Case Studies

Leadership Development: Client Case Study – 2011–2014
Organisational Development Consultant & Executive Coach – Susan Kroening

This case study highlights a Facilitating Success Pty Ltd client, Ajilon, specialists in the IT sector. Ajilon began their leadership and culture transformation journey in 2011 using The Leadership Culture Survey (TLCS) as a diagnostic – to define their current and desired culture.

Due to significant growth, an inconsistent or varied approach to leadership development and an absence of defined leadership standards; the Ajilon Leadership identified that there were many different styles of leadership being role-modelled within Ajilon.  However, not all the leadership styles aligned with Ajilon’s organisational values nor did all demonstrate strong emotional intelligence.

Knowing that research tells us the best way to embed a desired workplace culture, is to ensure Executive, Senior Leaders and Managers consistently role-model the preferred leadership behaviours; we continued the journey in 2012 with these 2 groups.  Each member of the Executive Team and the next layer of the National Management Team (total 40 people) completed The Leadership Circle Survey (TLC), participated in 3 individual coaching sessions and based on their personal results have completed a written Development Plan (no exceptions tolerated).  The Leadership Program, delivered by Facilitating Success’s Director – Susan Kroening, has involved:

• Group prebriefs and debriefs – introducing people to the TLC tool and their results
• Face to face – one on one coaching  (WA based team members)
• Face to Face, Telephone and SKYPE coaching (East Coast team members)
• Group coaching
• Leadership Workshops
• Talent Team Seminars – focusing on Emotional Intelligence

One of the key levers for success has been the very active engagement of the Steering Committee, which is comprised of the: Managing Director, Operations Manager, Director of People and Culture, and External Consultant and Senior Leadership Coach – Susan Kroening. 

As typical with businesses juggling many competing demands, it can be challenging to ensure all participants recognise that investing the time to build their Leadership Competencies is as valuable as ‘time on task’.  Or to paraphrase the analogy offered by Michael Gerber in his book The E-Myth – there is great value in working ON the business of being a leader as well as IN the business.  However, with this message being echoed and role-modelled by the MD and Executive Team – momentum is building.

Pulse checks done at 6 monthly intervals using metrics measuring aspects including: Transformational and Corporate Leadership, Knowledge Sharing, Organisational Cohesion, Employee Engagement – indicate that though there is still work to be done – progress is being made.

  Managing Director’s Testimonial

“Susan Kroening worked with Ajilon over a 24 month period as our Leadership Coach and has made a tremendous impact on our organisation!  Collaborating with both our HR Director and General Manager of Operations, Susan worked with us to design a framework that will have continual leadership development as a fundamental activity within Ajilon. 

Susan began with the executive team and showed great patience and skill in taking us on the journey – which often can be confronting. Susan’s determination through those initial months was the real key to success and I found her coaching inspiring.  

Susan went on to coach our National Leadership Team (~50 people) and again the feedback was fantastic. Then to support us in continuing to grow our organisations’ next layer of leaders and managers, she helped us set up our internal People & Culture team to enable them to run the coaching internally.  Working with Susan guarantees results!”                                        
                                                                                                                Ger Doyle, Managing Director, Ajilon