AstraZeneca turns “Cinderella” employees into stars : Training builds a coherent team out of 24 project managers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Oakridge Training and Consulting helped AstraZeneca to develop a training program in teamwork for its information‐services (IS) project managers. Design/methodology/approach – Discusses a three‐day workshop that focused on developing individual learning skills, which was followed by a program focused on developing team spirit. Findings – Reveals that the project managers were encouraged to think practically about responding as an individual as well as part of a team, to question and to practice what they had learned. Describes how attendance at training sessions increased from 55 percent at the start of the program to around 98 percent. Practical implications – Advances the view that the project managers see the sessions as a good opportunity to share problems, learn with colleagues and support other team members. Originality/value – Contends that the training has developed a sense of belonging, and that team members have begun to trust the group to help solve problems.