Equipping Leaders in One of Tennessee’s Fastest Growing Counties

Industry: Government

Overview

The client sought to improve the leadership skills of its departmental leaders through a tailored development program. This initiative aimed to foster better collaboration, adaptability, and strategic thinking among the county’s leaders to enhance service delivery and employee retention.

The Ask

The client faced a rapidly changing environment concerning customer expectations and employee dynamics. There was also a lack of structured, ongoing leadership development within the organization, and opportunity to increase cross- departmental camaraderie and collaboration.

Solutions

Thrivence designed a six-month, five-session leadership development program based on our “Elevate, Navigate, Accelerate” proprietary developmental model, targeting self-leadership, leading others, and organizational leadership. The sessions were in-person, full-day events facilitated by experts and tailored to the specific needs identified through stakeholder interviews. Key elements included:

• Elevate: Using the Enneagram personality assessment, this session helped participants understand their unique leadership style and how that style impacts their effectiveness and interpersonal dynamics. Communication and Influence: Participants gained a basic understanding of the communication process and explored how to talk to people who don’t think like you do. They practiced building influence skills – rather than positional authority – to achieve goals.
• Navigate: Difficult Conversations; Participants learned how to effectively address issues in the moment, set expectations and provide constructive feedback. Building a Winning Team and Culture: Facilitators used a variety of exercises to build skill in building trust and engagement on leaders’ teams, and a culture of customer service.
• Accelerate: Focus was on building a vision for each leader’s department, creating a plan, and holding others accountable for delivering to that plan through coaching.

Results

• Enhanced Camaraderie: Leaders formed stronger connections across departments, breaking down silos and fostering better teamwork.
• Practical Application: Participants began applying learned concepts, improving their management approaches and team communication.
• Foundation for Continuous Development: The program established a framework for ongoing leadership training within the county.