EXXONMOBIL

Challenges / Opportunities

ExxonMobil coaching competencies were not showing improvement. Leadership hired MFI to develop a coaching program for their marketing managers in the Fuels and Lubricants business. In addition, top leaders in the marketing department felt coaching skills could change an engineering culture of perfectionist followers of process to a learning culture of innovators.

Recommendations & Implementations

• Interviews of several in the department.
• MFI partnered with a Master Certified Coach and board member of the International Coach Federation in developing and facilitating a customized version of the Coaching Skills for Leaders program.
• Developed a measurement tool that aligned with key winning behaviors, for participants and those they lead.
• Individual coaching for key leaders.
• Two 1/2 day follow up sessions.
• Individual coaching for all participants.

Results

• Team-members co-coaching one another to maximize learning and efficiency
• Negotiating rates with distributors for win/win results,
• Choosing team members based on competencies, not labels,
• Highlighting small wins to build momentum and engagement,
• Leading with the root cause or main point to speed up meetings, communication and keeping people engaged,
• Aligning and collaborating with different regions and business units,
• Transitioning from individual contributor to leader of many
• Building teams quickly and effectively,
• Empowering employees to think strategically and to take initiative,
• Building confidence and executive presence.

Follow Up

MFI presented a before and after survey, which showed improvements in communication, coaching, problem solving, executive presence and negotiation. We also conducted several other programs for the Marketing team and one for the Sales team. Cutbacks associated with COVID stopped our work.