Craig Davis Strategic Concepts / Organic Learning Capsule Cases (2005–2012)
For the past several years, Craig Davis (of Craig Davis Strategic Concepts) and Darlene Coker (of Organic Learning) have worked with a variety of clients and colleagues to design and develop these custom, highly interactive training and consulting programs:
- Served as part of a design team to create a week-long onboarding program for management consultants. The week featured an initial "learning map" overview activity, a two-day simulation, and an interactive workshop, during which participants "build" a personal development plan by exploring various company websites.
- Mapped a custom sales process to form the basis of a 2-day program for a global provider of network systems. The interactive team activities embedded the strategic rationale and methods required to effectively build high-level relationships, manage accounts, and qualify opportunities in the context of the new process.
- Created and staged a raucous and engaging learning event for 100 top cable sales performers on a Caribbean retreat. The themed learning activities provided a rare opportunity for sharing best practices, demonstrating product knowledge, and refining sales techniques.
- Designed a series of workshops for the regional Marketing Representatives of a gasoline retailer, to help them guide their teams to create store environments that maximize sales and repeat customers. The sessions provided a forum for peer support, skill development and idea exchange that was previously unavailable to this critical population.
- Over a two-year period, designed and delivered a multi-phase education program to establish new management and front line roles in banking centers. It included highly interactive training modules to: (1) establish the new roles, (2) enhance the roles via on-line and classroom modules to build foundational skills, and: (3) expand their effectiveness with other selling and relationship-building skills.
- Created a multi-level training and communications program to prepare HR professionals and line managers of a manufacturer to perform as drivers of the company's Organizational Development process. It provided specific tools, action planning and internal support vehicles to promote participation in the OD effort and the overall performance management system.
- For three consecutive years, coached the multi-function business development "corps" of a large northeastern state. Not salespeople by profession, participants learned to proactively reach out to businesses around the country: analyzing their potential; working as a team in a decision-making process; and planning an approach to maximize the potential for investment or relocation.
Craig Davis Capsule Cases (2000–2012)
- Served as lead designer of two separate programs to elevate the leadership skills of the front-line managers at one of the world's leading banks: an on-line module on building and developing teams; and a comprehensive immersion into leadership responsibilities within the bank's culture.
- Partnered with two other Designers to create an education program to help senior packaged goods sales professionals maximize the use of a sophisticated business planning software tool, elevate the strategic abilities of the users, and communicate the corporate objectives under which the tool was to be used.
- Collaborated with the communications and project management teams of one of the world's leading auto manufacturers to create and implement a process for managing the relationship with their Dealers during the two-year development, design and construction of branded multi-million dollar facilities.
- Played the lead role in creating the content and delivering a curriculum that helped a luxury retailer translate an intimate understanding of their brand message and their customer to employees as part of launching an exciting new store concept.
- Led an independent team in assessing the long-term value of sponsoring a multi-use urban district. Coordinated the efforts of marketers, statisticians, commercial naming-rights experts, and two design and development firms, and crafted the team's recommendation for optimum use of the opportunity.
- Co-created a "week in the life" business simulation for supervisors and managers to illustrate the principles, tools and behaviors of a management operating system. The program is being used by a leading global consulting firm to support their extended engagements to implement operational improvements in their client companies.
- Consulted on a series of youth-oriented programs for a non-profit organization. These programs combined the resources of government agencies, the media, national youth groups, and professional sports leagues to deliver positive life messages to millions of young people via in-school and community satellite broadcasts. I played a key role in developing content, coordinating delivery, and creating the critical supporting communications that translated the messages into real-world action in conflict resolution, volunteerism, and neighborhood development.
- Served as Lead Designer of a custom learning exercise to communicate vital quality practices to the US plant personnel of a European-based manufacturing company. Faced with the realities of plant closings and increased competition, our non-traditional methods helped affect needed behavior changes while minimizing negative impact on associates.
- Co-Designed a curriculum to guide a computerized business simulation. The challenge here was to first help the client reconfigure an existing computer program to more closely reflect their best practices. Only then were we able to create the engaging "real life" scenarios and challenges of the simulated business environment itself.