X-Small
Small
Medium
Large
Contact Us

Unlock the power of your unique voice.

San Francisco
(415) 299-4549
New York
(212) 537-6198
London
+44 (0)20 3196 6946
Moving
Ideas.
Inspiring
People.
malcolm-crooks
Stand & Deliver is a global firm specializing in
communication and leadership consulting
Moving
Ideas.
Inspiring
People.

Case Study

Malcolm Crooks

When Shire, a Swiss biotech company focused on helping individuals cope with rare and life-changing diseases, engaged Stand & Deliver, Malcolm Crooks and his team were at a crossroads.

In his role as vice president of product strategy, Malcolm saw how high-pressure deadlines, poor communication channels and travel restrictions were affecting the workflow. Tension had increased, and team members were no longer receptive to internal workshops designed to increase focus and set priorities.

As it turned out, the discord had little to do with increased workload or questions from senior leadership. What Stand & Deliver found when they pushed the reset button was a much more fundamental problem: missed conversations, talking over or past one another, a general lack of listening. During their first phone call, Stand & Deliver outlined a plan not to remove the pressure—the team actually enjoyed the high-stakes atmosphere—but to learn how to manage the stress and urgency.

“The meeting was a turning point for so many people, from how they respect themselves and their coworkers to why they come to work and why they subject themselves to pressure and deadlines for the program,” Malcolm said. “It was cathartic. I slept well that first night (after) we had a plan.”

The results of the call were immediate: spontaneous group understanding and support for one another. The engagement that the team’s leaders called a “transformational opportunity” would go on to recalibrate the team’s standards, set goals and lead to success by any measure.

Submitting...

Thanks! You've been added to the mailing list.

Looks like there is a problem. Check the format of your email address.