Kodiak Solutions

Engaging Outward Bound Professional for Team Integration

Following a three-phase methodology, Outward Bound Professional served 14 leaders of Kodiak's Healthcare Performance Consulting team:

Phase 1: Assess & Design  

In order to better understand the Kodiak team’s work dynamic, Outward Bound Professional interviewed representative team members and reviewed existing Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results. Key findings informed the design of a program which fully capitalized on the team’s unique strengths and opportunities for growth. While interviewees tended towards informed optimism, none of them was naïve about the challenges ahead and the importance of strong communication to avoid disconnects between leaders, business units, and differing reporting levels.

Phase 2: Engage & Impact   Outward Bound Professional entered Phase 2 — a two-day summit involving sailing, rock climbing, rappelling, and reflection in Maine’s MidCoast region — intent on provoking participants to examine the balance they strike between results, processes, and relationships when confronted with a challenging task. During facilitated debriefs following periods of activity, participants examined what happened, why it mattered, and how to improve the performance of the team and the broader practice. Kodiak leaders drew parallels between insights discovered in the field and their workplace dynamics, prioritizing opportunities to integrate key lessons learned into day-to-day business practices. Asked to revisit the experience three weeks later, a Kodiak leader wrote, “Every exercise taught me I could count on every team member in times of chaos/need.”

Phase 3: Apply & Reinforce   In the months following the summit, Outward Bound Professional extended its commitment to Kodiak's success by providing selected team members with 1:1 coaching, consulting with the Page 1 leadership team, and recommending strategies to increase individual and team performance during periods of rapid change. Participants appreciated the opportunity to speak freely with a trusted and objective coach who would help to memorialize next steps and monitor progress. One participant remarked, “I’ve paid more attention to how and what I am communicating, taking into consideration the impact my actions may have on other team members.”

Significant Impact on Individuals and Teams

In post-engagement interviews, the Kodiak participants unanimously judged the OBP program a unique and valuable experience—individually and as an organization—citing the following specific outcomes:  

• Kodiak validated OBP’s core belief that learning outside one’s comfort zone plants deeper, longer-lasting roots. Participants said the physical and mental challenges of OBP engaged them more fully and produced more enduring lessons than any other programs they had experienced. The OBP staff were excellent: well-trained and patient, they inspired confidence and addressed different learning styles.
• The unfamiliarity of the OBP experience helped to break down barriers to team integration and personal growth.
• Interviewees highly recommended OBP for leadership development and team-building, especially for companies in transition, e.g., at start-up, integrating an acquisition, or during a period of high growth.
• Kodiak's leadership has committed to building upon four essential areas: (1) Communication & Connectivity, (2) Mindfulness & Reflection, (3) Intentional Delegation, and (4) Mutual Trust.