Examples of RDA Work
Leadership Development
In partnership with the University of New Hampshire's Browne Center, we worked with the senior team and their direct reports of a leading company in the cellular tower industry. Over a nine-month period, we collaborated in the design and facilitation of 3 Leadership Summits, focused on:
- Examining and clarifying the company's Core Principles
- Leadership behaviors
- Creating action teams:
- Connecting Our Employees Coast-to-Coast
- Our Core Principles
- Improving the Employee Evaluation Process
- Learning from action teams' experiences
- Coaching three senior leaders on effective design and facilitation
At each Summit we used stimulating, thought-provoking activities, including outdoor challenge courses, indoor experiential exercises, and (theatre) improvisation techniques to introduce and reinforce the leadership themes.
Leadership Coaching
When co-leaders of a pharmaceutical team were having significant difficulties cooperating, collaborating and co-leading, RDA was brought in. During a 3 month period we worked with them to uncover and understand the obstacles blocking their capability to lead their team. We met with each leader individually as well as facilitated discussions between them. We helped them clarify their problem-solving, work and leadership styles. Positive results included greater self-awareness of style, behavior and personality, its impact on leader relationships with the team and each other, and action steps for building upon this new, more collaborative and productive foundation.
Executive Leadership Assimilation and Strategic Planning
Before RDA involvement, the executive team of a multinational manufacturing organization shared functional responsibilities but in an individual, non-collaborative environment. When a new senior leader from outside the corporation joined the division, RDA was brought in to facilitate the leadership assimilation process. A team-building and strategic planning session helped the team develop new tactics to identify and replicate best practices and create a function-wide plan to meet strategic initiatives together.
Senior Staff Communications & Team Development
RDA designed a series of workshops to build cohesive, team-oriented relationships and an understanding of roles among executive team members of a major health care provider's information systems organization. Subsequently, we worked with this team and their respective organizations on teaming and communication strategies, leadership development, meeting management, conflict management and the development/management of organizational priorities.
Senior Management Team Recommitment
In the aftermath of an internal revolt by the leadership team against the company president, RDA was asked to identify the major causes of team dysfunction and develop effective strategies to address these problems.
Mistrust between corporate and field functions; the inability to communicate openly and honestly; and lack of team identity were identified. Over the course of one year (and two Presidents), we helped the Leadership Team:
- Develop/communicate perspective around the issues which led to the revolt
- Create a new vision and team operational ground rules
- Maintain a safe emotional and intellectual environment
- Identify barriers to and strategies for improving interpersonal effectiveness and
- Work through major reengineering changes which took place following a change in leadership
Managing and Valuing a Diverse Workforce
RDA worked with the Diversity Council of a multi-national conglomerate to create a workshop to explore participants' comfort level with people who are different from themselves.
The workshop included a process for taking action when faced with inappropriate statements or actions that were potentially damaging to individuals, work groups and/or to the company. Case scenarios developed with the company's Diversity Council provided an opportunity for participants to apply workshop content to real world situations.
Joint Venture (JV): Team Development, Change Management, Strategy
RDA consulted with and coached the Clinical Management Team of a pharmaceutical/biotech joint venture using quarterly "Retreats" for team development, change management and strategic planning. Our initial focus helped the JV team understand and resolve some basic cultural and business differences. Subsequent retreats focused on "futuring," examining/polishing various processes used by the team, information sharing, developing strategy/tactics to bring the compound to market, preparing for final compound submission, leveraging lessons learned and maintaining a supportive, safe cultural environment.
Implementing New Organization Structure
Shortly after a telecommunications corporation eliminated 10,000 jobs, RDA worked with the management team of one of their regional service centers assisting with the implementation of a new organizational structure, communicating a new company vision to the organization, developing an accountability system for implementing that vision, building open communications and teamwork on the management team and throughout the organization. Following this project, RDA designed and delivered workshops for individual sales and service teams to address changes in organization and processes; develop team vision, objectives and critical behaviors for success; and creating action plans and measurements for ensuring team success.