The Leadership of a start-up firm had invited us to discuss ideas around how leaders should initiate their self-development. This was a group of 15 leaders who had joined this company from different backgrounds, had different past experiences and personalities. Despite these differences, there was a need of a workshop which helps each one of them to understand their own developmental needs and initiate them.
When the management shared these inputs with us, we instantly knew that there is a need for a 2 to 4 weeks of engagement with the leadership group to achieve what is required.
Understanding the challenges, we had at hand, we knew that on one hand we will have to do a session with the entire group together to achieve some level of alignment and on the other hand, we will have to talk to these leaders individually for tackling their personal developmental goals. For the workshop to be successful, we had set of the following key objectives:
- The leaders should understand what it means and takes to be a leader
- The leaders should understand that each one of them have a unique style of leadership and while they retain that, there are areas they need to develop on
- There needs to be alignment in the leadership group for the people to have consistency in experience
- The leaders should be able to identify their own areas of development after the workshop
To achieve the outlined objectives, we planned the following series of event to create maximum impact:
- Onboarding the leaders to understand why the workshop in required
- Conduct a MBTI 16 personality test for each leader and analyze the results for them. The results to be shared individually
- Have a workshop talking about Personalities impacting leadership styles and how self-awareness is the first step towards self-development
- Conduct one-on-one coaching style sessions with each leader to help them initiate their individual development plans
The workshop was designed keeping in mind that the leaders have all come to the organization with different baggages and it is important for us to cater to the needs of the group as well as individuals. It was important for us to leave the group with tools that come handy for their self-development.
- The first impact we created was when we onboarded the group for this engagement. They became more open to shedding their past experiences and went ahead to attempt the personality test with focus and honesty.
- During the session, we made sure that while these leaders understand their personalities well, but they also become open to accepting leaders who are different from them. We created more inclusion and alignment in the group.
- We opened the window of self-awareness and a first step to any kind of development for the leaders and showed them how they can retrospect and be more self-aware. We also helped them create their first Self-Awareness Journal during the session.
- During the one-on-one sessions, which were focused on understanding their personality styles and how they are impacting the leadership, we were able to get the leaders talk about their experiences more openly. In those sessions, the leaders also were more accepting of their developmental needs and could think through a plan to self-improvement as leaders and professionals. It was very categorically explained that the need to develop self would never end, though the areas may keep changing.
Overall, the success of the workshop was in the fact that we got a group of leaders being open to retrospect, and work towards developing themselves even when there are tight deadlines.
Client: Online Health Consultation
Strength: 60
Services: People Development
Engagement with Team: 2 Weeks
Workshop Duration: 8 Hours
