Scaling Leadership Development
Founded in 1887, Skanska is a global leader in construction and project development, based in Sweden, with over 27,000 employees and revenues exceeding $14 billion. Renowned for innovative and sustainable design, Skanska aimed to explore scalable and cost-effective methods for developing soft skills throughout the organisation.
Skanska aimed to explore scalable and cost-effective methods for developing soft skills throughout the organisation. Matthias Magnell, a future-oriented leader, identified the potential of AI coaching for cultural transformation and enhancing leadership capabilities, areas previously addressed through traditional modalities like workshops. The problem identified was a lack of time management, which triggered a cascade of other challenges across the organisation. Skanska thought it could benefit by having a more skilled and capable middle management team whose personal and professional development would have a significant impact on the organisation's performance.
- →Improve management team skills and capabilities at scale
- →Deploy scalable AI coaching across the entire organisation
- →Enhance productivity and address time management challenges across middle management
Skanska implemented the Pandatron AI coaching platform to bolster leadership development, primarily improving the soft skills of leaders and department managers, with a particular focus on middle management.
The Panda AI Coach provided digital coaching interactions for regular and meaningful dialogues, facilitating discussion on work-related challenges. These interactions had strategic intent built around a curriculum designed to achieve programme goals.
The coaching programme was structured with monthly theme sessions related to problem solving, personal development and time management, giving leaders tools to improve their professional lives and manage work-related stress.
Development paradigms such as ICF-standard coaching, systemic coaching, and the Lean framework were used, prompting employees to envision their roles within the context of a more productive and efficient Skanska, fostering a proactive, improvement-oriented culture.
The impact of Pandatron at Skanska was measurable and immediate. Monthly insights enhanced leadership skills and clarified the support organisation. The results validated AI coaching as a scalable alternative to traditional development modalities.
We reached the same level of behavior change with 2 months of AI coaching as we would in 6 months with what we normally do.
We saw the same number of people benefit as we typically see with executive coaching.
That's why we signed the contract to scale AI coaching to 10,000 people. Skanska is now positioned to extend these results across its full workforce, with AI coaching becoming a core pillar of its people development strategy.
- →Equivalent behavior change achieved in 2 months versus the typical 6 months with traditional methods
- →Engagement levels matched those typically seen only with executive coaching programmes
- →Contract signed to scale AI coaching to 10,000 employees across the organisation
- →Monthly insights enhanced leadership skills and clarified the support organisation structure
Skanska's adoption of Pandatron demonstrated that scalable AI coaching can match, and in some cases exceed, the outcomes of traditional leadership development programmes. The organisation is now positioned to extend these results across its full workforce, with AI coaching becoming a core pillar of its people development strategy.
We reached the same level of behavior change with 2 months of AI coaching as we would in 6 months with what we normally do. Also, we saw the same number of people benefit as we typically see with executive coaching. That's why we signed the contract to scale AI coaching to 10,000 people.
Mattias Magnell · Strategy, Organisation and Leadership Development, Skanska