Computer Services

 

The Challenge:

The business did not seem to be growing on a level the co-owners wanted.

 

Solution Milestones:

Two Executive Leadership processes were implemented with co-owners; followed by 10 Leadership processes and 2 Management processes for staff. The Attribute Index was administered for all participants in December 2007.

 

Results/Outcomes:

One Attribute Index owner’s results from December 2007: 8.1+ systemic and 5.0- empathy Same owner’s results from June 2008: 9.0+ systemic and 6.9- empathy The owner attributes a total shift in how he sees all people in his organization, his customers, and his personal contacts. It’s also helped him to become a better business owner. He’s been able to double his business, his staff, and his bottom line in less than one year.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

The owner plans to monitor his Attribute Index scores to keep them on top of his mind. back to top

 

Construction Management

 

The Challenge:

When I first started working with this organization, they indicated that they were “stuck” at 100 employees, and as much as they tried, they couldn’t get past that number. We did an initial Strategic Planning retreat in early 2005. Challenges identified during that retreat were achieving growth/revenue targets, reducing employee turnover, positioning the company to take advantage of industry trends/opportunities, and providing Management Development training for leaders.

 

Solution Milestones:

We have done yearly follow-ups on the Strategic Plan since that initial retreat, with occasional mid-year check-ups to track progress and adjust plans when necessary. In 2007, we began Leadership Development work with a group of 16 executives, followed by 2 management groups of about 15 participants each, and we recently began the first group of supervisors (to date, 54 leaders have been through the appropriate level Development process).

 

Results/Outcomes:

Five year growth/revenue targets that were set in the initial retreat were achieved in less than 2 years, and the company has continued to hit their yearly targets ever since; they will have over 200 employees before the end of the year. This September, we will create a new Strategic Plan, based on a vision of the company in 2010. Leadership Development continues to generate enthusiasm and positive feedback; turnover has been reduced. This organization was also just named one of the Top 25 Great Small Businesses to Work for by the Society of Human Resource Managers.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

Constant tracking of critical measures of success; follow-up meetings to ensure progress and adjust plans as needed; annual retreat to refresh the plan; Leadership Development processes to help leaders achieve their goals. back to top

 

Customer Call Center of a Large Retail Chain

 

The Challenge:

This is a Customer Call Center where 20% is insourced and the balance is outsourced. Less than 1000 employees actually work in the contact center. They are responsible for taking inbound calls and emails. This center was so badly run that the corporate office intervened. This center had the worst engagement scores, and attrition rates were through the roof. (240% turned over per year on average.) There were lawsuits pending for unfair treatment, hiring practices, and discrimination. Supervisors were promoted as a result of being super-workers, but never had training. Supervisors needed a functional base of capability.

 

Solution Milestones:

They began by developing policies and procedures. The RAC Supervision Development process was implemented to provide them with a functional base. The Affiliate talked with Corporate about the RAC processes, but due to a potential conflict of interest, Corporate spent a lot of time looking for processes that would provide the same result as the RAC material. Corporate didn’t find anything that came close, so they went through the Ethics and Legal Department to get an exception for the Affiliate to bring in the RAC materials.

 

Results/Outcomes:

There is no measurable data to this point, but supervisors have a different outlook on their jobs, and managers are now aware of issues. Supervisors are setting goals for themselves and their associates. Corporate will be looking at data moving forward. Management staff is now accountable and as a bonus are attached to business results. This program has changed people’s lives both personally and professionally. The message from participants was, “I can’t believe you cared enough about me to allow me to participate in this program.”

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

Supervisors understand relationships and performance has improved. Now there are more folks asking for the sale and customer satisfaction has increased. Culture has shifted in the call center—all employees are using language from the RAC processes. They are currently working on a plan for new supervisors. back to top

 

Custom Printing Company

 

The Challenge:

The president wanted to have his entire staff more focused on the customer. There were production challenges and many jobs weren’t being completed on time. No clear, specific plans were in place. The president had some great ideas, but he often fell short in the implementation.

 

Solution Milestones:

Customer Service development was conducted with the staff in the Spring of 2007. Goals were set, which included an Executive Leadership process with the president and Management Development with the production manager.

 

Results/Outcomes:

Sales, productivity, liquidity, and profitability through 6/30/08 have exceeded our goals set at the beginning of the year. Over 75% of our specific action items have already been completed or put into progress during 2008. These action items included cross training programs that have been undertaken and carried out by the staff. We challenged our staff to set individual goals in the 2nd quarter of 2008. Some of these included a regular monthly internal newsletter, regular data backup procedures, and increased procedure documentation. We are proud to report that these are in place and operating efficiently.

 

One specific goal was to implement a consistent, regular, direct mail marketing program for our own marketing efforts. This began in May and we are consistently producing and mailing a minimum of two direct mail pieces per month. It is being sent to our clients and prospects, and it is being extremely well-received. We have become more creative and have introduced at least one new product directed toward the entertainment and sporting events markets. This product received great reviews in a “test” run, and is currently being evaluated by the local minor league baseball organization for use in their marketing efforts. We have also applied for trademark protection on this concept.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

I’m continuing to coach the president, and I’m currently using the Leadership process with the administrative assistant/customer service manager. back to top

 

Financial Brokerage

 

The Challenge:

The client was transitioning into the Wachovia organization as an AG Edwards financial advisor after the global buyout by Wachovia. The client was panicked.

 

Solution Milestones:

Started as only wanting to have monthly discussions with no process involved. After 4 months, she and her partners called and said, “HELP ... we need you more, and bring us the ideas you first presented a few months prior.”

 

Results/Outcomes:

We have started Executive Strategic Planning and they are moving like crazy. Through chapters from the Leadership process, they are now changing their business model to be in their own independent business. This offers them a lot more control and a lot more opportunity for growth.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

We are continuing ongoing coaching in person with the team twice a month. back to top

 

Health Care Organization

 

The Challenge:

This federally funded public health clinic came to us looking for leadership development for their senior team. They found us through a referral from a prior participant. The clinic had completed an internal employee survey that netted some very inconsistent results between the leadership team and the level just under them, and they wanted more data and confirmation of their next steps. They wanted to become better communicators. The worst ratings on their survey came from the actual providers, front line to the patients.

 

Solution Milestones:

We started the process by coaching the executive director to bring her up to speed on what the rest of her team would be experiencing. We next administered D.I.AL.O.G. to develop a baseline, and then followed up with Executive Leadership for the senior team. The Attribute Index was administered to each participant with a one-on-one debrief. It was used just before the Team Building and Collaboration sections of the Executive Leadership process. We’ve seen the value of at least one individual session with each participant somewhere in the process. It helps to have the concentrated time to deal with personal issues that may not have come to light in the group setting.

 

Results/Outcomes:

They are definitely communicating with one another more and are on the same page with providing the right care for the patients. The process also helped the executive director to identify who their outstanding performers were and who was struggling. The process took issues that were underground and brought them to the surface. They are now getting ready to reorganize. They plan to shift people on the team who possess the appropriate skills in the right job, while giving them the opportunity to identify their weaknesses and improve their skills. Most ideas stem around an issue from the Attribute Index debrief: “Based on your scores, here’s how you should watch out when you’re interacting with your staff.”

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

Those that were identified as struggling were given some one-on-one coaching sessions to help them improve and some cases even save their role on the executive team. They also realized that in order to help their people perform better, they needed to work on some of their key processes. In September, they will begin CTR for their billing processes, and lay the groundwork for taking their charts and forms electronic. This will impact their chart management, the quality of patient care and their risk management figures. back to top

 

Professional Association

 

The Challenge:

This individual was the head of an association for several years, and semi-retired when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had a really rough time with the treatment and the cancer. He was later hired to run another association and wanted to do it effectively by employing a coach.

 

Solution Milestones:

We used the Executive Leadership process initially, and then I conducted bi-weekly coaching calls for the past 2 years. He has overcome the attitude of frailty dealing with surviving cancer and the mental adjustment of mortality. He also overcame the obstacle of becoming more physically active and fit after undergoing a very difficult surgery, treatment, etc. He also feels better equipped for his role in a new organization in a new industry. He had never set goals for himself before; he pretty much just took opportunities when they came around.

 

Results/Outcomes:

He is widely considered one of the best executives in the association business. All of his measurables are through the roof.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

We are continuing to work together ... he has remained a coaching client for the last 2+ years.
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Stock Broker

 

The Challenge:

He was disorganized, taking on too much work he was not good at, losing opportunities due to mountains of paperwork he would never get to, never delegated, had a deteriorating relationship with his administrative assistant, and was in the bottom 25 national ranking of sales results for his organization.

 

Solution Milestones:

Ongoing coaching: Started with Leadership, and then incorporated other tools as needed. He joined a Sales targeted class followed by Executive Strategic Planning, and then the Time Strategies process.

 

Results/Outcomes:

He is now more organized, has improved the relationship with his administrative assistant (he’s delegated paperwork responsibilities, which frees him up to be a Rainmaker), has more time for big ticket clients, has become more of a portfolio manager for his $1M+ clients which he now has more of, is in the top 10 national ranking in sales for his organization, went from the #4 producer in his office to the #2 producer, has improved his self-esteem, and has helped to grow his client’s investment portfolios from $4M to $8M.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

Ongoing coaching relationship. back to top

 

Stone Fabrication Organization

 

The Challenge:

The company had an inexperienced management team. Growth was stagnant. The company was in the red financially even though their market held significant potential.

 

Solution Milestones:

The Executive Leadership Development process provided them with their first ever vision, mission, and values statements. Each division established and achieved departmental long and short-term goals.

Customer Service followed the Executive Leadership Development process where facilitation discussions uncovered that the owner’s reluctance to delegate was resulting in angry customers and frustrated customer service people. This led to candid discussions with the owner who consented to empowering customer service people to remedy situations themselves.

 

Results/Outcomes:

Customer Satisfaction surveys were installed, and within several months, ratings averaged 9+ on a 10-point scale. The following January, they set records for revenues and profit. They made more money in January than in the previous 18 months combined.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

In 4 subsequent years, the company has grown nearly 400%. We have used the Supervision Development process, Goal Planning Sessions, Ongoing Executive Coaching, and Sales Development processes to help drive improvements in other departments. They were a $1.2 million company losing money when we began. They are now a growing, highly profitable $5 million company setting their sights on becoming a $10 million company. back to top

 

Wholesale Auto Supply Parts Distributor

 

The Challenge:

Issues were: communication skills (externally and internally), time management, problem solving—not good at up-sell, attitudes, customer service skills, dealing with rejection, sales skills, phone skills, organizational skills.

 

Solution Milestones:

This is a $600 million company with 300 employees in 3 states. Began coaching VP of Operations in 2006. Worked with Management and Customer Loyalty with Parts Pros. During a Management meeting with 50 folks, VP of Operations stated that this is the best thing they’ve ever done and every employee would go through some type of process. We have now worked with 100 people.

 

Results/Outcomes:

At the end of 2007, we met with every functional leader to get his/her wish list in terms of training and development. We then met with the VP of Operations to review with them the understanding that it could have a large price tag. The VP of Operations wanted to prioritize the list, but eventually wants to have everyone involved. They are seeing teamwork and liking what they see.

 

Follow-Up/Sustainability:

Half of the Parts Pros will participate in the Spring followed by the other half in the Fall using Customer Loyalty. We had to facilitate a little differently because we couldn’t bring them all together at one time. They met for 2 sessions. The materials were given to the managers and the managers were responsible for getting the Parts Pros ready for the sessions. This worked well as the managers had already been through the Management process. Upon completion with Parts Pros they will determine what they will do next year. back to top

 

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