Case Studies | The Crisfield Group

Leadership Development

Building the bench

9 months

Global services organization

A leadership pipeline built from scratch

The organization wanted an internally managed talent management and leadership development process for its high potential managers and project leaders. Working with the divisional president, VP of Operations, VP of Sales and VP of Human Resources, we developed a comprehensive leadership and talent management process for first line managers wishing to move to director level.

We worked closely with the senior leadership team to develop a set of leadership competencies. These became the basis for selection criteria, a nine month development process with monthly action learning activities, and a multi-day simulation retreat culminating in an assessment centre. We developed, managed and co-facilitated every aspect from strategy through to the design and implementation of the assessment centre. Each participant received a 20+ page assessment report, a detailed individual development plan and 60+ minutes of verbal feedback. The program ran in the US and Europe.

Result. Within all cohorts, 70% of the managers were promoted to higher level positions within the first 24 months.

18 months

Global pharmaceutical company

Talent management across three divisions

The company wanted talent management, leadership development and management training programs for all field and headquarters based managers in their commercial organization. In partnership with the VP of Operations and the Senior Director of Global Management Development, we conducted a comprehensive needs analysis across three business divisions and headquarters.

The data was presented to senior leadership with a strategy to design and develop a comprehensive talent management and leadership development program for field sales and commercial operations. The strategy worked from an existing global competency model to identify, assess and develop future leaders, and established a cross functional coalition of senior leaders from each business unit to act as a steering committee. It included a detailed selection criteria, a comprehensive assessment program, a feedback mechanism, an individual development planning process, and a quarterly leadership newsletter to reinforce the program, which we created and edited.

Result. Implemented with over 250 field managers during our engagement.

Training Development

Creating, refining and enhancing skills based programs that drive performance and outcomes

Full rebuild

Mid sized pharmaceutical company

Sales and management training, rebuilt end to end

The company engaged us to revamp their sales and management training processes, including their existing selling skills model and the creation of a sales coaching model and process. Working closely with the President, Vice President of Sales and regional directors, we conducted an internal needs analysis to identify sales and coaching best practices, cultural norms and organizational needs, alongside a review of industry norms.

We reviewed all existing training materials and programs for sales representatives and field sales managers, then made extensive recommendations. We modified the client's existing selling model and created a process to virtually retrain the entire sales force, producing a custom slide deck, leader's guides and participant's guides, and conducted an extensive train-the-trainer session with all field sales managers.

We also customized Conversational Coaching, our proprietary field sales coaching process, to meet the needs of the client. It was rolled out to all field sales directors and managers during a live training session, again with custom materials throughout.

Result. An entire sales force retrained virtually, and a coaching process adopted across the whole field management team.

Start-up

Small pharmaceutical company

A full sales training program on a start-up budget

A start-up engaged us to create all initial sales training materials for a new cardiovascular sales force. Because the company was in start-up mode, there was no budget to produce custom disease state training materials.

We worked closely with the Vice President of Sales and Marketing to identify needs, then built a training process using publicly available disease state materials combined with third party materials, and we created a modern selling skills model based on their sales culture and customer audience, to produce one cohesive program. We then ran a train-the-trainer with a regional manager and supplied a leader's guide, participant's guide and slide deck.

Result. A complete, cohesive sales training program delivered without a custom content budget.

Executive Coaching

One person at a time

12 months

Life science services company

From clinical expert to commercial leader

The company wanted to improve the business acumen and executive presence of a recently promoted, high potential senior director with an extensive clinical background but no commercial experience. In her new role she would interface with C suite clients, participate in new business development discussions, and carry responsibility for growing revenue within her division.

We worked closely with the senior director for 12 months, both in person and virtually, focusing on executive presence, presentation skills, and a detailed understanding of the business and financial models unique to her organization.

Result. By the end of the engagement both the senior director and her organization were confident in her ability to lead in the new role. During the same period her division became the highest grossing unit within its operating unit.

6 months

Mid sized pharmaceutical company

A leadership style that was costing the company

We were engaged to coach a high potential director of training and development. During the engagement the individual was promoted to a field sales director position and the company decided to continue with the coaching process. As they assumed the new role, significant challenges developed around their leadership style, which became increasingly authoritarian and led to multiple HR complaints from both employees and customers.

Working closely with the HR department, we administered a 360 degree feedback process with the individual's team and facilitated the feedback session. We then developed and implemented a personal development and coaching plan over six months, focused on leadership style and executive communication techniques.

Result. Better self awareness, increased leadership style versatility, improved communication, and fewer HR complaints.

3 months

Government agency

360 feedback across every department head

The agency engaged us to conduct a 360 degree feedback process with all of their department heads. They were concerned that various departments were not cooperating, including some refusing to work with specific individuals. After gathering the 360 data we delivered one-on-one feedback to each department head.

The agency then engaged us to coach one individual deemed high potential but with significant interpersonal challenges across the staff. We began with an MBTI assessment and a Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, then used those alongside the 360 results as the basis for three months of work on self awareness, interpersonal communication, conflict resolution and personal accountability.

Result. The agency reported a complete turnaround in the individual's behavior and peer relationships.

Real world challenges, and successful outcomes