Success Leadership

Goranson Consulting Success Story – Leadership Crisis

 

At Goranson Consulting, everything we do is geared towards finding the right kinds of real-world, bottom-line results for our clients. For that reason, it’s the client’s successes that make us most proud, and offer the clearest glimpse into what we are actually able to do for organizations.

Below, you’ll find a recent example of our work and action:

The Situation
Goranson Consulting was called in to deal with a crisis at a mid-sized company in a Midwestern American city. The leadership was facing a crisis situation, and it affected everyone in the organization, from the people calling the shots at the top to the ones answering the phones.

The difficulty stands from the fact that the two most important leaders in the organization – the GM and a Director – couldn’t see eye to eye. Their relationship had become so fractured that they would only communicate through e-mail, and even avoided being physically present in the parts of the company’s building where the other worked.
Upon Coach Dave’s arrival, the tension in the air was palpable. Not only was there fighting among the leadership, but employees had taken sides. Communication and productivity were at a virtual standstill, ensuring that nothing was accomplished beyond the bare minimum of day-to-day operations.

The Goranson Plan
Because the first step towards fixing the problem would have to be accurately assessing it, Coach Dave began with off-site meetings individually with each of the two leaders. Following assessments of each – in order to help uncover their workplace behavioral styles and preferences and the true issues at play – he facilitated a meeting with the two of them.  The end result?  The first open and meaningful communication between the two in months.

Building on that foundation, Coach Dave worked with both parties (separately, then together, and finally with their teams) to establish the right kinds of expectations: what behavior was acceptable, how the two parties and teams could best work together, and what the mutually-agreed short and long-term goals would be. The result was a new understanding between both sides.

From there, Coach Dave worked with the rest of the staff to rebuild the organization’s culture and policies. Activities focused not only on resolving the current tension and roadblocks, but also ensuring that they wouldn’t reappear in the future. 

The Outcome
In a very short period of time, the tension in the organization dissipated. People communicated on a more personal and impactful level, and laughter was heard within the offices for the first time in nearly a year. After meeting a number of short-term goals, with some open and honest dialogue along the way, the second-in-command left the organization for a new opportunity.  The positives from that were that new leaders arose internally and a new vibe and culture was being created.
How is that organization today? Like any company, it has its ups and downs. But through our experience of working together, they have learned to sense and resolve important issues before they take root, allowing the business to keep growing without suffering huge periodic crises as they had in the past. Enormous strides were made, the bottom-line improved, and it became a much more enjoyable workplace for everyone involved.

Those are the kinds of results we are constantly looking for, and what we bring to your organization. Why not contact us today to see what Goranson Consulting can do for you?