In March 2010 we held an all company AI Summit on the topic One Team One Dream – Ignite the Passion: Feel the Pride: See the Possibilities. The event was a great success at the time however it was only later I realised what a powerful experience it was in terms of change and true empowerment.

Following on from the Summit we implemented both structural and process change and although it created new opportunities and turned possibilities into realities – the process of change also put the organisation and our people under a lot of pressure. That year the memory of the Summit was the glue that held us all together and helped us navigate a fairly demanding and turbulent rest of year. In difficult times people would say to me “I remember at the Summit……” and then tapped into the positive strengths we discovered there. This gave them the energy and motivation to tackle the challenges.

Now it is 2011 and I have to say with pride that we have come through that change in good shape, energised and motivated to take on the next challenges with gusto. We discovered with passion and pride that we are an organisation full of passionate, results driven people who are not afraid of change or the future. We seize the reigns and using appreciative approaches and languages are better equipped to realise our goals both professionally and personally. Focus on what you want more of and leverage all the inherent capabilty we now know we have.

By: Catherine Williams
Human Resources Director
GlaxoSmith Kline