Situation/Challenge:
Engaged by the CEO and President of Seneca One, a consumer specialty finance business, to quickly effect radical and fundamental cultural transformation. The Company was plagued by inconsistent business performance, high employee turnover and extremely low morale. In addition, the Company was experiencing radical industry change. The leaders, managers and employees operated in an “Us vs. Them” mentality and communicated and related in a highly dysfunctional way. Employee’s, were resigning, unhappy and fighting for themselves to survive.
Plan/Solution:
The basic principle of Graystone Leadership is that a “strong foundation of trust builds relationships and breakthrough results” in any organization. Starting with the CEO and his Sr. Management Team, personal interviews with each person confidentially were completed and began to build a trusting relationship with each person. It took time to build those relationships and create trust. Once that happened, we were able to get to the root source of the issues, which entailed deep trust issues with each other, past leadership and the radical market challenges.
The plan:
1. Establish and create trust with the Sr. Mgt. Team:
a. Flush out all of the background conversations, mistrust, issues and problems.
b. Getting everyone “Current”, completing the past and committing to create and operating in a new and productive way going forward.
c. Have one on one’s with myself facilitating & cleaning up these issues with each other, their managers and with other departments.
2. Weekly Team Coaching Sessions:
a. Personal and group “team” coaching with myself, CEO, Managers and employee’s with the purpose of:
i. Creating a new Vision, new direction and commitments toward breakthrough results.
ii. Driving immediate performance and effecting the speed of business change
iii. Customized coaching to fit the needs of each person.
3. Met with CEO and Managers with key sales employees to take accountability for the unstable and mistrustful culture. Address concerns and upsets and commit to the new culture to these employees.
4. Monthly Graystone “Practice of Leadership & Coaching Program with the Sr. Managers both in Corporate and their out of state office.
Results:
• The business results of Revenue and Profit in both business units became consistent, aligned and productive.
• The past got “Complete”. All issues were brought out, communicated and resolved.
• Went from a dysfunctional group to a strong team and by the end of the work there was High Performance emerging throughout the sales organization in both offices.
• The Sr. Mgt. Team were working closely together, creating a vision for the employee’s focusing on what’s possible when everyone works together as “One” vs. having that Us vs. Them mentality.
• Retention improved, employees were happier and starting to build trust again with the leadership and their managers.
• Departments, that never talked to each other because of lack of trust, were collaborating and driving change with efficiency, care and excitement.
