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

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

LSA helped us design and deliver blended leadership solutions for our key leaders to help drive our growth plans in a way that aligned with our unique culture and values.

LSA understood our business, had deep expertise in the content areas, customized the leadership development programs to fit our specific needs, and delivered great results in alignment with our strategic priorities, culture, and performance management systems.

I highly recommend them to anyone looking to take their leaders and the performance of their teams to the next level.

Beth A. Taylor
Vice President of Human Resources

Thoratec

The strategy and alignment work with our leadership team was absolutely transformational.  The decisions we made combined with the transparency, communication, and accountability were exactly what we needed.  Thank you!

Dr. Raphael B. Merriman M.D
Medical Director, Liver Transplantation

Sutter Health Logo LSA Global

I continue to be impressed by the depth and breadth of LSA’s expertise in leadership development, and management development.

What a smart and client-centric group of great people who really know how to help leaders attract, engage, develop and retain top talent in a practical and results-driven manner.

Thank you LSA!

Tracy Esposito
Director, HR Business Partner

We have had a very beneficial partnership with LSA. Their recent Leadership Development Program helped us to identify, develop, and retain top leaders. It was instrumental in helping take our company and our key people to the next level. I would recommend them to anyone looking to truly develop and retain top talent.

Steve Janowsky
Vice President of Operations

Proxicom

LSA’s approach and ability to bring the right leadership and management expertise and approach to eBay has been a great asset.

They really focus on helping us succeed in any way they can and definitely lifted up our leadership and management development capabilities.

Mike Normant
Learning & Development

ebay

Working on our HR Strategy was so eye opening.  I feel so much better prepared to be successful as a leader individually and collectively.

Now the entire HR leadership team can drive our growth strategy forward in a way that makes sense.

Kristin Talastas
Director, HR Shared Services

lucid-motors-logo-LSA-Global

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’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

LSA’s executive coach based his approach on understanding our business circumstances and strategy, as well as our leadership aspirations. The customized coaching covered all aspects of leadership; it was not simply a touchy-feely endeavor.

In fact, the focus on clear business outcomes and real life circumstances challenged me as a senior leader to develop my thinking and actions related to leading the business.”

Janet Pagano
Managing Director

Ovid

LSA worked with our Executive Leadership Team to help create strategic clarity and alignment as we look to increase our growth rate and unlock innovation.  They masterfully handled very complex, challenging, and high stakes leaders, decisions, and cultural nuances to help us identify what matters most and move toward one unified direction.

Their practical, straightforward, and client-centric approach to strategy was refreshing.  I highly recommend them to any executive team looking to get aligned to create even higher performance.  They are lights out awesome!

Patrick Resk
Chief Financial Officer, Partner

Porter-Novelli-Logo-LSA-GLOBAL

We partnered with LSA Global to help us invest in our people. LSA custom designed an impactful management curriculum to help upskill our key managers and leaders.

We consider LSA to be our trusted learning and development partner and a valued extension of our team as we rapidly scale.  Thank you LSA!

Lisa Bruun
SVP Human Resources

Ellie Mae

Your team was amazing.   Facilitative Leadership was one of the best leadership and change workshops my team has ever attended.  Thank you!

Diane White
Executive Director, Head of Product Development

BioMarin LSA Global Biotech Client

LSA is an excellent sales and leadership outsource partner! They listen to our needs, are responsive, and work at a pace that keeps up with our rapid speed.

We have found LSA to bring strategic, innovative, and practical solutions to meet our business priorities by partnering effectively with our key staff. I consider them to be an important external extension of our team.

Thank you!

Wendy Chinn
Sr. Director, Global Sales Enablement

What a refreshing change from the half-baked psycho-babble you normally get from training and consulting organizations. LSA gives you the practical and results-oriented assistance you need to define and reach your goals.

Their leadership, management, and sales expertise has been invaluable.  They think strategically and provide a results driven plan – not just a temporary fix.

They are great to work with, and even more importantly, they “get it!”

David Fiano
Director of Merchandising

Evaluate your Performance

Toolkits

Get key strategy, culture, and talent tools from industry experts that work

More

Health Checks

Assess how you stack up against leading organizations in areas matter most

More

Whitepapers

Download published articles from experts to stay ahead of the competition

More

Methodologies

Review proven research-backed approaches to get aligned

More

Blogs

Stay up to do date on the latest best practices that drive higher performance

More

Client Case Studies

Explore real world results for clients like you striving to create higher performance

More