Dee
Nova, MBA
Professional Portfolio
Hello there
I'm Dee
Leaving Johannesburg for New York, I sought a fresh start and the opportunity to shape my life on my own terms, a journey that transformed me from an eager Au Pair in Albany, NY, to a Global Leadership and Performance Improvement Coach at PayPal.
My path through roles at Conservation Services Group, CLEAResult, and beyond has been driven by a dedication to growth and excellence, mastering the art of simplifying complex concepts and driving transformative change.
My strategy combines strategic insight with human-centric coaching, a formula that has led countless individuals and teams across various industries to remarkable success.
Described by colleagues and clients as a "pure delight," my ability to blend knowledge with a calm demeanor and draw out the best in people has been central to my mission of unlocking potential. Committed to inspiring change and fostering growth, I help others navigate their success paths with confidence and clarity, making my work not just a job, but my passion.
I’m excited to share snippets of my professional journey with you.
mission
To create a world where leadership and performance improvement are driven by a balance of human-centric values and strategic excellence, enabling personal and professional growth in harmony
Education
Undergraduate degree
Bachelor of Science (BSc.)
Business Administration
Graduate degree
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Major: Organizational Behavior
Concentration: Leadership and Change Management
Certifications
- Building Science Principles
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
- REBT Mindset Life Coach Certification
- Professional Life Coach Certification
- Mindfulness Practitioner Diploma
favorite works
portfolio
Strategic Leadership and Performance Improvement
My path from an entry-level role to becoming a Global Leadership and Performance Improvement Coach, supported by my MBA with a focus on Leadership and Change Management, has equipped me with the ability to drive transformative growth. I specialize in navigating complex organizational landscapes, applying innovative strategies to enhance leadership capabilities and performance across diverse sectors.
Data-Driven Coaching and DevelopmenT
My approach to coaching is rooted in a behavior-based methodology, utilizing data to pinpoint challenges, set clear objectives, and track progress. I emphasize the importance of actionable feedback and the strategic use of resources, ensuring that every coaching session moves you closer to your goals. This methodical approach is designed to maximize effectiveness and foster sustainable development.
Continuous Learning and Application:
I am committed to staying at the cutting edge of organizational behavior, leadership, and change management. Through regular engagement with the latest research and thought leadership—via the Harvard Business Review, attending industry conferences, and diving into a broad spectrum of research materials—I ensure that my practices are informed by the most current insights. This dedication not only enriches my understanding but also enhances the strategies I deploy to support your growth and success.
Skills and Talents
Transformative Leadership and Performance Improvement
At the outset of my first corporate consultancy role, I was presented with a team experiencing a significant decline in performance in the post-pandemic landscape. A deep dive into their operations was essential to uncover the root causes.
Objective:
Identify the underlying issues contributing to the team's declining performance and devise a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges effectively.
Action:
- Diagnostic Analysis: Conducted an in-depth evaluation to identify core issues, including unengaging training content, extended training durations due to lead's dual responsibilities, rigid script adherence affecting sales, a narrow training focus, and the absence of a structured QA or coaching process.
- Strategic Interventions:
- Script Revision: Proposed a balance between compliance and personalization to enhance relatability and sales effectiveness.
- Training Streamlining: Introduced a two-week intensive nesting period to expedite the training process without compromising quality.
- Training Overhaul: Expanded the training curriculum to encompass sales techniques, customer service principles, and practical field insights.
- Coaching Program Implementation: Established a continuous performance development program to foster ongoing improvement.
- Leadership Engagement: Worked on restoring trust within the leadership team to improve engagement and address operational inefficiencies.
Result:
The strategic overhaul and focused interventions led to a remarkable transformation in the team's performance, culminating in achieving their sales target for the first time in over a year. The work we did enhanced team performance to meet sales goals, achieving 80/20 SLA for calls, improving technician schedule capacity to 75-85%. This success underscored the effectiveness of a comprehensive strategy paired with empathetic leadership in driving performance improvement.
Skills Employed:
- Analytical Problem-Solving: Identifying and addressing the root causes of declining performance.
- Strategic Planning and Implementation: Crafting and executing a multi-faceted strategy to overhaul training and coaching processes.
- Effective Communication: Facilitating open dialogue between leadership and team members to foster a culture of trust and engagement.
- Empathetic Leadership: Applying an understanding and supportive approach to leadership, encouraging team members to excel.
- Continuous Improvement: Establishing mechanisms for ongoing development and performance enhancement.
Revitalizing Engagement: The AI Coaching System Turnaround
We faced a challenge with low user engagement in a newly implemented soft skill AI coaching system. Despite its potential, the system was underutilized across the organization.
Objective:
To diagnose the root causes of this underutilization and develop a strategy to enhance engagement with the system. This required a global effort, prompting me to collaborate closely with a colleague in Manila to ensure our approach was comprehensive and effective across different regions.
Action:
- Collaborative Analysis: Partnered with my peer in Manila to conduct a thorough investigation into the reasons behind the low engagement levels. Our collaborative effort was crucial in gathering insights from a global perspective.
- Identified Key Issues: Our findings pinpointed the main issues as a lack of training and awareness among users, and a similar lack of enforcement from leaders, many of whom were also unaware of the system's purpose and benefits.
- Implemented a Multi-Faceted Engagement Strategy:
- Training: Organized and conducted refresher training sessions for both agents and leaders to ensure they understood how to use the system and its benefits.
- Communication: Launched a weekly newsletter featuring tips for using the system effectively and sharing success stories to inspire and educate.
- Accountability Measures: Established an accountability loop by monitoring system usage and following up on instances of non-compliance, encouraging consistent use.
Result:
This strategic and comprehensive approach led to a significant increase in active daily users by over 250%. The project underscored the importance of clear communication, ongoing education, and accountability in driving the adoption of new technologies.
Skills Employed:
- Strategic Planning and Execution: Developed and implemented a detailed plan to address the identified challenges.
- Global Collaboration: Worked effectively with international colleagues to ensure a unified approach.
- Problem-Solving: Analyzed the situation to identify underlying issues and devised practical solutions.
- Communication and Training: Effectively communicated with stakeholders at all levels and provided targeted training to address knowledge gaps.
- Monitoring and Accountability: Established systems to track progress and hold individuals accountable, ensuring sustained engagement and usage.
Aligning for Excellence - Process Improvement
Faced with the critical challenge of potentially losing a client contract due to low performance scores, a strategic intervention was necessary to rectify the situation and align with the client's expectations.
Objetive:
Diagnose the underlying issues contributing to the low scores and develop a plan to address them effectively.
Action:
- Data Analysis: Conducted a thorough analysis to identify a misalignment between our internal metrics and the client's expectations, especially regarding customer NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) due to differing survey questions.
- Call Quality Review: Observed a noticeable variance in the quality of customer interactions between our in-state and out-of-state teams, indicating a need for a unified approach to customer service.
- Performance Measurement Consistency: To bridge these gaps, we
- Synchronized our surveys and QA (Quality Assurance) scorecards with the client's to ensure consistency in performance measurement.
- Introduced culture training aimed at deepening our team's understanding and connection with the client's customer base. This included sharing relevant fun facts about the client's territories and showcasing exemplary calls to foster a better understanding of customer expectations.
- Enhanced the frequency and quality of supervisor-led side-by-side coaching sessions, providing direct and immediate feedback to team members with a focus on rapid improvement.
Result:
These targeted interventions significantly improved our service quality, leading to the successful renewal of the multimillion dollar client contract. This achievement highlighted the critical role of alignment, empathy, and focused training in enhancing customer satisfaction and securing business continuity.
Skills Employed:
- Analytical Problem-Solving: Identifying the root causes of misalignment between client expectations and service delivery.
- Strategic Planning: Developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to address identified issues.
- Effective Communication: Ensuring clear and consistent communication both internally and with the client.
- Empathy and Cultural Awareness: Enhancing team understanding of the client's customer base to improve service quality.
- Coaching and Feedback: Utilizing direct feedback mechanisms to foster immediate improvement in team performance.
Strategic Leadership in Salesforce Rollout
Tasked with leading a national Salesforce rollout, an opportunity presented itself to enhance operational efficiency and team collaboration across the organization.
Objective:
My responsibility was to ensure the seamless integration of contact center agents' workflows into Salesforce, facilitate nationwide staff training on the new CRM system, and develop a comprehensive rollout plan that included post-launch support to minimize service disruptions.
Action:
Collaboration: Worked closely with the development team to tailor Salesforce, ensuring it effectively supported cross-departmental functions and workflows.
Training Leadership: Spearheaded nationwide training sessions for contact center staff, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to leverage the new CRM system efficiently.
Rollout Strategy Development: Crafted and executed a detailed system rollout plan, incorporating a post-launch support strategy to address potential service disruptions promptly.
Data Management: Conducted a thorough user data cleanup, optimizing Salesforce license utilization and achieving significant cost savings.
Result:
These strategic initiatives not only streamlined operational processes but also played a crucial role in the project's national success, earning me the SHAPE award for my contributions. The project underscored the importance of meticulous planning, effective collaboration, and proactive problem-solving in executing a successful SaaS rollout for over 15 programs across the country and in Canada.
Skills Employed:
Strategic Planning and Execution: Demonstrated through the development and implementation of a comprehensive rollout and post-launch support strategy.
Leadership and Training: Exhibited by leading nationwide training efforts, ensuring staff were proficient in utilizing the new system.
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Shown through effective collaboration with the development team to integrate specific workflows into Salesforce.
Data Management and Optimization: Highlighted by conducting a user data cleanup to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
