Case Studies
Executive Development
The Executive Director of a nonprofit organization, who had created and built this entity, was highly regarded for her entrepreneurial and fundraising skills. However, her intimidating management style, lack of clear performance expectations and tendency towards crisis management created a high level of stress and dysfunction for her staff and their organizations.
GDS interviewed her staff to further pinpoint her leadership strengths and development needs, created a behaviorally based development plan and implemented a one-to-one coaching process with a specifically selected GDS consultant to develop more effective leadership skills and approaches. This included training in the development of clear responsibilities and performance accountabilities for all staff members as well as feedback, coaching and performance evaluation skills among others. A third party intervention was also conducted between the Director and one of her staff members, where a particularly contentious relationship existed, to help her negotiate performance expectations and to resolve communication difficulties.