YTM-Industrial Wanted to Give Managers the Best Tools for Frontline Leadership

YTM-Industrial Oy is a company specializing in industrial solutions and services, employing approximately 90 professionals in Finland. YTM-Industrial Oy is part of the international technology and industrial group Indutrade, which consists of more than 200 companies in over 30 countries around the world.

The Starting Point: Strong Frontline Leadership and SLII®

At Indutrade, Blanchardin SLII® has been included in the group’s shared training programs, and the model was also to be introduced locally for the group’s Finnish subsidiaries. YTM-Industrial, which is part of the group, was the first to seize this opportunity. For YTM-Industrial, developing managerial work had been one of the company’s strategic focus areas.

“Wellbeing at work and its development start with leadership. Good leadership ensures the development of the organization and every individual. Achieving goals and implementing strategy also start with good leadership. We wanted to ensure that managers have the best possible tools for practical frontline leadership,” says Elina Antila, CEO of YTM-Industrial Oy.

A Versatile Training Program for Practical Frontline Leadership

The planning of the training program began in autumn 2023, and the program was carried out during 2024–2025. The starting point for the planning was to build a high-quality and comprehensive learning journey that would create added value for the participants and measurable results for the organization in line with its strategic goals.

The approximately 11-month learning journey included the following main themes and tools:

SLII® — taught leaders how they can help people succeed by providing the right amount of direction and support at the right time, in other words, by using a leadership style that matches each person’s needs.

Building Trust — taught leaders and gave them concrete tools for building trust and restoring lost trust.

Käytännön coaching™ — taught leaders a coaching process and skills designed for practical frontline leadership, and provided tools that help them increase productivity and create an atmosphere of trust and autonomy.

Tiimin toiminnan johtaminen — taught leaders how to lead and organize the operational work of a team.

Johtamistaitojen arviointi II (LAPII) — provided information on leadership effectiveness, flexibility in the use of leadership styles, and respondents’ satisfaction with the manager’s leadership style and the organization. A self-assessment and employee assessment were conducted at the beginning and end of the training program.

Everything DiSC® — helped leaders create more effective interaction both personally and at the organizational level.

Based on the impact assessment carried out in connection with the trainings, 100% of the participants felt that the knowledge and skills they learned during the trainings helped them improve their performance as frontline leaders. 100% of the participants would recommend the trainings to other leaders.

Measuring the Impact of the Training Program

To evaluate the impact of the training program, a measurement strategy was created, defining the methods and measurement points for assessing impact. During the approximately 11-month training program, impact was assessed four times in total, first immediately at the beginning of the program after the first training session. In addition, Johtamistaitojen arviointi II (LAPII), which also involved employees, was carried out at the beginning and end of the program.

In the first phase, the assessment focused on the development of competence and commitment. The next phase focused on behavioral change and the resulting improvement in performance and results.

Immediate Impact on Frontline Leaders’ Competence and Commitment

Immediate results observed right after the trainings included, for example, a 67% improvement in competence and commitment in key coaching skills and the coaching process, a 46% improvement in building trust, a 77% improvement in setting goals, a 54% improvement in selecting and using the required leadership style, and a 50% improvement in holding regular, impactful, and effective one-to-one discussions.

Clear Behavioral Change and Visible Results

The next phase of the impact assessment focused on behavioral change and the resulting improvement in performance and results. This took place approximately 90 days after the SLII® training. At that point, about 30% of the program was still remaining. By then, participants had been able to improve the following areas significantly or very significantly:

• 50% had improved in setting clear goals, action plans, and schedules for achieving goals.
• 80% had improved in assessing how motivated and skilled employees are in achieving their goals or completing their tasks.
• 70% had improved in adapting their leadership style according to employees’ needs.
• 70% had improved in ensuring that expectations related to employees’ work performance are clear.
• 70% had improved in listening actively to gain deeper insight and better understand each employee’s needs and wishes.
• 70% had improved in giving praise and recognizing good work more often, as well as in visibly encouraging employees.
• 100% of the participants also estimated that these improvements had enhanced their team’s performance. Performance was estimated to have improved by an average of 42%.

Clear changes were observed especially in improved communication and interaction, a more open atmosphere, increased trust, stronger collaboration, development of team members’ competence and commitment, clearer goal setting, increased initiative, and bringing the need for appropriate leadership more clearly to the surface.

In addition, 90% of the participants felt that after the training program they were more committed and motivated in their role as a frontline leader, and 90% also estimated that the training program had increased their commitment to the company.

“We have been very satisfied with the training program and its results. The cooperation with Educon personnel and the expertise of the trainers have also been particularly good, as have the regular steering group meetings with HR and management during the training program,” says Elina Antila, CEO of YTM.

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