Results

CASE STUDY: MESSAGE OF WORK / LIFE INTEGRATION DURING TIME OF ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL

"Not only did Hugh’s dynamic presentation inspire and uplift those who heard it, but enlightened participants to their own sphere of influence and empowered them to transform personal lives through an intentional alignment of values and behavior."

Due to the economic crisis in the state budget and the upheaval in the financial markets, a prominent private university was forced to reduce the workforce for the first time in the university’s history. Navigating a sea of unprecedented financial and cultural change, managers at all levels were asked to do more with less while also living the university’s values of:

Commitment to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

While the university’s senior leadership appreciated the effort being exhibited by managers, they remained concerned that during times of change, the commitment of every employee was in danger of being set adrift.

Present a message that specifically addressed the concerns of every manager affected by the layoffs, while also providing real world / practical strategies for securing commitment to the remaining employees and the university mission.

Prior to the layoff notices being distributed, Hugh prepared extensively by interviewing a cross-section of key people. During the presentation, he created a direct link between commitment to the university mission and clarity around personal values, communicating how integrity is based on the small everyday choices each manager makes daily. Managers found the message insightful, uplifting and filled with practical ideas they could immediately put to use.

According to the Vice President of Human Resources: “Not only did Hugh’s dynamic presentation inspire and uplift those who heard it, but enlightened participants to their own sphere of influence and empowered them to transform personal lives through an intentional alignment of values and behavior.

In reflecting upon Hugh’s thought-provoking and challenging message, the university’s leaders are undoubtedly better equipped to lead and shape the vision and integrity of the university, while living out its mission of realizing lives of purpose, service and leadership.”

The IT department of this global non-profit was traditional in that the level of technical expertise was considerably greater than the level of people and communication expertise. While not “broken”, the department was hindered by a lack of clarity regarding expectations and personal communication preferences, resulting in unmet expectations and high levels of frustration. The leader of IT recognized that performance would increase when each team member understood the behavior preferences of other team members.

Build a business case with IT professionals for content they saw as “soft” and “touchy feely” and begin to link IT performance improvement to the development of “People Skills”. This required team members to want to learn how to situationally, temporarily, and purposefully modify their behavior in order to get more accomplished.

Hugh worked with a planning committee to customize the delivery of a 2-day communication class that focused on experiential learning and role playing. Hugh developed mini-experiential learning exercises that allowed class participants to learn in real time what they needed to do more of, less of, and how to positively influence other team members.

"Bar none, this was the best management training I have ever been to in 15+ years of management. Great involvement of the students and great interactions."

A seventy-five-year-old financial institution with half a billion dollars in assets was poised to capitalize on rapid industry consolidation and strong brand equity. At the most senior level, leadership was characterized by dissension and mixed messages regarding strategic planning issues.

While there was exhibited commitment and passion for the mission and purpose, the Board Chair was concerned about the senior leadership’s ability to execute on the necessary innovation and growth initiatives to accelerate the accomplishment of the company’s goals.

After two failed attempts to create a collaborative and innovative culture, the Board Chair retained Hugh Blane to position senior leadership for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Provide a practical, effective and safe environment for senior leadership to build higher levels of trust, enhance the level of commitment and clarity regarding strategic planning issues, and provide a tangible method for addressing conflict.

Prior to a planned executive retreat, Hugh developed the following:

1. Specific behavioral recommendations to improve team cohesion.

2. Actionable recommendations to accelerate growth and innovation.

3. A plan to address the three specific gaps between stated values and exhibited behavior that he had identified.

During two executive retreats, Hugh used what he learned from his interviews and team assessments as a catalyst to create a deeper sense of urgency and commitment to strategic diversity. Senior leadership found the retreats informative, impactful and immediately beneficial.

According to the Chief Executive Officer: “We’ve never had this level of clarity regarding our strategic intent and goals before. Hugh was able to hold everyone accountable in a respectful manner and allowed us to walk out with something truly remarkable”.