Case Studies
Multiple Zones International, Inc.
Phase FIVE designed and implemented a series of full-day leadership seminars for all senior executives and managers throughout MZI, a mid-sized company that markets microchip-based hardware and software. The size of the seminars varied from large (80-100) people to smaller groups of 15 -20). PFG facilitators led discussions on current approaches to leadership.
Our emphasis was applying leadership principles highlighted in the discussion to the day-to-day and long- range challenges faced by the executives and managers. This was accomplished in a number of ways. One was to create experiential learning labs where participants and the facilitators could reflect on real-time dynamics that often shed light on organizational patterns, and then analyze the effects of (modes of) leadership actions and behavior.
Another valuable tool employed by Phase FIVE was the case study method. MZI managers presented leadership problems they currently face. Group members and facilitators discussed, analyzed, and made recommendations on the problems presented. This brought greater awareness of the overlapping nature of the problems they all faced, and spurred a discussion of the important challenges facing the company. The case studies also introduced a consultative process as a new way of engaging each other, getting feedback, and checking leadership strategies. The seminars were so successful that the CEO requested the trainers consider, with his financial support, creating a school for leadership, which would grant degrees and/or certificates to not only their executives and managers, but also to other interested companies. The trainers approached Antioch University, the educational institution with whom we were most closely affiliated. A committee at Antioch was created to consider the forming of a company-affiliated school. The committee, despite Phase FIVE’s urging, never reached an agreement as to whether to pursue the leadership school possibility. We were unable to convince Antioch to sponsor the proposed company-based leadership school.
Washington State Labor Council
The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) initially called Phase FIVE to meet with their executive officers. They presented difficulties they were experiencing with communication throughout the organization, creating a sense of disconnection among their personnel and contributing to a lack of cohesion in their efforts. This impeded the WSLC’s ability to implement unified initiatives, and they feared this was having an affect on the broader labor community.
Following a series of executive and board consultations, Phase FIVE was asked to develop a program for an organization-wide consultation for the WSLC, an organization critical to the political interests and employment rights of Washington states’ working people. We began by conducting interviews with and collecting anonymous questionnaires from WSLC personnel from around the state, including senior executives, managers, administrative staff, political directors and lobbyists, union leaders and members. We collected and analyzed the data, reported our findings to the senior executive leadership, made recommendations, gained agreement and support. Phase FIVE provided individual leadership coaching for senior executives, managers, staff; bi-weekly team development consultations, and feedback conferences with the leadership. Next, we facilitated an off-site, 3-day retreat. To ensure their progress, we provided ongoing consultation with the executive leadership and several follow-up conferences. We worked with teams to construct a “systems map” that identified the varying perspectives and forces – from within and outside – that impacted the organization’s effectiveness.
Group members learned to productively test their assumptions and advocate their perspectives. They learned to spot and analyze dynamics that highlighted the limiting organizational patterns they then determined to change. The WSLC was able to shift from a culture overly focused on those in positions of authority having the answers, and on individual performance and blame, to one that focused on their teams taking responsibility and leadership. There were also improved communications among personnel, allowing them to feel a sense of community and unified mission.
Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment (for Human Dignity
We were asked to work with one of the Nation’s foremost human rights organizations, having an executive committee of 15 plus a 40-member board that represented organizations from 5 Northwest states. Concurrently we worked with the main staff(s) of the organization, providing executive coaching and consulting to the Executive Director and Director of Operations.
Conflict existed in the organization: there was a gap between the front line and how the leadership viewed and framed the problems facing the organization. The organizations’ staff members were experiencing profound confusion and ambiguity due to two appearingly disparate sets of operating assumptions: on the one hand, be completely autonomous, and on the other hand, remain reliant on the leadership to maintain coordination of efforts. This interfered with their ability to lead and be led. Difficulties persisted with the Executive Director and the board, as well as between the Executive Director, Director of Operations, and the staff members.
The Executive Director and staff worked intensively over a year’s time, developing their ability to work as a microcosm reflective of the larger organizational issues and challenges to their general efforts. Within a facilitated experiential learning environment, the coalition staff first learned a new mode of communicating, then engaged in a process that assisted them to identify vantage points held by the various stakeholders in the greater organization. Grappling openly with issues such as the paradox between the two disparate operating values led to an organizational shift in culture that was marked by a sense of interdependence. The leadership project included a 4-day conference with the entire board of the 5-state coalition, the executive committee, and the staff. This, together with the ongoing work with the staff, led to a greater alignment among the board, staff, and executive committee regarding organizational goals and procedures.
Rebound
Rebound, a non-profit organization established by the building trade unions in the state of WA to ensure safety and quality compliance by all industrial, commercial, and residential building projects throughout the state, called in Phase FIVE to help with ongoing conflict throughout the organization. The conflict created a split between the executive committee, board, executive director and staff.
Phase FIVE conducted interviews with representatives from all participating unions from around the state, executives committee, staff and board members, analyzed the data, and submitted a proposal that was accepted by the organization. Phase FIVE provided coaching, leadership development, team building, systems analysis, communication and conflict management skills for the organization as a whole.Facilitated discussions helped the Executive Director (ED) and Board President forge a partnership. Their leadership contributed to a greater sense of trust and willingness among the staff and executive committee to work together, addressing the challenges facing Rebound. The executive committee, ED and staff gained a greater understanding of the issues -underlying the tensions in the organization. One of the sources of tension was the fundamental difference in the contributing unions and staff understanding of Rebound’s purpose. Together the ED and Board President drafted a plan for renewing Rebound’s mission and strategies. The ED and Board President’s joint leadership efforts brought together, for the first time, the various stakeholders from the building trade unions all across Washington for a large, full-day meeting. Their purpose was to listen to and consider the renewal plan presented by the Board President and Executive Director. This was a landmark event.
Rebound’s Executive Committee, ED and staff succeeded in addressing their existing conflict, creating greater alignment among themselves regarding Rebound’s purpose and strategy. However, some labor unions’ presidents, reflecting their union’s internal unresolved conflict – did not fully endorse the ongoing work. Although Phase FIVE outlined the need to address this conflict, and provided an approach for how to do so, the ED and Executive Committee were unsuccessful in their efforts to convince these particular members, and this failure halted the necessary work.
Pacifica-Talgo
Phase FIVE worked closely with Pacifica-Talgo’s CEO, managers, production team leads, and team members to implement a flexible, customer-driven, high-performance team (HPT) structure for this manufacturing company.
The project began with a weeklong intensive training that included everyone in the company. The focus was incorporating high performance team principles and practices, and creating the culture and leadership skills needed to sustain the effort.
Executives and managers from profit, government, & non-profit sectors presented real-life cases of leadership challenges confronted in their organizations.
Leadership theory and implementation was taught through experiential methods; a Phase FIVE group facilitator analyzed these cases, and ongoing consultations were provided to leaders, examining their interventions and ongoing strategies.