Client Comments:

“Jim Kimberly has been a fantastic resource at all levels. He sized up the company quickly and helped us create a coaching model that we will be able to sustain after he leaves.”

– Sarah Foss
Executive Vice President
VCI Solutions

Client Stories

VCI Solutions

The Business
An established software company based in Massachusetts with a new acquisition in Austin, TX.

The Need
Given significant competitive pressures, a small, niche software company needed to grow.  When this 24-year-old business acquired a new company to expand its product portfolio, it went through a period of significant transition that included changes in the structure of the entire organization. The company wanted to go beyond merely managing change during this tumultuous time, they wanted to actually use the changes as the catalyst for sustained organic growth and improved operations. Specifically, the company wanted to change the corporate culture, increase the effectiveness of its managers and institute a plan for in-house coaching to help managers maximize their performance.

The Response
Sapphire Consulting was hired to conduct behavioral training using the DiSC® model, as well as coaching workshops and executive coaching.

• DiSC® Training: The DiSC® model is used to understand the different behavioral styles of people. Sapphire Consulting used this model to help company employees recognize the different styles of their co-workers and learn to fine-tune their communications to work most effectively with these different personalities.

• Coaching Workshops: The company wanted to incorporate peer coaching into its ongoing efforts to improve management effectiveness. Sapphire Consulting conducted three coaching workshops to train employees on the coaching model and develop understanding about what a “coaching culture” means in an organization.

• Leadership Development and Team Coaching: The company needed to integrate its newly acquired Austin, TX start-up business into the rest of company operations. Sapphire Consulting met with the leadership team in Austin to help the group become more focused on moving out of start-up mode to become a driver of the overall company’s growth.

The Outcome
Sapphire Consulting’s work has helped the company strengthen the corporate culture and assimilate the Austin acquisition. The Executive Vice President reports that employees are communicating much more effectively, coaching is empowering company leaders and driving company-wide decision-making, and that the Austin team is “out of forming mode and into storming mode,” ready to play a pivotal role in driving company-wide expansion.

Sapphire Consulting, LLC.
P.O. Box 850 Amherst, NH 03031
603-889-1099
© Sapphire Consulting, LLC 2011