Archives: Changepartners Stories

Tesonet, one of the largest technology companies in the Baltic States, is known as an accelerator for next-generation IT products, with a strong focus on cybersecurity solutions.

With over 3,600 employees and clients in more than 80 countries, Tesonet continues to invest in and develop innovative, game-changing products. But with rapid growth and global reach comes a key challenge: how to ensure smooth collaboration, effective leadership, and a strong organizational culture across diverse teams.

The Challenge

Tesonet’s leadership recognized that success depends not only on technical expertise but also on people’s ability to understand each other, work together, and grow as leaders. They needed a simple yet powerful method to create a shared language around differences, reduce friction, and unlock collaboration.

That’s why they turned to Authorized Everything DiSC® Partner in their market – IPB Partners.

The Approach

Tesonet’s Learning & Development Partner enrolled in the DiSC Certification program, enabling them to facilitate DiSC-based learning sessions internally. Since then, DiSC has become a cornerstone of their L&D strategy across three areas:

1. Team Bonding & Collaboration

DiSC sessions help teams build stronger connections, uncover personal strengths, and recognize challenge areas. Teams use the model to reduce miscommunication, build trust, and find practical solutions to interpersonal conflicts.

2. Leadership Development

For both current managers and future leaders, DiSC provides insights into leadership styles and blind spots. These insights form the basis for personalized development plans that prepare people managers to lead with authenticity and adaptiveness.

3. Soft Skills Training

From effective communication and conflict resolution to giving feedback, DiSC is embedded into Tesonet’s training programs. By understanding how different DiSC styles perceive communication, employees expand their skills and adapt their approach, resulting in more effective and respectful interactions.

The Results

Tesonet embraced the Everything DiSC® Catalyst™ platform, a personalized, interactive solution that integrates DiSC learning into the daily workflow. The impact was immediate and visible:

• Employee Recognition: DiSC workshops were voted by staff as the most valuable internal training program.

• Improved Collaboration: Teams reported a deeper understanding of each other, fewer miscommunication-based conflicts, and stronger cooperation.

• Leadership Growth: Managers gained clarity on their strengths and development needs, creating targeted growth plans.

• Enhanced Soft Skills: Employees became more adaptable communicators, fostering an open and constructive culture.

Voices from Tesonet

The real impact is best described by the participants themselves:

• “I gathered a lot of information about my team and useful insights on different types of people. This will be very helpful in everyday life.”

• “I got to know my team members much better. We found ways to complement each other and improve as a team.”

• “People differ. If you face misunderstandings in communication, focus on their profile—their goals, motives, and fears—not just your own.”

Tesonet’s journey with DiSC® demonstrates how a shared language of behavior can transform collaboration, strengthen leadership, and boost organizational culture. For a fast-growing global tech company, DiSC has proven to be more than a training tool—it’s become a strategic accelerator of people’s success.

The Client

Playtech is the world’s largest provider of online gaming and sports betting software—and one of Estonia’s standout unicorns. Known for delivering cutting-edge solutions to leading industry operators, Playtech’s rapid global expansion underscored a crucial question for its HR team: How can we support our leaders’ growth and unify leadership practices across the organization?

Solution: A Global, Virtual Manager Development Program

Together with Playtech’s HR team, Change Partners co-designed and delivered Playtech’s first-ever global development program for new managers. Over a 10-month period, they conducted 38 virtual sessions, totaling 86 training hours, and brought together 90 people leads from multiple countries.

The program featured a structured journey of six key modules:

1. My Role as a Manager

2. Understanding Myself and My Team

3. Managerial Communication—Why, What, When & How

4. Building Commitment and Capability in Your Team

5. Coaching-Based Leadership

These modules were reinforced using powerful tools like Everything DiSC Catalyst profiles, Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Behaviors, and practical coaching and change management tools to ensure real-world application.

For senior and middle leaders, we developed a separate leadership track focused on building high-performing teams, honing strategic thinking, championing leadership development, and fostering sponsor-led coaching.

The Impact

Why this program was a success

• Scalable and Global: A fully virtual training model with interactive tools made it accessible and consistent across borders.

• Holistic Skills Development: From self-awareness to communication to coaching—leaders were equipped end-to-end.

• Real-World Application: DiSC and team dynamics tools weren’t just theoretical—they directly influenced leadership habits.

• Mindset Transformation: The greatest gains came from those “aha” moments that changed how managers see their role.

Overview

Lithuania‘s location has throughout its history always made it one of the main transportation hubs in Europe and thus played a huge part in the country’s economy. Girteka Logistics is the largest asset-based transport company in Europe with over 24,500 employees. They are constantly growing and their employees‘ careers grow with them: as many as 77% of the company’s managers have made a career within the company.

In recent years they have found big success with their internal training program, “My Leadership Journey.” Aimed at nurturing first-time managers, the program focuses on the critical transition from individual contributors to leaders managing teams. Emphasizing self-awareness and diversity, Girteka has found an indispensable ally in the DiSC personality tool, enhancing the effectiveness of this transformative program.

Program Highlights

Impactful Outcomes

The DiSC Difference

Initially employing DiSC Classic® profiles as part of the program, Girteka recently upgraded to Everything DiSC®, finding it more user-friendly and practical with its additional report options (ie the Comparison and Supplemental reports). DiSC profiles have been instrumental in reinforcing key messages of the program and fostering deeper self-awareness among participants.

Follow-Up and Continuity

While “My Leadership Journey” program is a one-off experience, Girteka ensures ongoing development through opportunities for the same managers to engage in discussions focused on their development goals. As a next potential step, continuing with DiSC to develop the managerial/leadership aspect (ie Everything DiSC Management profile) might be a valuable option.

Conclusion

“My Leadership Journey,” with its strategic incorporation of the DiSC tool, stands as a testament to Girteka’s commitment to developing insightful, self-aware, and diverse leaders.

Magnetic Group keeps the aviation business running with its suite of products for airlines, MROs, manufacturers, and asset owners. Its business is divided into four distinctive sectors:

Headquartered in Estonia and spread across multiple locations worldwide, they have a dedicated team of 700+ professionals.

Goals

The journey with DiSC began with a clear mission—to improve interpersonal relationships, communication, and teamwork in various settings. Let’s take a closer look at how Magnetic MRO integrated DiSC into their organization’s internal trainings.

Magnetic Group’s goals for their internal trainings were:

Goal #1: Enhancing Self-Awareness

Magnetic Group recognized the value of self-awareness and sought to help participants understand their own behavioral preferences and tendencies. This deeper understanding empowered individuals to navigate their professional and personal lives more effectively.

Goal #2: Improving Communication Skills

Effective communication is vital in any organization. Magnetic Group embraced DiSC to adapt participants’ communication approaches, enabling them to engage with individuals of different DiSC styles more effectively. The result was smoother and more efficient communication.

Goal #3: Strengthening Team Dynamics

Teamwork is the backbone of success. By utilizing DiSC, Magnetic Group fostered understanding, appreciation, and collaboration among team members. This strengthened their team dynamics and propelled their organization forward.

Goal #4: Developing Effective Leadership

Leadership plays a crucial role in driving organizational growth. Magnetic Group equipped their C-level executives with the tools and insights to adapt their leadership approach, leading to stronger relationships and improved leadership effectiveness.

Goal #5: Resolving Conflicts and Problem-solving

Conflicts are a part of any workplace. Magnetic Group provided participants with strategies to navigate conflicts and challenges arising from differences in DiSC styles. This promoted a more harmonious and productive work environment.

To bring the power of DiSC assessments to life, Magnetic Group conducted internal trainings using the Everything DiSC Catalyst® learning platform. They also ensured that their own consultant underwent the DiSC® Certification program, guaranteeing expertise and quality.

The initial focus was on their C-level executives, who faced unique communication and leadership challenges. Tailored training sessions helped these high-level leaders understand their own personality types, leverage their strengths, and adapt their communication styles to connect effectively with diverse personalities. The goal? To enhance their leadership effectiveness and cultivate a positive organizational culture.

Recognizing the value of spreading DiSC knowledge throughout the organization, Magnetic Group extended the program to lower levels. However, the content was thoughtfully customized to meet the specific needs and roles of participants at each hierarchical level. This ensured that the training addressed the communication dynamics and teamwork requirements specific to each level, fostering collaboration and growth throughout the organization.

With DiSC as their compass, Magnetic Group empowered its leaders to navigate the intricacies of communication, develop effective leadership skills, and nurture a harmonious work environment.

Results & feedback

Overall, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants praised the program’s value, describing it as a transformative experience that provided actionable insights and practical skills. Leaders, armed with a deep understanding of their own styles and those of their team members, witnessed improved leadership skills and enhanced team performance.

Leaders, by understanding their own leadership style and the styles of their team members, were able to adapt their approach, delegate tasks effectively, and build stronger relationships with their team. This resulted in improved leadership skills and better overall team performance.

Schneider Electric is a global organization that offers digital energy management and automation solutions and technologies to achieve efficiency and sustainability.

They operate in more than a hundred countries and have 135 000 employees worldwide.

Below is a brief summary of their experience with DiSC.

Goals

They wanted to develop teamwork skills and create an even more inclusive work culture. In the conditions of remote work, where there is less face-to-face communication, DiSC helps to understand each other faster and build better connections. They decided to offer DiSC assessment and training to all employees – in all three Baltic countries across all departments.

DiSC allows managers to better understand their teams and team members to communicate more effectively. When forming new project teams or working groups, DiSC gives the opportunity to base cooperation on understanding each other’s differences and taking them into account right from the start.

Results

First, they introduced DiSC to each team during an internal training and discussed what team profiling means in terms of communication and collaboration. After that, employees continued to use DiSC on their own – there were meetings between managers and subordinates and between team members, where they agreed on how to communicate with each other more effectively.

Everything DiSC® Catalyst provides a good opportunity to compare your DiSC styles – to find synergies and get tips on how to deal with possible bottlenecks.

Feedback

One of the most experienced and long-term users of DiSC in Estonia, our consulting client Change Partners, is working with Swedbank – the leading bank in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, employing 6,000 employees who serve more than 3 million individuals and 280,000 companies.

Client Need

Swedbank’s goal was to develop the negotiation skills of client managers who play an important role in the success of the bank. It was important to increase their ability to understand and influence people with different styles.

Solution

• Change Partners’ training focused on three key aspects of the negotiation – relationship, styles and process.
• Using the DiSC profile, each participant got to know their personal negotiation style and behavioral peculiarities, strengths and development needs. Through DiSC-based tools, participants learned to recognize the client’s behavioral style and to choose the right negotiation strategy which adapts to customer preferences.
• Participants learned how to prepare for the negotiations, start them in a correct way, listen to the position of the partner and ask questions, convincingly and self-assertively present their position, different techniques of influence, negotiate a common interest and seek initiative, deal with opposition and difficult situations, negotiate a decision.

Results

• Better negotiation skills throughout the client manager’s level.
• Participants started using effective persuasion techniques based on the tendencies and behavioral patterns of the client.
• Participants gained the ability and knowledge to rightly analyze ongoing negotiations and to plan for future negotiations in a meaningful way.

Participant feedback on Change Partners DiSC trainings