In line with the group’s culture and strategy, Reale Mutua has been implementing meaningful and innovative growth paths focused on developing the most talented collaborators.
We have talked about this with Marcello Bugari, Academy and Internal Communication Director at Reale Group.
by Roberto Monti, Sales Manager and Partner VisionMind
The interview with Marcello Bugari was published in the March 2017 issue of the quarterly AIDP Direzione del Personale (page 34). The editorial board of DdP has kindly granted reproduction rights.
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Reale Group employs over 3,000 employees and operates in Italy and Spain through Reale Mutua Assicurazioni and its subsidiaries, ranging from the insurance (Italiana Assicurazioni, Reale Seguros, Reale Vida), real estate (Reale Immobili, Reale Igarsa), to services (Banca Reale, Blue Assistance, Reale Ites, Italnext).
A particularly active group considering its involvement in several insurance associations and corporate social responsibility initiatives focused on experience exchange and internationalism.
In this context, the primary role is played by Reale Mutua Assicurazioni: based in Turin, with over 1,100 employees, 3.8 million customers, 350 branches across the country. A company that is aware of affiliation since policyholders become partners of the company and enjoy numerous benefits.
What’s it like managing development in Reale Mutua, and what are the main objectives you intend to reach?
We are going through some challenges due to technological innovations that affect social behaviors based on the different generational targets and force companies to change, even their execution, to stay competitive. In this scenario, besides working on implementing and streamlining processes, we have to put people at the core to support their professional development and leadership: two distinctive elements to reach increasingly challenging goals. This is why the Academy of Reale Group and the Communication, Training, and Development functions are fundamental to prepare our group for the future and guide it through the internationalization we are currently in.
It’s interesting to see how you evaluate and deal with the topic of Talent Management, intergenerationally, non just for young talents. Can you tell us more?
Enhancing people is one of the central values of our Group; we strive to recognize and develop talent in everyone and invest in those who are going to cover critical roles, therefore embodying the concept of long-life employability.
Talent Management is one of the pillars we have built, in partnership with Management and our Development function's direct commitment to managing the Talent Program. This program includes a career path to develop individual potential and make it available to new projects the Group is launching; creating development plans and ad hoc experiments help young colleagues understand the new vision and the new framework on their talents and competencies. Our program is not just for the younger generations. Seniors are welcome as well: a high-value population that - through the appropriate support - can effectively contribute to achieving goals and guarantee transfer of excellent know-how.
Does contamination among different generations to develop talent work? In your opinion, what are the winning aspects?
We shouldn't fall into the stereotype that says that only younger generations lead to change. We have noticed along the way that it’s a matter of mindset, regardless of age: there are people from any generation that can make a valid contribution. Our job is to work on generational integration: we believe generationally diverse teams are more likely to reach goals by combining energy, experience, and different approaches. We need to activate intergenerational networks as much as we possibly can.
The use of reverse mentoring is particularly fascinating: can you talk us through?
Contamination has many practical aspects: reverse mentoring is one of them. Within Reale Group, we pair a manager and a young talent together precisely because they can mutually influence one another. The manager provides vision models, strategy, and leadership, while the young talent contributes with a social media-like approach, digital tools, and the freshness of new ideas. This path is aimed at the board, our managers, and millennials: we want them to foster ongoing positive confrontation.
Reale Group embarked on a massive process of internationalization some time ago. What kinds of opportunities are opening up in this regard for your people?
We're developing a new startup in Chile, we've been present in Spain for quite some time, and just recently, we've entered into a European network of mutual and insurance organizations. We seek profound, international contamination, not only cultural but also as an opportunity for best practices sharing. The global market is a great challenge to us and an opportunity for experimentation and for our people's individual growth. We have international development plans, mobility plans, and international masters as part of our development initiatives.
Reale Group focuses on change and innovation issues in particular: how are these handled in practice?
We first started by creating a competent center: the Innovation Team, who is in charge of pushing and spreading innovation and through examples from outside the company. We intend to involve people from the Group to create a widespread innovation through several initiatives, such as Innovation Facing Change to raise awareness among the younger generations on activating creative thinking and generating innovative ideas, or international labs on the insurance business.
The Academy you run is in charge of the 2016-2018 strategic plan that revolves around the pillars Be The Change, Drive Your Growth, Lead Your People: how are they expressed? Which tools are given to your people?
They are three drivers consistent with the Group's needs: bring innovation and change and remain competitive in a market that will change drastically in the next few years. We need to get people onboard through widespread engagement actions. Be the Change means taking charge of the protagonists of internal change management processes. Drive Your Growth means promoting measures to raise accountability, self-efficacy, employability, defining adequate development plans. Lead Your People is mostly aimed at mid-managers for the evolution of their personal leadership: the Group has designed a new leadership model that focuses on enhancing and growing collaborators.
Our company is building an ecosystem of personal services, but personal development is an individual responsibility.
This way, we help people build a vision of their own development by accepting the challenges that lie ahead. We work on different levels: with training-on-the-job tools, but mostly by introducing tools that have a higher impact on people's development, such as Mentoring and individual and team Coaching. As for the latter, we're developing competencies within the Group, and some colleagues are ICF certified, and some others are becoming soon.
Could you share two practical examples of successful initiatives and the goals you have achieved?
I can mention the Enhancing, Guidance, and Development project for young people, aimed at under-31 millennials, including a diagnosis process to develop individual potential. Another case was the New Leadership Model project that allowed managers and middle managers to reflect on expected leadership behaviors and work on individual boosting programs through Feedback 360°.
How can you truly help someone recognize, value, develop their talent, and make it work for themselves, their team, and their organization?
The starting point is definitely supporting the person in raising awareness of their skills, ability, and talent. It's all about guiding people through change by working in a dynamic, increasingly fluid, and interconnected context where social relations are the leverage to promote development. We know this is not a walk in the park, as it urges everyone to leave their comfort zones. Being willing to 'put yourself out there' is essential. We have created the development paradigm: the company creates an ecosystem of personal services, but personal development is an individual responsibility (Self Empowerment). Putting yourself out there means learning how to learn. To quote Jack Welch, "When the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near." When people do the same job for too long, they lose their employability, and the company loses its competitiveness against the world.
Consulting Mentoring and reverse mentoring
