Interfloor
Leading people through major change
Interfloor partnered with Ripple & Co to equip leaders and line managers to communicate clearly, support their people, and maintain trust during a major business transformation, including a factory and office relocation, new teams and new shift patterns.
At a glance
The challenge
A multi-million investment triggered a major change programme, including factory and office relocation and resulting structural changes (new teams and shift patterns). Understandably, this created uncertainty and disruption, with job security the biggest fear for many.
Managers were central to how the change would land day-to-day, but many felt unprepared. Common challenges included:
Avoidance of difficult conversations
Inconsistent messaging, often because managers didn’t have answers but felt pressure to say something
Rising anxiety and rumours, fuelled by gaps in information
“Good” needed to look like managers who could:
Admit when information wasn’t yet available, without undermining confidence
Hold supportive conversations with people struggling or anxious
Communicate consistent messages from senior leadership through to frontline operatives
Help teams stay focused and safe during disruption
What we delivered
A bespoke, three-part modular programme adapted for different seniorities, delivered to everyone with people management responsibility, from senior leadership to frontline managers.
Two versions of the programme were created:
One for SLT and senior managers
One for managers of frontline operatives
Module 1
Supporting You (in-person, half-day)
Built managers’ confidence to understand and manage their own response to change — so they could lead with steadiness and clarity.
Module 2
Supporting Others (in-person, half-day, incorporating Talkworks)
Practical conversation skills training built around Interfloor’s real change pressures, including:
● Bespoke scenarios using actors, with facilitated role play
● Scenario themes included relocation anxiety, job security concerns, and rumours
● Focus on clear, supportive communication under pressure
Module 3
Facilitated group coaching (online, 90 minutes)
A structured space to troubleshoot real live issues, reinforce consistency, and help managers apply what they’d learned week-to-week.
What managers left with:
A practical toolkit, prompts, and conversation plans to use immediately in the workplace
What changed
Observable shifts attributed to the programme included:
Managers initiating conversations earlier, rather than waiting for issues to escalate
Reduced rumours and clearer, more consistent messaging through teams
Better team confidence and engagement through uncertainty
Stronger psychological safety: people more willing to speak up and ask questions
A safer operational environment as focus returned to the job, with less distraction from anxiety and uncertainty
Impact indicators (NOTE FOR SIGN OFF / client approval required before publishing):
Lost-time accident rate reduction (25–30 → 2.4 per million man hours)
5 months accident-free (nearly 400 employees)
Absenteeism 20% below pre-change levels
Average delegate feedback score: Excellent
Why it worked
Entirely designed around Interfloor’s real change pressures, so it felt immediately relevant
Two programme versions ensured the learning matched the reality of senior leaders vs frontline supervisors
Talkworks provided safe rehearsal for high-stakes conversations using actor-led scenarios
Entirely designed around Interfloor’s real change pressures, so it felt immediately relevant
The coaching module reinforced consistency and helped managers deal with live challenges as the change unfolded
What people said
Delegate feedback
“It was designed around what we needed, and Ripple went out of their way to accommodate our needs.”
— Senior delegate
Delegate feedback
“Excellent, well-balanced course. Very beneficial in helping to understand the change process challenges.”
— Manager delegate
Delegate feedback
“It was one of the best facilitated courses I’ve attended for a long time. Bit of a cliché – wish this course was around 30 years ago!!”
— Senior delegate
Talk to us about manager training that supports major change programmes.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes