Bush Anderson and Associates   "Taking it to the next level..." Diamond B - Rockin' A  Ranch Retreat
	Success Story Case Studies Here are some real life examples of the kind of impact that Bush Anderson and Associates can have on you and your business.  These success stories outline the work undertaken in specific and practical terms indicating the:     - program delivered     - type of business     - client's goals     - actions taken, and     - results produced Practical Skills for Managers & Supervisors (PSMS) Case Study--Banking BrainStyles™ & Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Case Study--Advertising Agency Practical Skills for Managers & Supervisors (PSMS) Case Study--Banking A mid-sized financial institution (nearly $1 billion in deposits), experiencing solid growth and exciting opportunities, had embraced Performance Excellence criteria based on the Malcolm Baldrige Award Criteria and had applied for the Texas Quality Award.  Not surprisingly, their feedback included gaps noted in the Leadership category.  As the company had built new branches, hired staff and supervisors, and created new services for its burgeoning clientele, the leaders experienced inconsistent application of procedures and policies.  They lacked supervisory training in communicating with employees, setting expectations, providing feedback and coaching, and dealing with poor performance or violations of conditions of employment.  Senior leaders had high expectations for employee morale, and suspected better-trained managers and supervisors would help achieve this goal.  The Leadership System Development Team called us in to design and deliver supervisory training for 75 leaders and 5 potential leaders across the institution. Client's goals: 1. achieve consistency in application of people programs, company policy, and HR procedures 2. increase confidence and competence of all leaders in interacting with employees 3. develop consistent performance and development planning and review system Actions: We tailored our three-day Practical Skills for Managers & Supervisors training program for delivery over three months for 80 participants.  Each program day was delivered three times each month for groups of 25-27 cross-functional attendees.  Assignments between program days included targeted interactions with employees, planned and practiced during the training sessions.  We redesigned all case studies and role-plays to reflect the situations and experiences of these leaders, based on input from our interviews with selected leaders across all functions. Results: Within the year, employee morale rose to an unprecedented high of 93% favorable as it related to all leadership and management questions.  Participation rate also rose to a new record of 97% participation.  Managers and supervisors continued to cite the usefulness of the tools and practices sessions in the PSMS agenda.  As new managers or supervisors have been named, they have attended PSMS in our public settings in order to become quickly productive in interacting with their employees on performance and conditions of employment issues. back to top of page BrainStyles™ & Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Case Study--Advertising Agency A small firm with big vision, plans and goals, this family-owned agency had patched together executive roles and responsibilities haphazardly to get the job done over the years.  A phase one company on the growth curve, every one pitched in as the needs arose and served the client well.  Over time, however, as the business results grew and responsibilities to match them mushroomed, the CEO could see the team losing effectiveness and growing resentful.  He called us in to facilitate a leadership retreat of two days duration. Client's goals: 1. revalidate the agency's vision, mission, and goals 2. reinvigorate the executive team with teambuilding 3. revisit roles and responsibilities and set goals Actions: Our solution was to provide a blended Appreciative Inquiry and BrainStyles™ Leadership and Teamwork agenda at an off-site location for the entire agency (24 associates).  Prework included reading The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry and taking The BrainStyles  Inventory© 2.0.  During the Appreciative Inquiry first 1/2 day agenda, the associates were grouped by intact departmental teams with their leader, e.g. Client Services, Creative, Operations, Media.  Using the Dialog, Discover, Dream, and Design methodology of AI, their deliverables were short presentations of their prioritized goals and commitment for the coming year. Results: Upon this very positive note, the BrainStyles™ agenda ensued for 1-1/2 days, beginning by identifying each associate’s brainstyle profile (Knower, Conciliator, Conceptor, and Deliberator).  Discovery of an overwhelming majority of Deliberators and Conciliators in the agency roster was illuminating.  The two Knowers (both Directors) became aware of their contribution of goal clarity and implementation logistics.  The Strengths Contract between two executives, the CEO (Deliberator) and the HR Director (Knower), was a "homerun".  It resulted in shifting roles and responsibilities according to a new appreciation for brainstyle gifts and limitations.  It also opened up opportunities for a staff person in HR with Conciliator gifts to take on more responsibilities related to her strengths.  The CEO declared, "This was teambuilding with concrete results!" back to top of page
Bush Anderson and Associates, Inc. Diamond B - Rockin' A  Ranch Retreat 12750 Pelzel Road Pilot Point, TX  76258 (940) 686-0200 LindaBush@bushanderson.com www.bushanderson.com