Blog Post 2

Challenge: Building a Team Without Existing Talent

Jeff faced a major dilemma. As the founder of a new mortgage company, he realized there was no developed talent in the area. This lack of experienced personnel made it challenging to foster a high-functioning team—moreover, the high risk associated with his innovative approach added to the pressure. Jeff needed a system to help entry-level employees progress, and he needed to address the clashing personalities and big egos common in the mortgage industry.

Clashing Personalities:

In the mortgage field, there are a lot of big egos. Jeff’s team was unable to foster a safe space where ideas could be challenged but still constructive.

High Risk Innovation:

With innovation being so risky, there was a very real possibility that Jeff would fail. Without outsider expertise, Jeff’s team would not have developed the hard or soft skills needed to build a competitive business.

Lack of a System:

Jeff needed help creating a system that would allow entry-level employees to progress to the next level, managers to progress to leaders, and leaders to run the business exceptionally well.

Solution: Targeted Training and Leadership Development

Tim stepped in to help Jeff by leveraging his expertise in leadership, sales, and relationships. Using the DISC assessment, Tim could understand and appeal to the team members while helping them understand each other. Tim also provided leadership training based on John Maxwell’s frameworks and drew from his extensive sales experience to train the sales teams. This approach ensured that both soft and hard skills were developed.

Key strategies implemented:

DISC Assessment:

Being a master of the DISC assessment and interpreting the results allowed Tim to better understand who he was serving, how to appeal to them, and how to help them understand each other.

Leadership Training:

Using John Maxwell’s frameworks, Tim challenged and trained the leaders at Jeff’s company. He ensured that management was being developed and that the company was moving in a healthy direction from the top down.

Sales Training:

Leaning into his 38 years of incredible success as a salesperson, Tim provided the sales teams with valuable training.

Results: a thriving, top-performing team

Thanks to Tim’s strategic guidance, Jeff’s mortgage company has become a powerhouse. The sales team and managers are well-developed, there is a low turnover rate, and the company enjoys a unique competitive edge in the industry. Additionally, team members understand the DISC assessment, leading to greater trust and engagement, and strong relationships within the team.

• Sales team is developed
• Managers are developed
• Low-turnover rate
• Best in the business
• Unique competitive edge
• Understand DISC
• Greater levels of trust and engagement

Challenge: Stagnant Business and a Tough Transition

Morris, an outstanding salesman, found his business at a standstill. Business was stagnant, with salespeople lacking the business acumen to scale effectively. Morris, stuck in his role as the top salesperson, needed to step into leadership. Without understanding how he could leverage leadership to change and grow the organization, he felt stuck.

Stagnant Business:

The salespeople were not business people, therefore building, creating, and growing would not be feasible without intervention and change.

Lack of Leadership:

Without Morris in a leadership position, the team suffered. For the business to grow, Morris had to learn how to be an effective leader so that his team could grow and thrive.

Strong Personalities:

With strong personalities inside the organization, change and growth seemed elusive and difficult.

Solution: personalized training and DISC assessment

Tim Novak created a personalized training plan to help Morris and his team improve communication and understand each other better. These strategies strengthened their leadership and sales skills.

Key strategies implemented:

Workshops:

After asking “What’s going on?” Tim created and led Morris’ team through a series of workshops. He would come in once a week for six weeks to conduct each workshop.

DISC:

Being a master of the DISC assessment and interpreting the results allowed Tim to help Morris and his team with their communication. They gained a better understanding of one another, how to appeal to each other, and how to effectively communicate.

Results: tripled income and doubled team size

With Tim’s guidance, Morris transitioned successfully into a leadership role, building a high-performing sales team. The business grew significantly, with the team size doubling and revenue tripling. Morris now regularly brings Tim in for workshops to continue their development.

• Each team member became their best self
• The team size doubled
• Revenue tripled
• Enhanced customer engagement
• Improved communication skills
• Improved customer service
• Better understanding of team dynamics
• Continuous growth and development
• Engaged new customer segments

Challenge: Transition FROM SALES to Leadership

Patrick was an incredibly successful salesperson but found moving into a management position extremely difficult. He could teach selling principles but couldn’t get his team to buy in and execute as a team effectively. Patrick didn’t understand why people behaved differently from him and struggled with leadership, leading to significant stress and confusion.

Painful Leadership Transition:

Moving from sales to leadership was extremely difficult as Patrick struggled to inspire his team.

Not Understanding People:

Patrick could not grasp the diverse motivations and communication styles of his team members.

Solution: Understanding People

Tim implemented the DISC assessment to help Patrick and his team understand their personality types. Tim had every employee take the assessment and held boardroom sessions where everyone was valued and heard. He also conducted one-on-one sessions with the company’s leaders, which positively impacted their leadership styles and trickled down to the teams.

Key strategies implemented:

DISC Assessment:

Leveraging his expertise in DISC assessments, Tim provided insights into individual personality types, enabling Patrick to tailor his leadership approach effectively.

Board Room Sessions:

Tim facilitated inclusive boardroom sessions where every team member, regardless of position, felt valued and participated actively in fostering a cohesive team environment.

One-on-One Coaching:

Personalized coaching sessions with Patrick and his leadership team helped refine their leadership styles, fostering a culture of servant leadership and mutual understanding.

Results: Successful Leadership Transformation

With Tim’s help, Patrick’s team started to understand each other better, leading to a more peaceful work environment. Managers became servant leaders, employees bought in to the team culture, and turnover was low. The business saw increased long-term partnerships and more effective communication throughout the company.

• Managers became servant leaders
• Enhanced understanding of individual needs and communication styles
• High employee buy-in and low turnover
• Increased business and longer partnerships
• More effective team communication
• Less stress and pain for staff

Challenge: Managing a Dysfunctional Team

Lauren’s team lacked communication skills, leading to daily drama and low morale. Lauren felt stressed, unconfident, ill-equipped, and alone. She second-guessed herself and believed she might be a bad boss. She had no knowledge of DISC personality types, causing further misunderstandings and conflicts within the team.

Key challenges:

Unhealthy Culture:

• Dysfunctional team lacking interpersonal communication skills
• Daily drama and conflict due to inconsistent expectations
• Stress, confusion, and frustration leading to hostility and hard feelings

Emotionally Draining:

• Lauren feared she was a bad boss and felt isolated
• Lauren believed selling the business was the only solution due to constant workplace drama

Conflicting Personalities:

• Lack of exposure to DISC personality assessment
• Misunderstandings/miscommunication due to different personalities

Solution: Implementing DISC Profiles and Team Building

Tim introduced DISC personality assessments to Lauren’s team, which helped them understand each other’s unique traits. He also facilitated team-building activities to strengthen relationships and build trust. These strategies improved communication, reduced drama, and fostered a healthier workplace culture.

Key strategies implemented:

DISC Profiles:

Tim had everyone take the DISC assessment independently and then discuss as a group. This fostered a mutual understanding of each team member’s unique traits.

Team Building:

Tim implemented team-building activities to strengthen relationships.

Executive Coaching:

Tim provided executive coaching to Lauren, helping her develop leadership skills and build confidence. Tim also empowered Lauren to manage her team effectively and successfully navigate the complexities of running a business.

Results: Thriving Practice with Record Profits

Lauren’s practice is thriving, as is her quality of life. After six years, Lauren continues to bring Tim into her business annually for “Tim Time.” This has become a cherished event for her team. His teachings are now deeply integrated into the company’s culture, significantly improving team dynamics. The practice has achieved record profits, stronger relationships, and better communication. Lauren feels confident, equipped, and loves her life again.

Key benefits of working with Tim:

• Improved culture
• Healthy relationships
• Team trust
• Less drama
• Better communication
• Record profit months