Creating an Agile and High Performance Team

Key Innovations & Timeline

Richard and Frank are owners of a fund-of-funds investment company for high net worth individuals.  Richard is the Managing Partner.  At the time he engaged us, 15 years ago, he was drowning in chaos, overwhelm and stress from "success".

Richard's goal was to have a long-term profitable company without the stress and have at least three months each year away from the office.  His partner, Frank, thought he was crazy to even think about such a goal.  Richard did not know of any peer who has such a "Life of Riley" but that is what he was determined to create.

About the same time, Dan, who owns a large Library Services company, specializing in managing libraries for law firms, was also drowning in chaos, overwhelm and stress from "success".  Dan had not slept soundly for many months.  His goal was more modest; he only wanted a long-term profitable company, his health and some relaxing time with his wife and two children.

They are very different people in very different businesses.  However, the both wanted their unique version of the same goal: "An Agile, High Performance Team flourishing in a low-stress environment where everyone enjoys a fulfilling life adventure of their own design".  Both held this goal for their employees, as well as themselves.  Both are very competent, highly regarded executives.  (It will soon become obvious that this methodology is not attractive to those who are "competency challenged").

I introduced both to Authentic Leadership in regularly scheduled Executive Leadership Coaching sessions.  We used phone coaching with only one or two onsite sessions each year.  Coaching is very different than either consulting or training.  The clients are in charge of their coaching agenda.  Each session only deals with whatever topics the clients want to address at that time.  If appropriate, a Coaching Handout describing the relevant aspect of Authentic Leadership is sent to the client after the session to deepen the learning and advance the action.  (This is "just-in-time" learning at its best).

Each Coaching Handout stands on its own.  They enter the coaching conversation in almost any sequence.  Thus, some repetition is essential.  Our library of Coaching Handouts is large and growing.  Whenever we encounter a new situation that is not covered, we use the experience of the moment to either revise an existing document or generate a new one.

Our coaching process is rambling, non-linear and very messy.  We only introduce a new concept when the client is in enough pain to consider a different perspective.  It is just part of our human nature for all of us to continue to do what we've been doing until we discover, for yourself, that what we are doing is NOT working!  (We frequently ask the "Dr. Phil" question: "And how is that working for you?")

We begin with whatever issues the clients want to address and dance with them each session.  Generally, within twelve coaching sessions, clients have "consumed and are digesting" most of the Conceptual Foundation Handouts and are experimenting with some of the Operational Guides.  Every client must test every concept; nothing is to be taken on faith!

None of the Coaching Handouts tell the client what to do.  Each is designed to challenge old beliefs and stimulate creative problem solving.  Frequently a concept will arise two or three months later within a very different context.  When the clients review a Coaching Handout, new ways of seeing old realities show up.  This messy Executive Leadership Coaching technique also requires that each client keep a coaching notebook where notes of each session are kept and, between sessions, ideas are thought through and also written down.  Along with my notes, this gives the process all of the structure it needs.  This is a proven process for developing Authentic Leaders.

Richard and Dan had distinctly different journeys in pursuit of their unique version of their "High Performance Team goal".  However their approach was similar and typical of most clients.  Once they grasped the big picture of the Authentic Leadership Conceptual Foundation, they focused on operational issues, using whatever Operational Guides were useful in their specific circumstances.  Their intent was to reduce the chaos, overwhelm and stress in their lives and the lives of their employees.

Within nine months, both Richard and Dan were off their psychotropic drugs!  By the end of their first year, both were beginning to grasp what might be possible, so their ideas of what a "low-stress, fulfilling life adventure of our own design" might look like began to have new dimensions and meaning.

Over the years, both have revised their individual definitions of "An Agile, High Performance Team," and a "low-stress environment".  They encourage all employees to take personal responsibility for creating a "fulfilling life adventure of their own design".

In the second year, I began to coach two of Richard's key leaders who had no leadership training or experience.  Both of them have matured as leaders, accelerating the organization's growth and providing Richard with the free time he craves.  His investment company came through the current financial crisis quite well largely because the "low-stress environment" allowed an "agile response" to changing conditions.

At this time, Richard accumulates at least six months (in two week doses) away from the office each year.  While he makes efficient use of technology so he is easily in touch, he is quick to tell anyone, the secret is the Culture that evolved over the years.  Now everyone largely designs their own job and determines their own hours.  Anytime he sees signs of chaos, overwhelm or stress, we are looking into what is changing in the environment to elicit that response.

Dan's Library Services Company was hit hard in the recession.  However, the "HOT" Relationships within the staff enabled them to quickly revise their strategic plan to eliminate unprofitable, obsolete services and focus on profitable services.

The secret of their quick recovery is 1) their "agile response" to the rapidly shifting market and 2) the depth of trust within the Culture.  (A Culture infected with the 3D Virus: Distrust, Dissonance and Disengagement, will easily defeat the most brilliantly designed Strategic Plan).

The tempo of business continues to quicken.  The opportunities of new markets and the destruction of old markets continues to sweep over both Richard and Dan.  However, they have mastered the skills of Authentic Leadership.  Both are enjoying a "Low-Stress, Fulfilling Life Adventure of their own design".  Their story is typical of our other clients.