SICK is a leading sensor manufacturer, developing and supplying an ever-expanding range of
products to aid the smooth running of factory automation processes. These products include
industrial sensors, machine safety systems, environmental process and analysis
instrumentation and auto ident devices. The Group employs over 5,000 people in 30 countries
around the world.

Managing Director of SICK UK and Ireland is Alan Reeves, who took up the position in 2002
and, as Alan says, “inherited a senior management team which was lacking direction. Several
managers moved on but the team still contained a number of individuals, including myself,
with widely disparate backgrounds. We needed a better understanding of each other’s roles
and potential if we were really going to pull together and perform effectively.”

“I’m a great believer in good teamwork as a key driver of both individual and company
performance. Developing a team culture from within the company, however, was not going to
be easy simply because you find that in most teams there’s a least one member who believes
their way of doing things is the right way!” said Alan. “To get individuals to improve the way in
which they communicate with their colleagues so they are better informed, managed and
motivated needs professional coaching which we certainly could not deliver internally.”

“The organisation we chose to do this was MR Dynamics. I had already met Marcus Hoyle of
MRD and was impressed with what MRD had to offer, even on first meeting, although only on
working with MRD would we find out just how successful they would turn out to be!” Alan
pointed out. “Already in the last twelve months they have achieved a great deal through three
programmes – management training and individual coaching, a staff survey, and a
performance review, including company-wide orientation sessions.

“Each programme was tailored to our needs, not just pulled off the shelf and re-gurgitated
which has sometimes been my experience with other companies similar to MRD. The
programmes and training and coaching sessions were all run in-house at our headquarters in
St Albans, Herts, and produced some very positive results. Even senior managers who were
initially sceptical about MRD’s proposals have now been persuaded of the benefits and are
taking an active part in monitoring progress as we put the MRD programmes, and the
‘coaching culture’ they have created, into practice,” said Alan.

Alan Reeves and his SICK colleagues are now working with MRD on an ongoing basis, both
to refresh and re-inforce the training which has already been carried out and to implement
further programmes for 2008 and beyond. These will include team training, leadership training
and help with internal ‘people systems.’

A final word from Alan Reeves. “As a result of our very positive relationship with MRD, and
what they have helped us to achieve so far, people are communicating more effectively, they
have a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses and, importantly, they
are much more motivated. This is already starting to show in overall performance and
company profitability.”