CASE STUDY
"We finally closed the gap between what we say we’ll do better and what actually changes."
A leading UK energy and power contractor was facing significant delivery challenges across multiple major contracts.
With projects spanning England, Wales and Scotland, the business unit was under pressure to deliver complex infrastructure safely and profitably, while building long-term trust with clients in an evolving energy landscape.
Despite having pockets of strong performance, the leadership team knew there were repeat patterns holding them back: inconsistent project outcomes, strained client relationships and missed opportunities to transfer learning across regions. The Managing Director recognised that to unlock better delivery, they needed to step back, understand what was really happening, and turn lessons learned into clear actions.
How Advance supported.
Having worked with this senior sponsor across multiple leadership roles in other sectors, Advance was trusted to deliver an independent, honest and actionable learning capture process.
We designed a robust, multi-stage approach using our trademarked ACTIVATE® diagnostic:
- Confidential insight gathering: We ran an anonymous survey with 30+ key team members, asking for candid reflections on what worked well, what didn’t, and what “good” should look like in the future.
- Thematic analysis: Our team used a mix of AI-supported sifting and expert review to protect confidentiality while pulling out the clearest patterns and hidden insights.
- Learning Workshop: We brought the whole business unit together for a full-day collaborative session, using our ‘Keep, Start, Improve, Discard’ framework. Teams mixed across functions and regions, surfacing tough truths, challenging assumptions, and co-creating practical actions.
- Action Planning: We didn’t just stop at ‘lessons learned.’ We facilitated structured planning so these insights fed directly into the business strategy for the next financial year, with clear owners, priorities and timelines.
- Follow-Up & Accountability: Three months later, we revisited the actions agreed to check on progress, provide challenge and support, and ensure the learning turned into real delivery improvements.
The challenge.
The leadership team had been stable and successful for some time. This project wasn’t about fixing dysfunction, it was about raising the bar even further.
James wanted to invest in his people, providing them with the space to reflect, understand their individual and team dynamics, and sharpen their focus as they deliver the company’s strategic goals.
The brief to Advance was simple: help us be even better.
Why it worked.
Psychological Safety: By acting as an independent, trusted ‘data keeper’, we created the safe space needed for honest, often uncomfortable truths to surface, the kind that never show up in polite progress reports.
Practical, Not Performative: Too often, ‘lessons learned’ ends with a file on a shelf. Our structured approach connected the insights directly to live strategy, so lessons didn’t get lost, they got implemented.
Clear Ownership: Our follow-up approach made the actions stick. Teams knew we’d be back to check on progress, holding space for accountability without blame.
Reusable Model: The same methodology has since been reused in other divisions, creating a repeatable, scalable way for the client to build an embedded learning culture.
The Results.
The output wasn’t just a 40-page report (though they got that too). It was five key themes woven directly into their annual business plan, shaping how they deliver energy projects more effectively, strengthen client trust, and future-proof performance in a rapidly changing sector.
A note on context
This use case reflects how Advance helps organisations turn fragmented experience into collective, practical improvement, not just once, but every time. By embedding better ways to capture and act on learning, teams become more resilient, adaptable and future-ready.
Ready to make learning stick?
If your organisation wants to move beyond tick-box lessons learned and build a culture where learning really drives performance, let’s talk.
Learn more about our approach and how we help complex sectors like energy build high-trust, high-performance teams, from project start to project legacy.
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