[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”h2″ font-size=”h2″]Leslie has an innate ability to see these disparate strands and tie them together, helping us to connect programs and initiatives[/perfectpullquote]
How was Leslie involved in supporting your organizational goals, successes or growth?
We constantly work with multiple stakeholders, on multiple projects, with multiple deliverables. Leslie has an innate ability to see these disparate strands and tie them together, helping us to connect programs and initiatives, so that people can see how the pieces integrate and support the successful execution of our strategy.
Our annual two-day Partner Conference is a great example of this. Leslie recommended and implemented approaches and processes to ensure the sessions and content being developed by multiple people aligned to a single, consistent theme. This created a focal point for the conference which has greatly helped to improve the impact we created for our partners, turning what could have been a disjointed two-day event into an integrated, focused business meeting with clear and tangible objectives.
What were your biggest learnings or what was the impact on your personal development as a leader?
Leslie has played an incredibly important role in my personal development, acting as a coach and mentor as our relationship developed. She is a natural at encouraging and emphasizing the importance of continuous learning – as might be expected given her training and background as a teacher!
As I’ve progressed with PwC this has meant building relationships and interacting with a range of people at different levels. Leslie’s coaching has helped me to identify new and different ways to approach those relationships and conversations, helping me to be a better influencer and bigger voice at the table. Whether that was through something as simple as sending me an article to read that related to a topic she knew I was going to be talking about, taking time out to grab a coffee and rehearse how I would frame certain points of view, or being ready to take a call late in the evening to discuss an important meeting I might have, Leslie has always made time to be a constant source of learning and personal development for me.
What were the results, changes, or impact?
Leslie played a leading role as a key member of the team that facilitated the development of our vision and strategy. This was my first interaction with Leslie, having joined PwC Canada in 2012 at a time when she was working with our new CEO and his Leadership Team as they began to shape the direction of the firm over the next four years. This involved a great deal of change management, as we built on our successes of the past and took our 6,500 partners and staff on a journey to understand where the firm was headed – and how they would help to make a difference. By the end the results were fantastic – our engagement scores rose to the third-highest in the network.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”h2″ font-size=”h2″]Leslie’s rare skill is to always keep the big picture front of mind, when others are drawn to the details.[/perfectpullquote]
Importantly, during this process she helped our leaders and teams understand that change isn’t just about communications. A number of people have since commented that they “Didn’t really know what change management was before Leslie worked with the firm”. These days we have a dedicated change team as part of our Project Management Office, and Leslie’s contributions played a significant part in helping to develop that function and team.
Leslie does what’s right for the business by getting to know the business – not by simply sticking rigidly to her theory and training.
What sets Leslie apart from other business consultants?
What sets Leslie apart is the experience and flexibility she brings, meaning that she doesn’t just implement recognized change approaches; she takes time to understand the organization she is working with and applies elements from various frameworks to ensure that the solution she recommends is the right one for the business.
Leslie understood that PwC is a dynamic and complex organization where a solution or approach that worked last week might not work the week after. You have to be adaptable and agile to change and ready to take on board and distil the views of a wide range of leaders to succeed. She is particularly adept at bringing groups of leaders together and using a range of facilitation approaches to lead sessions that help build consensus and buy in, to help solve problems.
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