Active Strategy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the People and Process Manager of Sonalake

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sonalake delivers product design, development, and software engineering services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Active Strategy to accomplish?

• Increase Leadership capacity in company
• Increase averseness who is Leader in modern agile software company
• To build up within Leader and seniors engineer emotional intelligence

SOLUTION

How did you find Active Strategy?

Referral

Why did you select Active Strategy over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Active Strategy were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We have seen that Active Strategy has worked for many companies in our industry. We met with the consultant and got to know their experience, values and approach to developing highly experienced and demanding professionals. After agreeing on the terms of cooperation, we started the project with a pilot edition. After that, we gladly decided to extend our cooperation. The project consisted in creating and running a dedicated Leadership Academy for our international team. 

We went through 4 steps together: 

1. Diagnosis: consultants met with our president and leadership team, and analyzed Sonalake’s culture, values and structure. 
2. Program design: they defined the competencies we care about and created the first version of the program scope.
3. Experiment & Improvement: trainers conducted a Leadership Academy for 3 groups with different experience 
4. Implementation: they took into account our comments and feedback from participants and the program was continued for even more groups.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

So far, 7 groups have participated in the Academy. We are considering further editions of this program and modifications for other teams. We had three goals:

1. to make the participants feel confident in the role of a leader
2. to emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence competencies in the technology industry
3. to encourage leaders to apply new skills in practice. 

Based on the feedback from participants and our observations, we see that it has been successful. Average evaluation increased from 8.38 (0-10 scale) in the pilot edition to 9.02 in the next groups. The company not only prepared the program in terms of content but also helped to communicate it to the participants and their direct managers. They were also ready to support us in the entire organization and logistics of the project.

In the pilot edition, not everything went perfectly the first time. Some changes were needed in the program. However, Active Strategy always welcomed and asked for feedback and responded to our needs. After the changes, we came to a high quality that satisfies all of us. The second edition required no major changes. Throughout the project, we had access to the full evaluations and feedback from participants, so we could monitor it on an ongoing basis.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Everything was on time and mostly Active Strategy not only prepared program for our needs but also were on constant communication with us and listened us. It was highly important because of type of the company that we are. Our people work quite often in different projects so their experience, problems, challenges are various. For us it was very important to adjust training if there will be need. Active Strategy had all data so together we could monitor it on an ongoing basis and further respond to that. Active Strategy wasvery proactive in this area and listened us very carefully. They fulfil our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Active Strategy?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were impressed with their flexibility and absolutely amazing communication skills. They listen very carefully and propose solutions that are made to measure. What is more they adjust that during ongoing training with no problem and always having in mind that value that individual will bring to company after training is the most important

Are there any areas for improvement or something Active Strategy could have done differently?

No. I can highly recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Satisfly, where we build B2B and B2C e-commerce on Magento and Shopify, implement PIM based on Akeneo and create web applications. We have been on the market for over 10 years, and our clients' stores have generated 1.1 billion in revenue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Active Strategy?

Due to the dynamic growth of the company, new structures and processes were created. The natural sequence of this was the arising of tension and internal issues. We knew we had to get all the challenges in order and fix our mistakes so we could continue to grow. We just didn't know where to start and how to involve the entire company in the changes.

SOLUTION

How did you select Active Strategy and what were the deciding factors?

Well, we already knew Active Strategy from their support for ITCorner - a cluster of IT companies. In fact, we were aware that they knew the ins and outs of technology companies, and we had seen samples of their work at workshops and meetings of IT business owners.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

After introducing the story to the Active Strategy consultant, we received a proposal for a solution adjusted to us. The expert led us through 3 steps:  Employees and managers in groups diagnosed the problems, their causes and proposed recommendations. We received a hands-on report.

During the strategic workshop of the founders and managers we specified key directions for internal development, company vision and organizational culture. We analyzed all the recommendations and made a decision on further actions at the level of the management board, specific teams and the whole company.

The project ended with a roadmap of necessary changes and implementations, as agreed with the consultant at the beginning.

How many resources from the Active Strategy team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with one consultant who went through the entire process with us from start to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We came with questions and doubts, and we finished the process with a clear list of actions and decisions to be made. Since the end of the process, we have recorded a decrease in employee rotation, higher commitment and implementation of strategic decisions, for example rebranding, promotions to the management board.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We knew at every stage what we were going to do, who was going to be involved and what role we were going to play. They met all the deadlines.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their business experience and ability to connect people from different roles and with different characters into one group working as a team. The outcome was far better than I expected. Everything went according to the plan and timing we had agreed on.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CEO of Software House company. We design and deliver custom information systems for financial and HR-supporting organizations. We currently employ over 60 IT specialists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Active Strategy?

As a fast growing software house company we face a few challenges. The main was to increase effectiveness on different levels of management in order to give development teams a right pace and rhythm.

We needed to structure some processes and work on leadership skills. We hired Active Strategy to work with our mangers on every level to develop our leadership and management skills.

What were your goals for this engagement?

As a CEO I simply want me, my managers and leaders doing right things the right way. Our management team grows and comes with different experiences. We wanted to set right level of communication, share responsibilities in our organization and to work on leading people.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We started to work with Active Strategy due to a recommendations and their good reputation on local market.

Describe the engagement in detail.

Active Strategy became our coach and consultant. They did the interview and recommended to us a survey with our key employees. Then we received a recommended solution.

We’ve started with 2 programs - one with top management and one with entry-level leaders. We decided to adjust to market requirements and work on our leadership skills and organizational culture.

We participated in practical trainings, strategic planning workshops, and were motivated by trainers to implement new solutions for challenges we were facing.

What was the team composition?

We’ve been working with Wojciech Pazdzior, Ewa Wronska-Gomulka and other Active Strategy trainers. Our Leadership Development Program concerned two groups - Leaders and Managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We've fixed company's structure and changed our management team. We strongly improved our management team meetings and planning sessions. Our Managers and Leaders understand their roles better and are working on improving their performance. I can say, we've entered new chapter of our growth.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Active Strategy perform very well from the very beginning of our cooperation. They were well organized and very responsive. We've communicated remotely and during F2F meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this vendor?

Their ability to look and show you your company as a whole picture is impressive. Also their knowledge and experience, deep understanding of business and leadership issues. Also their commitment and lack of bias and ratings.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing I can think of right now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I lead the Magna Training Center in Poland for one of the largest automotive supplier on the market. As a decentralized international corporation, we have a presence almost everywhere around the globe. We’ve been providing our manufacturing facilities with training and consultation services since our training center was launched in 2016.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Active Strategy?

We’d already been delivering a global leadership development program internationally and needed to implement it in Poland. It features three modules for entry-level leaders and managers held over the course of two days each. I wanted to use a different, local provider for this endeavor, so I hired Active Strategy. Using just a few slides of with standards from our Canadian program, we had to make new presentations, materials for participants, and homework exercises from scratch for the Polish version and standardize it within Magna.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Active Strategy is our supplier for topics on soft skills and leadership. Together, we created workshops and materials for participants and stakeholders to put through the pilot stage. After it was accepted by our company and the intended audience, we launched a program in Poland that aligns with our global standard.
 
We’re now expanding our cooperation from entry-level leadership seminars to more tailor-made classes for particular divisions based on relevant challenges they experience. 
 
What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I worked mainly with Wojciech Pazdzior (Founder, Active Strategy). Once the pilot we built together was accepted, we onboarded two other trainers. We’re currently collaborating with four trainers from Active Strategy. In particular, Ewa Gomulka (Partner, Active Strategy) manages our emotional intelligence programs.

How did you come to work with Active Strategy?

I wanted a local, medium-sized company and with a potential to grow and deliver much more than this program. Active Strategy was the exact sort of team I was looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $66, 000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since mid-2016 and have work that's still in progress.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The leadership training workshops helped our team understand the company, their role, and significantly improve their performance what has been captured in our internal process of Employee Opinion Survey. I took care to ensure each teammate from Active Strategy we collaborated with thoroughly understood our company’s processes and history. Luckily, everyone we worked with from Active Strategy grasped these concepts very well.

How did Active Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

Active Strategy is very quick to respond whenever we have any questions. They always deliver our materials on time. The team is well organized and understands how to manage professional engagements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a large company, it has been quite impressive to see Active Strategy successfully deliver training and workshops that accurately represent our business across various teams. They are also very knowledgeable and well-experienced in their industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are none that I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Active Strategy is a very solid business partner. I would highly recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and CEO of Fantasy Expo, a marketing agency working in the gaming field. We promote brands to gamers in the Central European market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Active Strategy?

Our first challenge was strengthening accountability and open communication within our company. We’re a young group, and we mainly work with people who are new to the field. We needed to learn how to properly work as a team and as a company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Active Strategy initially put together consulting sessions with founders and then workshops for open communication. We also held some team management, and team consolidation workshops. Over the past few months, they’ve acted as consultants for us, reviewing the structure in our company. After five years of working as a marketing agency, we’ve started to grow fast, and we’re investing money in our team. We needed to grow our structure, and Active Strategy helped us with that.

Our approach has varied. For the most part, we’ve engaged in the preparation and worked with them on the content. We also had workshops outside of the office—on trips, for example—and that content was 100% prepared by Active Strategy.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with them for 3–4 years, and we’ve been in touch with Wojciech (Founder and Career Coach, Active Strategy), whose main skill is understanding the business side of management. He delivers many leadership skills.

We also worked with Ewa, the second partner in the company. She’s great at delivering soft skill training based on her past experience. We hired her as an individual coach for a few of our managers to grow their managerial skills.

We worked with another trainer from Active Strategy who delivered a series of workshops on stress management and emotional intelligence.

How did you come to work with Active Strategy?

I’ve known Wojciech for a long time; he was active during multiple conferences I attended while part of a student organization. He was a well-known management skills expert in the Polish market, and that was why I got in touch, and why Active Strategy was my first choice.

We haven’t tried any other companies as my impression is that a training agency needs to know and understand the processes of the client company well. After four years of working together, they’ve come to know us, and I’m happy with their delivery.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services has been $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Active Strategy 3–4 years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

All this effort is a success. I see the results of their work in the outcomes for our company. Especially after the workshops for open communication, we felt that our company was totally different. We’ve continued those workshops for any new group of employees. It worked, and it had great outcomes for our operations. From a business perspective, this is important for me.

All of the feedback I received from trainees about Ewa has been positive. She has a good connection with people, and, because of her soft skills, she’s gained the trust of the team. They feel that they can openly speak about the training sessions with her.

How did Active Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve used digital channels for communication including Facebook Messenger. The communication has always been great, and they delivered everything on time. We haven’t had any issues with deadlines. Active Strategy has been on point in every situation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

How quickly they understood our unique culture and adapted to our fast growing company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could build more structures for training, and they could grow the team and scale their business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of Bee Talents, a recruitment agency that connects IT talents with fast-growing IT companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Active Strategy?

Our company was quickly growing and we needed to support our leaders. Our main goal was to develop their skills and provide with the training sessions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

I was in touch with CEO Active Strategy and I asked him for the offer. Albo I decided based on good recommendations.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Trainers from AS were handling weekly meetings with our leadership team. Moreover, we had 1on1 sessions that were very helpful. The cooperation took a few months and we had a chance to meet different trainers.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Around 3 trainers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

The whole team assesses the training course as helpful and productive. We got huge support on different management-related topics.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything went very well. They are very responsive and open-minded. Also AS is open for feedback.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They have an openness for feedback and flexibility.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing comes to my mind.