Build Leaders, Boost KPIs: A smarter way to improve field performance

The UK Utilities sector is in a constant state of operational change.

From ongoing metering work to asset upgrades, restructuring and field service management system migrations; field force leaders face increasing complexity. But despite that pressure, performance must improve, whether it's hitting tighter SLA targets, boosting first-time fix rates, or improving CSAT.

In this environment, process and system change only get you so far. If you want consistent, sustainable improvements to core KPIs such as appointments attended on time, first-time resolution, job completion rate, and customer satisfaction; the lever that matters most is leadership. Specifically, the capability of the people leading your engineers on the ground.

Yet this is where many organisations fall short.

Underpowered leadership is the most overlooked cause of underperformance

Too often, KPI issues are treated as operational shortfalls, blamed on scheduling, technology, or engineer availability. But in our experience, the root cause often lies with first-line leadership.

The evidence supports this:

• Only 27% of workers see their manager as highly effective (CMI)
• 82% of managers have never received formal training in leadership
• 46% believe promotions are based on tenure or “fit” rather than capability

In field operations, that translates to team managers who don’t feel confident holding engineers accountable, depot leaders who avoid tough conversations, or supervisors who struggle to create clarity and urgency around performance. When that happens, you see the impact immediately in the numbers: missed appointments, poor first-time fix, and CSAT dipping.

How do you know if leadership is the problem?

Our Leadership Excellence approach starts by assessing leadership capability as rigorously as you assess operational performance, and combining both to find the true drivers of underperformance.

1) Behavioural & Strengths-Based Assessments

We use tailored diagnostics to understand:

• What kind of leaders are on the ground?
• How confident are they in managing field performance?
• Do they have the right commercial awareness and behavioural strengths to lead?

This helps categorise leaders into:

• High performers – ready to lead change and stretch performance
• High potential – who need targeted development and confidence
• Leaders needing support – where interventions must be precise
• Repositioning opportunities – where technical talent may be better used outside leadership

A recent example: At one UK energy supplier, our assessment identified a significant gap in performance coaching capability across team supervisors. The impact was a lack of clarity in daily briefs and missed opportunities to focus performance improvement.

2) Interviews & Observations

We go beyond surveys. Our consultants spend time in depots, in planning rooms, and even on ride-alongs. We observe:

• How leaders communicate performance expectations
• How often they hold real-time coaching conversations
• How hybrid working is affecting team dynamics
• Where "face fit" culture may be holding back performance conversations

In one client example, we discovered only 20% of team leaders were reviewing performance daily, and of those, fewer than half felt confident using performance tools. That’s not a data problem, it’s a leadership capability gap.

3) Real-Time Performance Diagnostics

We look at leadership through the lens of day-to-day operational impact:

• Are team leaders closing the loop on yesterday’s issues?
• Are they driving action from performance dashboards, not just reporting?
• Are they role-modelling urgency, discipline, and accountability?

This helps you draw a direct line between leadership behaviours and field outcomes.

Creating that 'one team' approach when the workforce is often blended

In many utility and service-based industries, field operations increasingly rely on a blended workforce, a mix of internal teams, contractors, sole traders, and third-party partners.

These individuals often wear the company’s uniform, represent the brand in customers' homes, and carry out critical tasks such as servicing, metering, maintenance, or customer outreach. From the customer’s perspective, they are the company.

To succeed, leaders must go beyond managing performance to focus on building a shared culture, clear expectations, and consistent behaviours across every part of the extended workforce.

When done well, this model offers huge benefits: flexibility, speed to market, access to specialist skills, and cost efficiency. But without the right leadership approach, companies risk fragmented customer experiences, unclear accountability, and reduced engagement from the people on the ground.

Effective field leaders go beyond technical oversight. They set the tone for quality, safety, and service, embedding a clear vision and holding everyone (internal or not) to the same standards.

This means creating forums where performance insights are shared transparently, investing in contractor onboarding and coaching, and recognising the role these partners play in delivering the customer promise. Ultimately, it’s not just about managing a supply chain, it’s about leading a team, no matter how it’s resourced.

People thrive when the system supports them

Even the best depot leader will struggle if the system around them is broken.

We assess whether your organisational structures support field leadership to succeed:

• Are your tools enabling performance conversations?
• Do your daily routines drive accountability and learning?
• Is there a culture of continuous improvement embedded at field level?

If the answer is no, leadership training alone won’t move the dial. You need to align systems, expectations, and leadership behaviours around a shared goal: better job outcomes, every day.

The Results: Better Leadership = Better KPIs

Our Leadership Excellence programme has delivered tangible, business-critical results for clients in the utilities sector - boosting leadership capability by 30–50% and driving measurable improvements across operational performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.

In similar industries, we’ve seen that developing the mindset, skills, and behaviours of leaders, rather than solely focusing on metrics, can drive significant improvements. For one major energy supplier, this approach led to a 34-point increase in NPS and a 170% uplift in engagement. Based on this, we would expect a similar initiative to deliver comparable if not greater impact across field teams such as; 

• +12% of jobs completed on time, increasing operational reliability
• +15% of jobs completed first time, significantly reducing costly recalls
• +20% of appointments attended, improving customer confidence
• +15% employee satisfaction, building a high performing culture
• +20% customer satisfaction, with many actively recommending the service

The real impact comes from a targeted, diagnostic-led approach. It’s built on operational realities and tailored to the challenges field leaders face daily, not from generic leadership training. 

The real impact comes from a targeted, diagnostic-led approach. It’s built on operational realities and tailored to the challenges field leaders face daily, not from generic leadership training. 

Start with the right questions

If your KPIs are stuck, don’t just look at process, look at leadership:

• Do our team leaders have the skills and confidence to coach performance daily?
• Are our depot managers setting the right standards and following through?
• Are we promoting the right people into leadership roles and supporting them properly?

You’ll be surprised how often the answer explains a persistent performance challenge.

What next?

At BFY, we work with our clients to diagnose and develop leadership capability where it matters most in the field. We bring the insight, structure, and practical support to shift performance at the root level: leadership.

If your priority is to:

• Increase on-time performance
• Improve first-time resolution
• Boost CSAT
• Build a confident, capable layer of field leadership

Then the starting point is clear - stronger KPIs come from stronger leaders.

For more on how our Leadership Excellence programme can help transform your field performance, contact Kevin Scott.