Raintree Solutions – Global Partners in Change Raintree

2020 began with a sprint to get the new episodes of Shell Matters aligned, with the first streamed in January.

MTN saw the delivery of the last in the current Ethics series of Yello Generation, which has been a very successful and popular initiative.

It also saw the sad announcement of Rob Shutter’s departure whose leadership the whole organization will miss.

ABSA’s video version of the 2019 theatre process for e-learning was completed and made available on their network.

Then Covid 19 struck.
In this period of tectonic shifts in social and business transactions Raintree has shifted all live studio and location filming, training and live theatre processes to online elements and created a wide range of characters and avatars in both local and international modules that can keep corporate momentum going.

Shell in particular has been making full use of the various approaches Raintree offers and has given the avatars and animated cast of characters the exciting task of keeping Shell Matters robust and engaging, recently adding characters based in Holland and Germany, to keep engagement alive.
Congratulations to the Raintree and Shell team that have achieved this novel innovation.

Employee motivation is going to be a continuous challenge for all companies and the dangers in Corporate Values Depletion will be a serious problem in remote operating.

The pressure on ethics and compliance will be significant and criminal syndicates will use employee vulnerability in their efforts to corrupt staff and force delinquent activities.

Raintree is busy in this conflict, helping clients to keep in touch with staff in meaningful ways that enable continued Emotional and Practical Ownership of Mission, Vision and Values.

This has been a busy year with theatre for ABSA on process and ethics across various divisions around South Africa.

ABSA CIB was particularly interesting in that Raintree combined theatre and ‘broadcasting’ in a Convergent Media approach, leading staff in a renewal process on Ethics and Compliance. The roadshow covered major Centre’s around SA and a virtual version was made available to all staff in the rest of the country.

MTN saw Raintree’s 12-part Ethics Soapie go to #1 on Microsoft Stream, demonstrating the value of this unique process. Originally developed for Standard Bank, winning various awards at the New York Festivals and others, this unique Raintree form has been hugely successful for various Raintree clients.

Combining Change processes, training, narrative, storytelling and constant feedback loops, this convergent impact approach has been continuously effective with both Absa staff and MTN, being voted as favoured interventions.

Shell was a busy client with all the challenges in the SA and global territories and Raintree’s Emo-Ownership approach has achieved wonderful, continued popularity and acceptance. The SA modules caught the attention of the Mother ship and achieved recognition for the team.

Raintree launched the popular Convergent Channel, SHELL MATTERS, which was streamed to its employees’ devices.

With the challenges in SA covering areas like safety, security, motivation and sensitive but serious global issues like gender based bias, the Shell SA team, with Raintree, achieved welcome recognition for their innovative initiatives.

Finally, Raintree closed out the year with the popular Anglo American Values and Safety theatre, which dealt with the many sensitive but serious elements in the South African context that face major employers like Anglo, in pursuit of values based operations.

Thus far 2018 has been an exciting year with projects covering Safety and Security, marketing, Supervisor training, Banking ethics and Compliance, Media company Values Risk, Ethics and a company Launch.

Encompassing Energy, Banking, telecommunications, insurance and community interfacing, Raintree teams have travelled through South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and most recently, Tanzania, delivering various unique, “challenge specific” theatre, multimedia and workshop components.

Our film & media division has produced an Induction program for the Petrochemical sector, security awareness and behaviour training programs for Retail, and hard process training in the Transport sector. It has also produced launch components for a brand new insurance service company.

At the core of all these projects is the unique Raintree approach to Emotional Ownership and the People Factor.

In production for clients in the energy, banking and communications are two new Change theatre processes and a unique Corporate Change Soapie (an innovation for which Raintree received recognition internationally). This innovative vehicle is now being further developed in unique new change, marketing and sales tools that facilitate the human and digital interface with content compatible with the various delivery and access platforms.

As more banks and businesses go virtual and more is transacted digitally it is vital for companies to find new believable ways to touch, to engage and to create successful relationships. This is an area Raintree has spent a lot of time understanding and developing.

With our experience across 22 languages and cultures, we are at the front of the curve, working with an inquisitive and adventurous group of clients, to whom we say: “Thank you and let’s keep pushing for people!”

Raintree is expanding: we have launched a dedicated Raintree Change division with an exciting new partner – more to follow!

Safety, Compliance, Supervisor upskilling, management motivation, training courses and videos and TV Commercials across oil and gas, banking and insurance.

Busy start!

Petrochemical

• Chevron SA Shutdown

• Sasol New Construction with Fluor and SNC Lavalin.

            o Innovative mobile theatre processes on site. Team building workshops for contractor

               management and EPC.

• Shell HSSE: RT, Terminal and Retail Process Initiatives.

            o Series of attitude and behaviour change interventions.

            o Start of Culture and Induction change project and first phase of retail Change programme.

            o Training ERP (Emergency Response Protocols)

            o Road Safety Pack – Easter Awareness Campaign

            o 12 Part HSSE Video series: Safety/Incident Ownership Safety Stand Down Intervention

As always Raintree focuses on PEOPLE, which is what it’s all about: YOUR PEOPLE whether they are staff or customers!

It’s all about

Perception

Attitude

Behavior

and respecting the many cultures in our design and process.

RAINTREE has been invited to a major USA presentation where an existing global client has introduced Raintree to a significant international player who we will co-service. Exciting.

2016 got off to a rapid Shell start with Hauliers and Depot processes.

Through the year Barclays, Fluor, SNC Lavalin and Sasol projects emerged which ran into 2017.

Barclays came back in a new initiative but uncertainty moved it down to 2017.

Petrochemical

• Sasol New Construction

• Shell HSSE: RT, Terminal and Retail Process Initiatives

            o Training: Site Risk Assessment & Customer interface Facilitated Training

            o Training: EVIM Security System Rollout, implementation

            o Video & Theatre: South African Petroleum Industry Association Road Safety Conference

            o Poster Campaign: “Working Safely Together” Safe Festive Season

The first half of 2015 has been extremely busy for Raintree Solutions and it’s divisions on a wide range of projects.

The commercial division, Catapult Commercials, has recently completed a TV commercial for French brand Garnier and is busy finishing an international, multi-market production for Vanish. On the back of local projects like Hippo, the guys are running!

Film Crew Hippo

Film Crew – Hippo Shoot

The Safety and Change teams have in the last period completed both the big Sasol and Chevron Turnaround shutdowns, working with literally thousands of workers from many contracting companies. Caring for workers safety on their sites, are key drivers on these projects and the most recent, Chevron, was really inspiring in the dedication of its multinational leadership.

Chevron Shutdown Safety Play

Chevron Shutdown Facilitation

The Shell Raintree project moves forward having delivered it’s most recent modules and continuing with both Safety and the Supervisor, Interpersonal skills and Hauliers programs.

Film Crew – Shell

Production team – Shell

Shell and Raintree strategising teams

Shell’s commitment has been stellar and the reward has been in the results, with PDOTY (Professional Driver Of The Year) celebrating driving excellence in the Haulier Network.

Vusi Msane(Raintree) performing at PDOTY

Dennis Kearn(Shell SA), Ré Storm(Raintree), Richard Lawton (Raintree) & Siva Naidoo (Shell SA)

The Raintree team also met with the Singapore Refining Group, a Chevron associated group, in Singapore, during 2015.

Whilst in Singapore recently, Raintree Solutions directors Richard Lawton and Ré Storm attended the opening of Indian entrepreneur, JP Singh’s unique social enterprise shop in Singapore, The Social Store. This is the first in an international chain that serves the needs of traditional arts and craft traditions, by creating a market for arts crafts, globally.

Raintree’s relationship will be built around the impact processes that can be put in place.

The Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014 was launched with a wonderful community participative event at a park in Bukit Timah, directed by Raintree associate, Jeremiah Choy. Through the long association with Singapore via Shell and Spotlight Singapore in Cape Town, Raintree was there.

 Whilst in Singapore, Raintree Solutions’ CEO, Richard Lawton and ECD Ré Storm also attended the third edition of Singapore’s largest safe night cycling initiative, See and Be seen – seeandbeseen.sg 

 This year’s edition was opened by Guest-of-Honor Mr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Environment and Water resources, Singapore, who also cycled in the event, which was supported by the Singapore Motor Sports Association and the Federation Internationale Automobile Foundation.

Raintree Solutions’ CEO, Richard Lawton and ECD Ré Storm recently attended the Book launch of Spotlight Singapore: Business With A Cultural Handshake, which marked the end of the first cycle of Spotlight Singapore, for The Old Parliament House (TOPH). Raintree having been the initiators and key sponsors for Spotlight Cape Town, were greeted like valued family members, reconnecting with all the great people who made Spotlight possible.

Spotlight Singapore was born out of serendipity and grew from a child to adulthood through the courage of one organisation and the support from many others. This audacious project could not have been possible without the support and assistance of many people, from Singapore and the host cities of Hong Kong, Tokyo, Moscow, Cape Town, Bratislava, Brno and Prague.