CASE STUDY: WIMMER SOLUTIONS
As a Member of Excell, we CEO Members had a Workshop on Fierce/significant conversations, why we don’t hold them and what the impact of failing to be direct and address issues. The Workshop facilitator asked us how our lives would be different if we did hold these kind of conversations. The Workshop taught us skills so that we could be more effective in holding tough conversations and forced us to define real and specific issues that were not being addressed in each of our companies and then take action.
I had been avoiding key problem areas. I had the experience and knowledge about how to solve the problems that existed. However, in deference to two of the company founders, I continued to avoid tackling the problems. We all kept sweeping problems under the carpet, ignoring the consequences.
Action
The Key in the workshop was that it provided me a set of tools, a methodology and required us to practice the tools and methodology during the program. As a result of the Workshop, I committed to sitting down with my two founders and holding a tough conversation with them about how our culture was holding us back from real growth. I was able to approach my two founders in a way that I had not considered before and in which I felt more confident. In the Workshop we learned a framework and a set of questions that allowed me to craft a deliberate, effective approach and methodology that successfully take action.
Result
Prior to implementing this new set of CEO tools, learned in the Workshop, I had allowed a key set of production meetings to become wholly ineffective. What is more these meetings were run by someone who it was difficult to approach and the meetings are held three times per week. So, this set of meetings was not only important, they had a big impact on half the employees. As one employee put it, these meetings are key to the work we do and get paid for and these meetings were sucking the life out of everyone who attended them. In fact sales staff were making up excuses to avoid having to attend.
My first fierce conversation was with the employee who was in charge of these meetings. I got his attention, held this significant conversation and received his buy in to have me facilitate the meetings for a few weeks and model what they could be.
The feedback from those attending was immediate and positive. Now, the daily focus and effectiveness of the team has increased dramatically and the error rates have reduced substantially.
CASE STUDY: Apple PT, Inc.
The Challenge
Our Company has grown from start-up to annual revenues of $25 million and 245 employees. 
The team we now have are all home grown, including myself. As the Company has grown, I have increasingly focused on strategy and real estate opportunities related to the company. Thanks to the CEO Members of my Excell Group, I have come to realize that my passions and my greatest value to the company is in the role of a Chairman of the Board, rather than operating roles. I have also realized that I continue to drop down in to operating mode when either a ball has been dropped or there is a lack of tactical leadership/direction.
As a result of some pretty tough sessions with my Excell Group, I began to understand that my team may not want what I want (to double the size of our company) and may not have the training, skills and experience to achieve the goal, even if they come on board.
How Excell Helped Me Meet the Challenge
Initially, I wanted to look at what role I wanted to play in getting us to $50 million and operating at that level. The Excell Group were aligned and persuasive. The first thing they urged is to look at my vision. They asked some tough questions about why I wanted my company to double in size and why it had grown to its present size before addressing me or the team. After they were clear about what I wanted and why it was important, we did an exercise to create the positions as they now existed and what positions were necessary at $50 Million (it was great having people in the room who had already been at this level).
Once we fleshed out how the company was presently run and what the company might look like at twice its present size, we started looking at the skills, talent and experience necessary to achieve this vision. It was very powerful.
Result
As a result of my Excell Group, I am having very productive meetings with my partner and building a five year plan to execute on the vision. Team Members will be brought in to develop missions tied to the vision and all this follows on the heels of my learning some new skills this year around both holding effective crucial conversations and delegation.
I feel much more confident about how to implement what I want and am clear that I can achieve what I want while furthering my exit strategy and plans for philanthropic activities. This is exciting!
CASE STUDY: Madrona Solutions
Our company has won a number of national and local awards, Best Company to work for in Washington, etc. However, we had never done a 360º and were not convinced that completing one would be of much value.
Action
As a Member of Excell, and at no additional cost beyond Membership, I was required to benchmark my leadership of my company by allowing Excell to conduct a 360º survey. I provided the names and email contact list for my direct reports (and anyone else I wanted included). Excell conducted the survey with confidentiality and on-line. I got to see the questions…. quite extensive and the summary answers.
Result
One of the first things I learned is that people inside and outside the company are not consistent about what we call our company, what we say we do and how we think about it. I also learned that our business planning process does not set a clearly articulated strategic plan and now we know it is a gap and we can begin closing the gap.
The impact on my discussions with my team and partners is at a more significant level based on the 360º survey because we are updating our Misssion, vision and values…. We have never made a decision based on these and we are now focusing on doing so. We see how important laying this foundation is and that it relates directly to how we conduct our business and build our brand.
We also have marketing messages that we believe are less effective and we have left a hole/gap in what we are asking the team to do, especially in sales. All this from one survey! Oh, and I now am working with my team of direct reports to develop a way to provide everyone in the Company with a confidential 360º survey and feedback, since I see the value of what I already received. I am looking forward to improving my numbers and leadership and know that in a year to 18 months, Excell will conduct another 360º survey. Now that is accountability and a way for me to stretch and improve as a CEO!
CASE STUDY: Sechrist Design
Business Problem/Issue and the impact on the business/my life
I grew my professional services company without having had formal management training and the Company had grown with me as the key rain maker. I was also the head of production, customer service, operations and almost everything else. I wanted to grow my company and my Excell group convinced me that to grow, I had to focus more on sales and professional services for my firm and I had to delegate.
Action
The CEO Members helped me get clarity on the job description, hiring process and figure out what would be the most effective way to divide up the work that should be delegated. The Members new my business and what I liked to do and not do in my business. They pushed and supported me in a way that I was willing
Result
By hiring the right person, my company gained structure, communication and I began to trust that delegation would work. Staff grew professionally because mine was no longer the only perspective in the company. I learned to measure, communicate and delegate effectively. I get to do more of what I love about my business and spend less time on those things that don’t excite me.
Problem/Issue
As our company grew I began to realize that I needed more data and ways to analyze the data. I wasn’t sure what that data should be, how to get it and where it could come from in the business. In short I had no business model. We had just grown and continued to make a very good living and were quite profitable.
My decisions were based on my gut and my gut was good. However, this limited how far and how quickly the Company could grow. In my consultations, the group leader worked with me on developing a business model and key performance indicators. When we were ready, my group leader found and screened potential consultants to help my company mine the data, analyze it and then present it.
ACTION
Over a few months time, my group leader and I built a spreadsheet model to project cash flow needs of my business and to determine what factors were most important for me to keep in my sights.
At the same time we worked with a chosen consultant, who was responsive and got us good solid information and data.
RESULT
Having data and information on which I could rely helped us determine what business we wanted and which to avoid. It also helped us decide what changes needed to be made to continuously improve productivity. Ultimately this helped us improve client satisfaction and employee satisfaction.