Kenneth J. Kelley CEO, Founder IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [no audio]

"I would absolutely recommend DNA because they did excellent work."

What DNA did

"DNA worked with my top executive team at Vivra at a time when we were about to embark on a major restructuring of the company. Drew and Mark's work dramatically increased our top executives' self awareness of their behavior patterns and their impact on others. Importantly, Drew and Mark were able to achieve that in a way which simultaneously increased significantly the sense and feeling of supportiveness within the group. It is difficult but critical to achieve both the self awareness and the safety for your leaders to perform to their fullest potential, both as individuals and as a team. DNA was extremely skilled in achieving the right balance."

How DNA worked with us

"DNA had just the right balance of structure and customization. And underneath all of the process was the right kind of sincerity and intensity of listening that was necessary for individuals to break through to deeper levels of interaction, and get to the real issues."

Impact

"The intangible difference from our work with DNA was that the top executive group emerged with a refreshed spirit. both individually and collectively. More tangibly, the quality of communication improved across the executive group, and consequently in the company as a whole. This allowed us to improve our service levels for our clients, and gain efficiency from an expense point of view. In addition, the substance from our offsite with DNA created increased clarity for some operating areas in the company."

What DNA did to make the process safe yet productive

"Drew and Mark's approach mitigated the risk and discomfort inherent in breaking through to more productive levels of communication among the top executive group. Their process had the right balance of organization and customization. They structured and orchestrated enough pre-meeting activities - interviews, data gathering, and expectation setting - which provided good lubrication to the process at our team offsite. And then, because of their sincerity and intense listening, they were able to be appropriately step in and ratchet up the depth of communication a bit when opportunities presented themselves.

Even though DNA provides structure for safety and honest communication, they were also sensitive and flexible to our needs and dynamics in the moment. Drew and Mark were competent and willing to co-manage the meeting with me - to let me know if they viewed things going too slowly or too fast in an unproductive way, and let me as CEO make my own choice of what risk to take."

How DNA supported long-lasting change as opposed to a short term euphoria/gain

"DNA's work had lasting impact because it changed the way individuals change thought about themselves. And it changed relationships between people, so that the return on investment would continue permanently."

Single word or phrase that best describes DNA's work (substance or approach)

"Both revealing and refreshing."

Single word or phrase to describe the benefit your organization has experienced working with DNA

"My top team was revealed, refreshed, and re-energized."

Biggest concern or fear in hiring a consulting firm like this (and how that turned out with the DNA experience)

"My biggest fear is the consultant will not be able to get the executives engaged with sufficient intensity and comfort to be fully honest.

In fact, this issue turned out to be one of the particular strengths DNA brought to us. They structured and orchestrated enough pre-meeting activities to stimulate honest feedback in a safe setting, which served as lubricant for creating a tone of candor and mutual support in our offsite team meeting. In addition, during the two-day offsite meeting Drew and Mark were skilled at knowing when to step in to ratchet the intensity up or down. Their ability to do that with us came from not only from their careful listening, but also from the sincerity and integrity they demonstrated"

Advice for other organizations to make this work have a significant and lasting positive impact

"First, it is imperative that the CEO lead by example.

Second, treat this team and leadership work like any other operating initiative -setting benchmarks to measure results and monitor progress and follow through."