative that would help people want to build a career with us."
Gillette and Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Joe Gabbert, conceived a Leadership College that would help managers throughout the company accelerate their success, and also have a positive effect on customers and profitability. Houston and Gillette began to develop a curriculum based on fundamentals that reflected the company’s values: People, Teamwork, Customers, and Excellence. "Then we said, ‘Wait a minute; something is missing,’" Gillette recalls. "Because people also needed to understand their impact on the bottom line, Financials became the fifth fundamental on which the curriculum was based."
To ensure that managers understood how Documentum generates revenue and how their contributions affect profitability, Houston recommended Celemi’s Apples & Oranges financial literacy simulation. He also recommended Conductor, for its focus on self-awareness, communication, and coaching. Gillette developed additional workshops to round out the curriculum.
The Leadership College
The Leadership College curriculum is delivered in two parts over a total of five days. During three-day Leadership College 101, managers learn what it means to be a leader at Documentum, and investigate their own communication skills. Conductor provides the "how-to’s" of coaching and mentoring.
Several months later, managers complete two-day Leadership College 201. They begin by focusing on external customers—who they are and what constitutes the "ideal customer experience"—and an actual Documentum customer participates in the discussion. Managers then learn how their decisions affect the bottom line by completing the Apples & Oranges financial simulation.
The two-part Leadership College is offered quarterly to all Documentum directors and managers in the U.S. and the U.K. And it’s clearly a winner. Evaluation scores are higher than for any other Documentum courses. One manager said, "I learned more in Leadership College 101 than I did in a semester-long MBA leadership class!" Reasons for the curriculum’s success include the following:
Senior-level support
The curriculum is embraced by top management; the Chairman of the Board and EVP of Human Resources kick off each series. Other top executives are actively involved in teaching and facilitating. At the end of Leadership 101, for example, the CEO and his direct reports convene for a roundtable with participants. "Our CEO sits up on the table and asks managers, ‘what did you learn?’" says Gillette. The CEO also kicks off Leadership College 201, sharing the personal "dashboard" or scorecard that he checks each quarter to make sure he is supporting the stakeholders, customers, employees, and financial community, as his job requires. "People thoroughly enjoy that session. The personal investment in each participant’s success from our top executives has made all the difference," says Gillette.
Self-discovery learning
Because adults learn best via self-discovery learning, very little of the curriculum is lecture-based. The Conductor and Apples & Oranges programs are completely experiential, forcing managers to map the way they and their team members interact, to "run" a company, and to make other discoveries based on their own experience. Even when information is presented via lecture, managers are required to apply it to their own situations. "There’s no doubt that that the best learning happens when people are forced to come to their own conclusions," Gillette says.
Focus on behavioral styles
During Conductor, managers identify their own behavioral styles (A for analytical, E for entrepreneurial, and so on) as well as those of their team members. Advantage consultant Deborah Newton facilitates the sessions. "The learning comes from becoming aware of your own communication style and preferences, which leads to appreciation of other styles," she says. "Conductor also allows us to get across the key message of the coach as an inspirational leader." Gillette takes an active role by attending managers’ meetings back on the job and running mini-versions of the behavioral styles segment with internal teams.
Financial literacy: the language of business
Celemi’s Apples & Oranges financial simulation gives participants hands-on experience running a hypothetical company and making the decisions that affect profitability. Advantage partner Mario Raia, who facilitates the program, worked closely with Gillette and Documentum’s CFO to customize the exercises. "We believe that every leader needs to understand what Apples & Oranges teaches," says Gillette. "We tell our managers, ‘if you don’t know how to impact the bottom line, or understand your effect on external customers, then you’re not in the right job.’"
The College Pays Its Way
An important result of the Leadership College has been the retention of outstanding managers. One manager had been on the verge of leaving the company. When asked why she decided to stay, she explained that her style was "A" (analytical) while her boss was the opposite: "E" (entrepreneurial). She recalled, "If I hadn’t gone through the Leadership courses, I would have quit—or been fired. Once I realized that my manager and I just had different styles, the light turned on. This was the best thing that ever happened."
Gillette can quantify the benefit the training has had on the bottom line. "Estimate that the cost of turnover is about 1 times the salary for junior people and up to 3 times the salary for a more senior person. If I can keep five great people as a result of this curriculum, which happened right away, the curriculum cost is justified. Even more importantly, we are able to create the kind of culture that will continue to retain great people over the long term."
Gillette says that the ability of the Advantage team to consistently deliver the right solution for the right need has been dramatic. "An important reason why the Leadership College is successful is that we have an excellent relationship with Advantage. Partnering with Kent and the team has definitely made my life a lot easier." A committed leader in his own right, Gillette also shares best practices with other tech leaders with whom Advantage partners.
Houston says. "As Documentum grows and the company continues to change, our top priority is to adapt to its evolving needs. What’s particularly exciting about partnering with Documentum is that this company is so committed to developing leaders that nothing gets in the way. When you have that kind of focus and commitment, the sky’s the limit in terms of sustaining competitive success."
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