Janet B. Matts, LLC Success Stories

The following client stories provide some specific and practical examples of the range of services offered by Janet B. Matts, LLC. From this small sampling, you will get a sense of the kind of results you can expect from the consulting and coaching work provided.

If you have questions or would like to see how we can support your specific situations, please contact us.

Perceptions versus Truth

In coaching a Corporate Medical Director with years of experience in the organization, it became evident that he was unaware of the ‘perceptions’ and stories about him that had evolved due to his style and way of working. Now that he had a much larger global role, we needed to understand those perceptions and stories which had impacted his ability to lead overseas.

We did an Interview 360° process to collect those organizational stories and examples to demonstrate those perceptions. Understanding these perspectives were not necessarily the ‘truth’ about him as a leader, but these perceptions had impacted his reputation. It was critical for him to understand these perceptions and to work to change them, in order to enhance his personal and professional growth.  This created the opportunity to maximize his tenure, positional knowledge and experiences in the organization .

As a result of understanding other’s perceptions, he could determine what he wanted and needed to change. He was also able improve his relationship with his boss, and create much stronger relationships with his Global partners. As a result, he was much happier and fulfilled in his role.

This is a process for a Leader or Executive and includes specific interviews, detailed analysis of the data, coaching to the follow-up conversations and identifying specific sustained changes. This process has made a significant impact on individual Executive’s career and future success.

From Individual Expert to Collaborative Team Player

Worked with a Pharmaceutical Company’s Medical Director to enable him to transform from being perceived as an arrogant, closed individual to a collaborative team player. Due to his medical background and training, the Medical Director was used to acting in an ‘expert’ role, and was unused to collaborating with others. Unaware that his behavior clashed with the culture, he needed to understand the organization’s collaborative culture and learn how to be less introverted and more accepting of others’ contributions. By adapting to the culture by changing a few behaviors, he changed perceptions about himself and is today much more successful across the organization.

People Pleaser turned Leader

Coached a Controller at a financial firm to recognize that his style didn’t allow him to possess the Leadership influence that he needed. Being a ‘people pleaser,’ he often did not share his deep knowledge and opinions about key decisions, and instead deferred to others’ opinions. He needed to understand how that deference negatively impacted his ability to lead. We determined the behaviors he needed to target and through role-playing, he practiced his new, more assertive behaviors. Shortly after completing our coaching program, he was promoted because of his improved Leadership behaviors.

Bridging Different Communication Styles

Working with a Vice President of Sales and his boss, we created a greater understanding of communication style differences and preferences. Understanding the ‘high information needs’ of his boss, this VP was unable to meet on a more frequent basis with him due to his travel schedule and calendar challenges.

He learned that if he used his Blackberry to communicate short, frequent messages with him, as well as ongoing status updates, his boss felt much more connected to his progress. Along with other minor changes, he was able to create a more positive relationship with him and they both enjoyed more ongoing  open communication.

Leading With Emotional Intelligence

By understanding different Leadership styles and using them in specific situations, an Executive Director learned how to read his customers and address their needs. Through the use of his Emotional Intelligence competencies, he became more cognizant of his impact as a leader and achieved greater success. Promoted shortly after our coaching process concluded, the Executive Director’s changes in leadership style have remained sustainable.

Women’s Leadership Initiative

Provided consultative support to a Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical organization to begin a Women’s Leadership Initiative. Initially established the Steering Committee and Executive Sponsorship’s infrastructure. In three years, the organization provided significant leadership development, promoted more women leaders, and increased the number of pipeline of women leaders in the Succession Planning process. Led the Peer Coaching Group process that created a number of Peer Coaching groups across the organization in various locations, both nationally and internationally.

In this role, we provided:

  • An Infrastructure that provided a sustainable Women’s Leadership Initiative that allowed for ongoing Women’s Leadership measurement and development that could be sustained internally in the organization.
  • Group Mentor and Peer Coach training.
  • Midcourse survey.
  • Subcommittee support.
  • The organization received the Healthcare Businesswoman Association Recognition Award for the strength of their program and sustainable efforts.

Developing Talent in Your Organization

Enabled a successful executive to develop his Leadership impact significantly by creating Development Conversations and plans for all of his direct reports who, in turn, did the same for their respective organizations. This created a culture shift in the conversations and perceptions of his organization.

In addition, helped him to develop a Customer Satisfaction process for his customers that became integrated in the organizational culture and allowed for a ‘perception change’ of his group. This perception change created much more support for his group within the organization and tangible customer satisfaction.

Leadership Visibility

Worked with a Senior Director to allow her to become more visible in the organization, and be appreciated for the continued ‘behind the scenes’ work that she constantly did for others. She was recognized for her significant contributions. After an extended emergency medical leave, she was able to continue to speak up for herself and her contributions. She was recently promoted to a Vice President in the organization responsible for global organizational changes. Hers is a real success story of ‘Leadership Presence.’

New Leader/Team Assimilation

Facilitated many New Leader and Team Assimilations to support greater understanding and powerful Team building. Creating a ‘team’ from a successful ‘working group,’ allowed for greater alignment and accountability in the organization, and a noticeable ‘empowerment culture,’ resulting in greater motivation and excitement in the work environment.

Leadership Competency in East Africa

Coached young Operations Director in East Africa, and developed a Leadership Competency Model for One Acre Fund, a non-profit organization that aims to help poor East African farmers emerge from persistent poverty and hunger by increasing their farm-based incomes. They do this by introducing more profitable crops and farming techniques to farmers and by providing farming inputs in exchange for a share of future revenues. Unlike most interventions designed to improve farming incomes in poor settings, One Acre Fund facilitates activities and transactions at each level of the farming value chain, from organizing farmer groups to negotiating with export markets.

In coaching a young leader, initially as Operations Director for Kenya, she grew the program to Rwanda and Burundi with her skills as the needs expanded rapidly and the program grew exponentially. Developed a Leadership Competency Model for the organization which is now being used for hiring, performance management and talent development with this young leader as the educator of how best to use the model across the organization.

‘Lessons Learned Process’ for Future Success

Designed and conducted “Lessons Learned” for a Japanese Pharmaceutical organization on their first NDA filing. This project included extensive data collection, 45 interviews and 5 focus groups. Identified key successes and opportunities for improvement, presented to Senior Leadership, and developed strategy to support company cultural values and sustained improvements for future filings and applications. Identified organizational improvements to allow for greater efficiencies and Leadership support.

Developing Mindful Leaders in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Being asked to support the Clinical Development group in a mid-size pharmaceutical company, who after having had their first successful drug filing, were being asked to increase the volume and complexity of the drug development process without increasing headcount; we discussed the role of mindfulness. Working with the leader of this group, we discussed the benefits of mindfulness to enhance performance, increase creativity, maintain objectivity in decision-making and conflict management, and lead with a thoughtful focus on ‘people development.’

The process included a three-part strategy that consisted of:

  • Monthly Group Mindfulness Sessions that were guided meditations, stretches, yoga postures, and a healthy community ‘mindful lunch,’ provided structure and focus into mindfulness practices.
  • One-on-One Monthly Executive Coaching with a focus on leadership development and creating individual, practical mindfulness practices. This focus also allowed for greater integration into the personal and professional development of each individual.
  • Ongoing Mindfulness Education in Off-Site Leadership Development Meetings, bringing various topic experts to share deeper insight into mindfulness research, practices and leadership applications.

Business results showed a significant amount of success due to increased leadership success, the same group involved in the mindfulness practices. Several new indications were approved, and a new NDA filed. No increased headcount was needed to achieve these significant results. The ROI for this group is the evidence of success.

Overall benefits from the mindfulness approach include but are not limited to:

  • Personal and professional growth and development
  • Overall focus and greater peace of mind
  • Improved objectivity and productivity
  • Laser focus on projects and deliverables
  • Healthier team environments due to healthier team leaders
  • Improved work-life integration
  • Improved work satisfaction
  • Facilitation of greater self-enhancement

 

Main area of focus is: Somerset, Middlesex, Morris, Hunterdon, and Mercer County. And also: Somerville, Clinton, Whitehouse, Flemington, Bridgewater, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Morristown, Parsippany, Florham Park, Morris Plains, Piscataway, Somerset, New Brunswick, Middlesex, Princeton, Montgomery, Skillman.