Case Study
Google: Speech and ongoing support
- Client: Google
- Location: London, virtual
- Date: 2019-Current day
Google: A team looking for inspiration and connection
- Invited Steve to speak at annual conference
- Booked Steve to Steve to facilitate two-day workshop (Richmond)
- Follow up virtual workshops during the pandemic (online)
- Steve facilitated two-day off-site (Osea Island)
- Continuation of work with WB Discovery team
1. Speech
Neil Chugani (Finance Director, Google EMEA)
“I’d known Steve for many years and have admired his approach to performance and had seen how he had led the Olympic support teams through to the London and Rio Olympics. His insights from supporting athletes to peak performance and leading the team to sustained success was a perfect message to bring to our whole team event in London at the Google offices. His engaging style and profound messages struck a real chord with the team, it was a superb keynote for our event.”
2. Off-site support
Neil Chugani (Finance Director, Google EMEA)
“Several of the messages that Steve shared in his speech provoked our thinking so much so that I asked Steve to help support the team to get the most from our leadership focused off-site meeting. I wanted us to come away from our time together with a renewed sense of connection, understanding of what the next level of performance could look like and a collective sense of the standards of behaviour we should set to make that happen.
Steve worked with myself and my Chief of Staff Jean-Philippe Ponnelle to make the session work for our need. We appreciated Steve’s focus on shaping an event that was right for us, where we were and what we wanted to develop.
The session worked on personal values, dynamic of team interaction and team norms. The exercises were great fun, with progressive and intelligent messages, that left the team with clarity for how we would move forward.”
3. ReferralChange in leadership / virtual support
James Cotton (New Finance Director, Google EMEA)
“I really enjoyed the first off-site session with Steve and took some personal, team and leadership lessons away that helped my work. When Neil Chugani moved on from Google, and I was fortunate to take over his role as CFO, I began to think about how we could progress further as a team, again with Steve’s support.
We began to make plans but then the pandemic took hold and we were locked-down and working remotely.
Rather than shelving the team development, we felt it was even more important to continue and we worked with Steve and his array of great ideas to enliven, personalise, embrace our remote working, and support our team members with meaningful sessions together. We worked on;
• Recognising what we were experiencing through the pandemic
• Our own personal stories
• Team identity
• A shared vision for the team’s future
Steve was able to create the same off-site spirit in a virtual setting, connecting the team members together and stretching our horizons.
4. Off-site facilitation
James Cotton (Finance Director, Google EMEA)
“As restrictions from the pandemic eased, we planned our next off-site with Steve’s support. With isolation and separation so prevalent during the pandemic we wanted to take time to re-connect, get to know each other on a personal level and explore some of the dynamics in our team as new members came onboard and we looked forward together.
Steve identified these dynamics as empathy, personal journey, self-awareness, personal strengths and how we respond differently to opportunities.
Once again Steve crafted a profound few days together, full of fun, learning, bonding and excitement. Here’s the message I sent to Steve, straight after the event;
“Thank you, Steve, for arranging and facilitating a great event so thoughtfully.”
- Client: Warner Bros Discovery
- Location: London, virtual
- Date: 2019-Current day
4. New team - new support
Neil Chugani (CFO, Discovery)
“After I departed Google and settled in at Discovery, I was keen to support the team to go forward. I started my new role as the world began to lockdown due to Covid-19. We had, as a team, a great deal to contend with, but when the time was right, I brought Steve in. We began with Steve’s Keynote speech, which was just as effective virtually, as live, which set the scene for the work. We then shaped a programme of development.
One of the first things that Steve suggested was to recognise the reality of our shared extraordinary experience. Steve’s definition of high performance is;
“The action or process of performing a task or function to an exceptional level or under exceptional demand or circumstances”
This resonated with the team about the challenges presented by the pandemic. We put a programme of support together for the team, covering such topics as;
• Team connection
• Team purpose
• High-performing habits
There was a palpable sense of team development, during a challenging time. Steve’s empathy, experience of developing leaders and high-performance insight were some of the golden threads that made the programme so effective
I couldn’t recommend Steve highly enough!”
