In 1999, Trustmark, a health and life insurer based in suburban Chicago, faced a dire situation. The company had lost money for the first time in its long history; market consolidation meant it faced larger, stronger competitors; and it had ventured into businesses beyond its core competencies. The company built a culture to fit the situation. Costs were slashed and businesses sold. Employees learned to keep their heads down to survive. Morale and employee engagement suffered.
Once the crisis passed, company leaders knew they needed to foster a different mindset if the company was to thrive - not just survive. The company embarked on a Renaissance, or rebirth, that touched every aspect of the culture, from the employee workspaces to the way they thought about and approached problems: from new tools for collaboration to the celebration of successes.
Leading a creative community of learners is much different than leading an army of survivors. So, as part of its Renaissance, the company immersed a large number of leaders in Executive Coaching, The Leadership Practices Inventory® and The Leadership Challenge® Experience.
Third Eye Leadership strategically customized the implementation to help turn a head-down, risk-averse, internally focused culture into one open to new opportunities, willing to risk failure, and able to adapt and innovate to generate new sources of profitable growth.
Long-time revenue decline arrested, increased sales, and a measurably more engaged workforce committed to growth through launching new products, building new partnerships and acquiring new businesses.
A leader applies the lessons from the Leadership Challenge Workshop and describes the results: “We had people from all levels of the organization talking to each other about ways of doing things differently and better. We had tremendous amounts of success identifying opportunities for improvement. We were able to mobilize people because they all had a sense of ownership and commitment.”
A leader shares more about his values and what really matters to him — with such seemingly small steps as personalizing his office — and finds that his team becomes more willing to share issues, raising the quality of service in the organization.
A leader worries that her division will not meet its $6 million earnings goal. She returns from the Leadership Challenge Workshop with a vision that focuses her team. By yearend, the division doubles its goal, with nearly $12 million in earnings.
