Develop Leaders, Increase Employee Engagement and Retention, Implement System Redesign
With challenges facing global multicultural organizations today, our consultant team applies integrated strategies to equip and develop leaders who think differently, solve problems and navigate complexity to achieve business performance results. Our representative case studies highlight our approach and success.
Employee Engagement
Increased levels of Employee Engagement
Leaders of a large utility engaged Innolect to dramatically change their communication philosophy and processes. Using interviews, surveys and focus group data, Innolect created a 30-member advisory board and designed the “Key Communicator” program over 10 months. The goal was to ensure leaders were trained in the skills and held accountable for communicating completely and effectively as part of their job. All Transmission Managers/Supervisors were trained on how to be listening leaders, give feedback and use team briefing process over 6 months.
Results: All workshops exceeded expectation ratings and high net promoter scores as well as achieved targets to improve communication adequacy, immediacy and effectiveness. Our design was delivered on time and within budget, and it received the International Association of Business Communicators Golden Quill Award.
Designed Customer Service Call Center Experiments
Innolect helped members of a large customer service team develop their own solutions using data to identify points of variance, redundancy, waste, confusion, and opportunities for productive connection. We also conducted focus groups and a train-the-trainer session for Call Center Supervisors. We designed four experiments to empower employees who touch the customer to improve both customer and employee satisfaction.
Results: Improved training effectiveness with data from real-life examples and recordings. CSRs demonstrated better knowledge and higher employee engagement scores and better performance through communication. Customers reported higher satisfaction with CCRs’ knowledge and support.
3x3: Employee Retention and Engagement
A healthcare organization suffered a 24% turnover rate among employees during their first 180 days on the job. Because of the tremendous expense and disruption to workplace productivity, Innolect recommended a three-tier retention initiative aimed at new hires that included:
- Training new mentors for every new employee
- A “3-3-3” project where each new employee was visited at 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months by an HR representative
- A mandatory 60-day feedback/evaluation for all employees
Results: After three years, turnover among this group was reduced to a remarkable 11%.
Culture Change and Integration
Accelerated Cultural Integration during and after Integration
The merger of two utility companies created a confused, competitive environment with a loss of productivity. To retain at-risk employees, Innolect partnered with internal OD/OE to enhance the advantages of both cultures in the aligned company. We used a vision and values cascade to engage employees, conducted a gap analysis and addressed team challenges. We then created an actionable implementation plan to work as one company.
Results: The company had a clarified vision, mission and operationalized values for all employees; surfaced issues for intact work teams and gained commitment agreements for how to solve their own team/manager issues. We accelerated the transition process and promoted collaboration for teams to work together with a common vision, language and goals.
Designed and Implemented System Redesign
The senior executive team of a large regional HMO/Hospital System wanted to architect a new organizational strategy for Sales, Marketing, Account Service, Underwriting and Contracts. The existing system and cross-functional interactions were causing poor execution and declining patient satisfaction. With sales and service processes ill-equipped to handle changes, Innolect helped to reduce complexity within and among functional silos and cross-functional teams for an improved patient experience.
Results: In the next two cycles, the System raised rates 10 percent with no net loss of patients. Management attributed the success to the restructuring and reengineering of processes.
Addressed Shifting Business Strategies
During an 18-month process, Innolect helped design and facilitate cascaded learning events across four states to build a profitable and positive customer-centric culture. The customized, modular design included leadership conferences, video case studies, executive coaching, reinforcement strategies and “Meeting in Your Box” content for supervisors to deliver after the initial launch.
Results: 1000+ managers/supervisors trained with superior evaluation scores. We also coached the executive team in presentation skills and storytelling techniques, led train the trainer sessions with 25-person core managers, built internal capability to deliver content and measured learning impact.
Refined Community Outreach Strategy to Maximize Resources
Innolect, with Public Affairs and Customer Service Representatives (CSRs), developed a stakeholder analysis process and community outreach strategy to establish visibility, credibility and trust within the community (quarterly meetings, community groups, neighborhood associations and low-income events). We conducted an environment scan and working sessions to evaluate current conditions, activities and resources (efficiency and impact) to design strategy and roadmap.
Results: We achieved goals within budget; introduced successful volunteer outreach initiative; and significantly reduced complaints to government and regulatory agencies.
Executive Coaching
Executive Selection Process (ESP) – Closing the Mis-Hire Gap
After accumulating significant six-figure costs associated with executive mis-hires, a telecommunications company (that was rapidly expanding into the nation’s top 50 markets) retained Innolect to help them develop a robust selection process. The features included using IO Psychologists and Executive Coaches to expand and standardize behavioral interviewing, provide final candidate assessment, create candidate profiles and onboarding plans as well as build capacity among the key staff for 200+ candidates.
Results: The company enjoyed a significant ROI as the result of expedited hiring, improved retention, new hire satisfaction, and sustained morale of other employees. The rigor of candidate assessment at the final selection stage decreased career derailment and maximized key hire effectiveness, ensuring they were the right fit and would hit the ground running.
Merger Leadership: Building a Coaching Culture
A global pharma company partnered with Innolect to formulate an internal coaching initiative to tackle new business challenges prior to a merger. As a catalyst for change, executives tackled challenging business issues and performance goals related to the merger and integration of colleagues. The goal was to clarify and integrate core leadership competencies and build skills required to develop others.
Results: Survey results demonstrated that the initiative exceeded expectations of the executive sponsors, HR liaisons and participants. Participants particularly valued learning how to become catalysts for change and linked success to being more strategically focused.
Indirect and Direct Executive Coaching
Innolect was selected to serve as the Adult Development executive coach firm for leaders at multiple locations across the United States. Coaching engagements ranged from four to twelve months with regular updates and check-ins with both the manager and manager’s manager, with a yearly summary and evaluation of the program.
Results: The success led to the selection of Innolect to serve as onboarding coaches for new hires and leader promotions. These engagements have led to a robust pipeline with several promotions.
Executive Coaching Model Expanded to Global Footprint
Innolect designed the first enterprise-wide leadership coaching program for Fortune 10 pharmaceutical leaders. As the coach liaison, Innolect built a community of practice for more than 80 executive coaches and was selected to support the onboarding and cultural integration of new leaders including country managers in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Based on the value of our work, we then supported the coaching and organization development needs of the Area President of Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EUAFME).
Results: The area president attributed his team’s success to Innolect’s support helping his leadership team navigate the challenges of an IPO and integrate his executive team.
Leadership Development and Training
Transformational Leadership Development
Innolect was awarded a three-year contract to design and facilitate a “turn-key” Leadership Development Program for Brigade and Battalion Commanders. We collaborated with COR to ensure content was customized to each participant group’s experience and understanding of the topics. Programs were facilitated using interactive activities, individual assessments, individual coaching feedback, peer group coaching, multi-media blended-learning instruction and participant pre-work.
Results: U.S. Army Commander evaluations averaged 6.7 (7.0-point scale) with referrals to colleagues and past performance recommendations to other DOD organizations.
Strengthened and Developed Next Generation of Organizational Leaders
With an aging workforce and lack of bench strength, a utility company president engaged Innolect to assess and coach all members of his executive leadership team. Innolect administered behavioral 360-assessments with comprehensive written reports to identify strengths, areas of opportunity and recommendations. We used proprietary protocols and experiential learning with nonprofit partners to build Individual Development Plans, quarterly training sessions and 6 to 12-month coaching engagements.
Results: 80% of executives, including the president, were promoted to more senior roles; employee engagement and performance evaluation scores increased; leaders gained mastery to apply stakeholder analysis, influence skills, listening strategies, feedback and conflict resolution.
HR Professional Training: Coaching
A technology company, proud of their emphasis on people management, invited Innolect to design a program to introduce HR professionals to the fundamentals of coaching. Using our proprietary models, products and individualized feedback, we equipped participants with comprehensive coaching tools, definitions and assessments. We included individual case studies, practice with clients, personal individual development plans and team-oriented discussions.
Results: Pre and post confidence around coaching competence increased significantly. HR leaders reported that the program’s integrated design, using shared experiences and peer support, exceeded expectations.
Women Leadership Initiative (WIN)
Innolect designed and delivered a women’s program using targeted assessments, experiential activities, case studies and simulations to help participants learn how to:
- Develop and express a business point of view using logic and rational thinking skills
- Appreciate both female and male leadership strengths to create high integrity business outcomes
- Eliminate behaviors that damage oneself, peers, direct reports and/or the business
- Incorporate new advocacy and communication strategies for impact and influence
- Overcome self-limiting mindsets, communication practices and leadership behaviors
Results: Women leaders applied new skills, knowledge and mindsets to address pressing business problems and were recognized for their accomplishments with new assignments and promotions. These leaders took responsibility for both the quality and trajectory of their own careers and transferred their learning as mentors/coaches.
Team Development
Team Integration
Following a large reorganization, a medical group leader needed to integrate two diverse clinical groups. Innolect consultants were selected to design a process to create a new team and an approach to deepen relationships between the teams.
Results: The group leader reported that the team accelerated their development as a high-performance team. They gained insight, learned collaborative practices and expanded networks within the organizations to navigate more effectively.
Global Team Annual Meeting
Innolect was selected to design and facilitate a culminating experience for 250 global team members. The challenge was to orchestrate high involvement at the end of a week-long strategy meeting, considering the diversity of varying experiences, languages, cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. Using an overarching focus question, participants worked in groups to create responses in their “most dramatic, creative ways.”
Results: The vice president and other senior leaders expressed great satisfaction with the depth of thinking, effectiveness of the design, and creativity and spirit of teamwork that was achieved. Participants expanded and deepened their personal networks with worldwide colleagues.
Higher-Performing Teams to Higher-Performing Business
When several statewide hospital systems merged into one multi-state system, Innolect was engaged to design and facilitate a comprehensive plan to build cooperation across advisory board members, teams and centers of influence, and then tap into the improved teamwork to drive lasting organizational improvements. The solution provided a new team structure, a new cross-facility committee, HR employee programming, individual coaching and facilitation.
Results: The organization successfully retained all managers identified as “key talent.” Teamwork and integrated decision making improved. Within 18 months of the initiation of the overall project, the product/service management group was credited with increasing profitability of existing services by eight percent (8%).
Diversity and Inclusion
Organization Network Analysis
Innolect was engaged to conduct an organization network analysis (ONA) to determine structures and relationships and how they were engaged in the free flow of information, innovation sharing, and collective problem solving among cultures. The results were shared at a global meeting to establish and build more interconnected networks to gain early signals of impending opportunities and threats, share innovative solutions to vexing problems, and augment resources.
Results: Division employees identified resources and learned to benefit from innovation and knowledge of others across their regions and functions. They also increased their ability to mobilize quickly in response to new challenges.
Employee Resource Group (ERG) Leadership Inclusion Conference
We collaborated with a design team to establish objectives, roles and responsibilities for the event. We provided a conceptual approach/ outline/framework, high-level workplan and timeline, collateral materials to support communication/branding of the initiative, metrics and a theme.
Results: Innolect prepared the executive team to showcase their vision and commitment to ERGs; they received higher net promoter scores than the previous year and secured charters, goals and increased budgets for ERGs.
Respect in the Workplace Initiative
Innolect designed an inclusive process to assess, design and implement a multi-year strategy to enhance inclusion and diversity as well as to build capability throughout a manufacturing site. We formed a steering committee to engage key leaders and guide the process, and used data and collaboration with their corporate D&I leads to initiate a strategy, metrics, work and communication plan to achieve the desired outcomes.
Results: Interventions increased engagement, reduced at-risk incidents, improved hiring and practices, increased retention and built greater accountability. After the success of the first year’s rollout, Innolect was engaged to continue the process with a collaborative Code of Conduct values cascade and leadership development initiatives.
Veteran and Hiring Manager Workshop
Innolect engaged veterans and non-veteran managers in dialogue about cultural differences between the military and civilians with a “Lunch and Learn” entitled: You’re ‘Spot-On’…and Way Off! Closing the Perception and Communication Gap Between Military and Corporate America. We included remote interactive access for locations around the U.S., enhancing understanding, communication, and collaboration.
Results: Participants provided glowing feedback and altered perceptions of all stakeholders. The Chief Diversity Officer requested additional sessions and topics for participants around the system.
Digital Stories – Women’s Leadership Network
The Executive sponsor of a Women’s Leadership Network was concerned about the costs associated with consistent programming across national and global chapters. We suggested digital stories as a distinctive method to transfer knowledge, share best practices and provide just-in-time learning. The digital stories have been used for: recruiting, orientation, mentoring/coaching, and showcasing women in leadership training sessions.
Results: The stories were previewed during an Executive Board Meeting with rave reviews. Copies were requested immediately for distribution across the company, and chapters reported animated dialogue and positive reactions.
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