Case Studies & Results
CASE STUDY A:
“AND” APPROACH LEADS BUSINESS TO COMPOUND STRATEGIC IMPACT
“And” Instead of “Or” + Story Telling = Compelling Future
OPPORTUNITY:
An organization had determined where its strategic future lay and held the perspective that a choice had to be made between two alternatives that would require leaving behind a portion of their client base. While this was not the preferred state, the belief was held that this was the only path forward. Facilitation was engaged to create a safe space for an open and robust dialogue to reach a decision regarding an either/or consensus.
APPROACH:
By engaging participants in articulating their future, actively listening to the conversation about their beliefs regarding what was required, pushing back when assumptions lacked facts, and seeking evidence to substantiate those beliefs, alternatives appeared. In fact, there was no need to alienate a portion of the client base. There was an opportunity to create compelling story telling that elucidated for each constituency why the new strategic future was to their benefit, which would in turn motivate them to engage.
IMPACT:
Identifying the customer niches, creating the language that would resonate with each segment, and designing powerful stories for each that captured the emotion of the intended future was the answer. The impact of this “and” choice instead of an “or” choice of actions allowed an organization to step boldly towards their future, prevented loss of customers, and demonstrated to leadership that unsubstantiated beliefs make a porous foundation for sound decision-making.
CASE STUDY B:
STRATEGIC FOCUS UNLEASHES CAPACITY
Strategic Focus + Role Clarification = Maximizing Relevance & Revenue
OPPORTUNITY:
A large well-established, successful company faced competition, impact of changing generations in the workforce and company leadership, and focus on operations instead of strategic capacity. With a combination of institutional knowledge, new leadership, and a commitment to strategic visioning, the company could position itself for laser-focused and relevant customer satisfaction.
APPROACH:
With a varying degree of commitment to the process, leadership was engaged in a strategic visioning process that included engaging customers in advance to determine, not their present satisfaction, but how the company could be seen as the solution to their future problems, and therefore remain a relevant service provider. Isolating the leadership for two days of dialogue to face the future, identify emerging strategy, examine strategic capacity, create role clarification around implementation, and learn how to manage an annual strategic renewal process; while creating the messaging for clients, employees, and ancillary audiences, was a significant breakthrough.
IMPACT:
The company is now positioned to maximize revenues, face competition, engage employees with a laser-focused strategy, and has compelling stories to sell the vision. Leadership understands their focus on overseeing the implementation of strategy, as opposed to micro-managing its implementation, allows all facets of the company to function at it highest performance. A company invitation to participate in a successful dynamic has been issued instead of a proscription for execution.
CASE STUDY C:
PROFESSIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS UNLOCK POTENTIAL
OPPORTUNITY:
A professional’s self-limiting beliefs reduced their effectiveness in their current position, left them feeling “stuck”, and hampered their career arc’s trajectory of being tapped for a more senior role at another company or organization. The client had an opportunity to begin looking through a lens that magnified their existing competencies, while eliminating the recordings that played in their head, which created outward manifestations in body language, tone of voice, frequency and quality of contributions, and displays of executive presence.
APPROACH:
Gaining clarity first on the client’s intended career journey, allowed an analysis of where the client saw their capacity for stepping into that role in the near future. Examining current behaviors and business situations, the client was able to identify moments when choices of how to interact were not serving them well. Providing the client with situational practice, specific power behavioral choices, and coaching through assessments of progress made, increased confidence, eliminated internal negative messages, and provided a safe space for leadership development outside of the normal supervisory context.
IMPACT:
The client has successfully navigated career advancement, reports a stronger sense of voice, is receiving positive feedback from professionals in the circle of influence, has implemented a coaching culture in the workplace, and has erased the internal negative feedback loop.