Shell Chemicals is one of the world’s leading chemicals suppliers. With a heritage of over 85 years and manufacturing facilities around the world, Shell Chemicals supply over 17 million tonnes of petrochemicals per year to large industrial customers.

Central to Shell Chemicals’ strategic vision is the conviction that individuals and their combined behaviours ultimately hold the key to long term success. Just Add Water were asked to lead an exploration of current culture and, working with the Executive Team, to articulate the behaviours and mind-set required to make their vision a reality before co-creating and implementing a powerful programme of lasting change.

We interviewed Executive Team members and ran workshops with a cross section of the Shell Chemicals population to uncover how the existing culture helped or hindered progress. The output was collectively reviewed; a common set of behaviours that the organisation felt were critical to success, but not widespread, were identified.

A hand-picked design team worked with us to develop a distinctive engagement programme; one that would excite and inspire individuals to explore for themselves and for their colleagues why they do what they do and the change in behaviour they were personally energised to undertake.

With senior leaders, we co-facilitated over 70 sessions across Europe, US and Asia; with behavioural theory, group conversations, physical activity and 3-way coaching teams. The engagement approach included three separate workshops for all, where personal stories of change were shared and strong bonds between individuals were created.

Engaging people in Shell Chemicals around new behaviours has translated into different conversations about what individuals can and should focus on, and how they need to lead themselves and others. People are more energised and more willing to engage in difficult conversations in pursuit of the right outcome. There is a noticeable willingness for individuals to be more vulnerable, sharing aspects of their lives that previously they might have chosen not to, leading to levels of trust hitherto unseen. People are openly talking about feeling less isolated, more connected to colleagues and part of something exciting.