CASE STUDIES - DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP
• Overcoming Leadership Burnout
 Verizon
SITUATION
The Call Center Manager position at Verizon was very challenging both in the business and consumer call centers. The management level individuals working in those centers had hourly union employees to oversee. Persuading those employees could be tough especially in a highly intense environment. With that pressure to constantly produce, Verizon needed a new way of developing leadership to help its managers succeed.
CHALLENGES
The history of the call centers had been one of punishing vs. coaching. Leadership coaching, performance management and motivating employees were skills that had been largely ignored. However, current methods were not working and the managers were just as frustrated as the employees. In addition, these were profit and loss centers. Verizon was looking for purposeful direction and consistency in development of current and potential candidates.
STRATEGY
Create a Leadership Acceleration Program called Achieving Center Excellence with a year long phased approach that was linked to the core competencies and values at Verizon. Create excitement to be a Call Center Manager with purposeful development.
The program was designed as a one week instructor led program with assigned “in the field” projects and experiences for the managers to have. Monthly team leadership coaching was an important element in the process. The managers were given a development program that focused on real world business results.
RESULTS
Achieving Center Excellence focused on increased call center productivity. It improved financial performance and eased the conflicts to full productivity. Another plus was increased retention of Call Center Managers. Call center employees were happier and more productive.
Is accelerated leadership development for you?
• Overcoming Lack of Leadership Know-how in New Hires
 Perot Systems
SITUATION
Perot Systems was hiring new high-level sales people from the military. The work ethic was unparalleled, but the new hires needed an acceleration program to get them up to speed in a quick amount of time. The general content consisted of high level selling skills, time and territory management skills and presentation skills.
CHALLENGES
Hiring from the military was new for Perot Systems. They believed that the new sales people brought transferable skill sets, but needed to quickly introduce tactical sales processes and systems involved. Perot Systems wanted to educate them on funnel management and build knowledge and skills on how to manage time in the sales arena, prioritizing accounts and activities. Most importantly, business acumen, including articulating the value adds that they could offer was foremost to the success of these new employees.
STRATEGY
Create a sales leadership program called the Sales Development Program consisting of both classroom and real world fieldwork. This training would be in several phases over a 10-month period that was linked to the core competencies and values at Perot Systems. The program was designed as an instructor led program with assigned “in the field” projects and experiences for the sales people to have. Monthly team coaching was an important element in the process.
RESULTS
The Sales Development Program delivered increased sales person knowledge and faster to market productivity. The retention of these individuals was unprecedented in the history of the company.
Is accelerated leadership development for you?
• Overcoming Leadership Turnover
 TAC Americas
SITUATION
The Branch Manager position in the SI division of TAC Americas was in dire straits. The turnover had been high and there were not many candidates trained and developed to take the spots of those leaving. In addition, the tendency was to hang on to poor Branch Managers because there was no one to fill these positions.
CHALLENGES
In addition to not having the bench strength at a critical P & L position, the position of Branch Manager had not been elevated to a level that was attractive to talent and had not been treated as a business leader, but as a number pusher. TAC was looking for purposeful direction and consistency in developing leadership of potential candidates, yielding 2-3 developed candidates waiting to backfill each Branch Management position. The problem was perpetuated because of the nature of the organization. TAC had grown by acquisition and the managers reported into three very different Vice Presidents. The President needed to bring the Branches together.
STRATEGY
Create an accelerated Leadership Program with a year long phased approach that was linked to the core competencies and values at TAC. Create excitement to be a Branch Manager with purposeful development. Raise the bar and make it an honor and a privilege to be in the position. The program was designed to minimize classroom instruction and time out of the field. In order to do this, Leadership Growth Partners and TAC worked together on assigned “in the field” projects and experiences for the managers to have. Monthly team coaching was an important element in the process. The managers were given a development program that focuses on real world business results.
RESULTS
The Leadership Acceleration Program focused on business process improvements and increased branch productivity. It improved sustained financial performance and increased the speed to full productivity. Another plus was increased retention of Branch Managers. Now that it is running, leaders are always available in optimal time. Top management (finally) has accurate, timely information for key appointments. An unexpected result: the program provided TAC a yardstick when assembling personnel and developing leadership in integrations.
Is accelerated leadership development for you? |
