Creating Executive Coaches: Biotech

Creating Executive Coaches

Using Executive Coaching to Drive Performance at a Biotech

Client Case Study

Situation – Creating Executive Coaches

This Biotech Company is an industry leader in the field of antibody discovery and development. Over the past 30 years the company has built strong intellectual property, technology platforms, and capabilities to engineer cutting-edge therapeutic antibodies that have the potential to transform medicine and reshape people’s lives.

To capitalize on a significant market opportunity that would have a major impact on the company’s future, the company launched a strategic initiative to develop its Leaders, Managers, and Management Systems. Shortly thereafter, the poor economic conditions affected the company, requiring a workforce reduction and increased workloads for the remaining employees.

The company weathered the economic storm and put itself on a positive course to execute its key strategic initiatives. To accelerate its momentum the company decided to implement an executive coaching certification program for 6-12 high potential leaders to create leadership leverage throughout the organization.  The overall objectives were to leverage previous investments in management training, increase employee engagement, retain key employees, and push critical strategic initiatives forward by:

  • Engaging key employees in participating in knowledge transfer and skill building
  • Decreasing turnover and possible loss of “tribal” information necessary to company success
  • Providing motivation and a platform for a formal on-going internal coaching program
  • Implementing proven methodologies used to coach and drive performance along with frameworks for having focused and productive conversations, employing active listening skills, managing difficult conversations, and applying tools (such as Personality Inventory and Interaction Styles) in real time
  • Increasing organizational productivity

Complications

The company recognized the importance of maintaining a strong, focused team during this critical period, and feared that its actions during turbulent economic times had eroded past efforts to develop its workforce and create a performance-based culture. They were especially concerned about:

  • Having to cut development resources across the company
  • Managing future career uncertainty across the workforce
  • Increasing workloads caused by workforce reductions

Approach for Creating Executive Coaches

1. Identify Desired Results

  • Determine coach and “coachee” selection criteria
  • Finalize business objectives
  • Identify program success metrics

2. Assess the Current Situation

3. Design the Exact Solution

  • Finalize design to meet agreed-upon objectives and success metrics while overcoming potential barriers

Approach (cont.)

4. Deliver Performance Learning

  • Kickoff for Creating Executive Coaches
    1-hour project kickoff session to introduce the program and gain commitment from participants
  • Day 1
    1-day facilitated session plus initial assignment focusing on concepts and content for effective coaching
  • Customized Monthly Learning Bursts
    Coaches attend monthly 2-3 hour monthly learning bursts to learn new models and skills, debrief their coaching sessions, and to obtain feedback and more in-depth instruction on using various tools and models. Topics shifted according to needs.
  • Final Certification of Creating Executive Coaches
    By LSA and VP of HR

5. Implement Coaching and Follow-Through

  • Monthly Application and Coaching Sessions
    Focused on just-in-time practice, mastery, feedback, or discussion as a group, in specific teams, or 1×1
  • Monthly Phone Coaching Sessions
    Each participant was able to schedule 30-45 minute monthly 1×1 phone sessions with the master facilitator to debrief and work on specific skills, issues, and questions.

6. Measure Impact and Results

  • Level-1 Coach satisfaction measurement

Note: Program participants coached individuals who were in a different part of the organization. Coaching engagements lasted 6 months on average.

Results
In six months:

Coachees

  • 100% reported coaching enabled them to perform at a higher level
  • 78 % reported their expectations of coaching were met
  • 100 % reported they would recommend coaching to a colleague

Coachees’ Managers

  • 50% reported they observed significant changes in their employees’ behavior

  • 100% reported they would like another staff member to receive coaching

  • 100% suggested other members of their staff receive coaching training

Coaches

  • 100% of coaches reported they would recommend the program to a peer

Related Information

Over the years, both at 3Com and now at Redback, I’ve found LSA Global to be a valuable partner. The recent management programs that they delivered for Redback’s executive and management teams was the right solution, of the highest of quality, and customized to fit our unique business and culture. I would highly recommend LSA to any company looking for top quality solutions.

Gina Fulton
Vice President of Human Resources

I’ve been associated with LSA for the last 8 years and have found them to be extremely professional and client-focused.

I’ve participated in a number of solutions ranging from Performance Management to Leadership Training.  I’ve found the quality to be superior.

They are always well prepared and have definitely done a considerable amount of pre-work in order to customize to our unique culture and goals.

Duane Schroeder
Human Resource Manager

We selected LSA Global over 5 other companies to help our key executives improve their overall communication and executive presentation capabilities. LSA exceeded our expectations.

I highly recommend LSA to any executive team looking to better organize and more effectively deliver key executive-level messages — especially when the stakes are high.

Todd Power
Office of the CEO

Having tripled in size and recently merged, LSA helped our executive team to increase our level of strategic alignment, to solidify our new direction, and to push our agency forward.

As we look to rapidly scale, the clear, actionable, and critical few strategic moves combined with how we differentiate ourselves to our top accounts and target clients has really set us on a great path to success.

This is exactly what we needed to get to the next level. Thank you LSA!

Matt Britton
CEO

MRY logo LSA Global

As a high growth agency with cutting edge talent, we hired LSA Global to help clarify our strategy and work with our executive leadership team to help implement strategic changes in a way that made sense for our unique culture.

The work was so successful that we also hired them to coach our key leaders. LSA has been instrumental in helping us transition to a new leadership team and triple revenue.  In this age of useless consultants, I highly recommend their practical and business-oriented approach to strategy, culture, and talent.

David Bentley
General Manager

AKQA

LSA has been a tremendous asset at my current company and my past company.

As an HR leader, I am always looking for ways to find external resources that can provide impactful leadership and management development expertise. LSA consistently does that for me.

The tools and practices are crisp, business relevant, and easy to apply on the job.

Ken Boehm
VP of Human Resources

Thanks for your incredible patience and passion working with our leadership team to create alignment.

Your leadership and executive coaching services have been one of the most effective I’ve ever known.

Debbie Von Raesfeld
Director and HR Business Partner

AMD

LSA helped us with leadership development by designing a solution to match our unique needs and culture.

It was a huge success. I would highly recommend LSA to help take leaders and managers to the next level.

Karen King, SPHR
Manager, Human Resources

Alliance Data

LSA’s approach has certainly brought value to Knight Ridder Digital. They were laser focused on our goal and determined to meet all of our Leadership development program needs. Their flexibility and commitment were keys in making our program successful.

Dipik Rai
Director of Marketing

After a difficult search to find a partner that could address a very specific leadership development need, we chose LSA Global. They were responsive to our needs and created a highly customized solution that we continue to see results from. It is nice to know we have access to their expertise with a simple phone call.

Valerie Blackburn
Director of Business Operations

We contacted LSA to help us design and deliver customized management development programs. LSA worked with us to meet our exact needs. We started at the top with our executive team.  It was such a great success that we rolled it out company-wide. We look forward to a long-term partnership with LSA Global and their team of experts.

Barry L. Byrd, SPHR
Human Resources Manager

I continue to be impressed by the level of leadership development training and management expertise and quality of advice and facilitation that LSA has to offer.

What a smart and client-centric group of great people who really know how to help assess and develop high performing leaders.

Tracy Esposito
Director

zynga LSA Global gaming client

Thank you for a great leadership development session today. The facilitator was brilliant.  The team got a lot out of it (as did I).

I believe it will help us create an even higher performance culture by ensuring we have a common understanding of how to create higher performance and work toward clear and common strategic goals.

Simon Jefferson
Managing Director

AKQA

Having taken on a new executive leadership role, one of my first calls was to LSA Global to help my leadership team to design, implement, and cascade clear strategic plans.  First, LSA helped our leadership team identify the strategy, culture, and talent areas that mattered most to create organizational alignment.

Then they helped facilitate the design of a strategic growth plan that is clear, compelling, believable, and implementable. We now have 100% commitment from an aligned leadership team and key stakeholders going forward.

I would recommend LSA to anyone who wants to create high levels of strategic alignment, growth, and performance.

Erik Arvesen
Vice President, General Manager

L3Harris_Logo-LSAGlobal

Thank you so much for being the right person with the right experience and expertise to lead our Executive Team in re-examining our approach to change leadership.

I’m grateful for how you engaged and challenged us with so many “holy crap!” insights and realizations that we needed.

Jeff Nally
Chief Coaching Officer & CHRO

coachsource logo LSA Global

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