WD Comnunications

Creating Lasting Change and an Enduring Coaching Process Across Previously Siloed Sales Divisions

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The Challenge

A large Life Sciences Organization had for years struggled with inconsistent coaching practices across their diverse sales teams and therapeutic areas. Often, a team of leaders in one therapeutic area would create a coaching model and requisite documentation practices that fit the idiosyncrasies of one or two vocal leaders. Leaders down the line would either adopt and champion these practices or decide to tweak things to fit their first-line leader team. That challenge would be mirrored across half a dozen or so therapeutic areas, resulting in confused leaders and enterprise misalignment, which was particularly acute in this large global organization that champions rotational assignments. In fact, WD Communications had often partnered with many of these small sales units over the years and developed programs that had swift, meaningful results and dramatic ROI to that unit, only for a leader to rotate out and a new leader with a new process to arrive on the scene.

The Solution

A new global learning and development reorganization in 2024 opened the door in early 2025 to create a cross-channel learning journey for all leaders across sales teams. WD Communications was asked to come in and not only assess a baseline of current coaching practices, but to design comprehensive 90-day sprints that aligned coaching documentation in a simple, consistent framework.

With our new L&D partners, we co-designed a learning journey that encompassed not only our primary learning participant, the first-line leader, but also second-line leaders, and even executive leadership. The program rolled out in early 2025 in the following stages:

Pre-Assessment of Field-Based Coaching: We assessed aptitude level of written coaching for first-line managers across the organization.

Realignment of Coaching Models and Documentation: We created a simple, streamlined coaching document to be rolled out across therapies. The overwhelming request from leaders of all levels was simplification; we incorporated feedback from not only leaders across all levels, but their learning partners as well.

Live, Virtual Learning Event: We underscored the need for a live, immersive learning experience to kick off the learning journey. Previously, the organization had used static, asynchronous training at huge cost and minimal ROI. Executive leaders, 2nd-line leaders, and first-line leaders were invited to these small group, virtual interactive events, which lasted 90-120 minutes.

The feedback reflected some of the highest NPS scores the organization had ever received for virtual training.

Small Group or 2-1 Executive Coaching and Sustainability Sessions: With our L&D partners, we were able to create sustainability options for therapeutic areas. If aptitude was mid-level to high on initial assessments, we held 30-day group sessions to share successes and reinforce the new coaching process.

If aptitude was lower, we met in 2-1 individual sessions with both 2nd and 1st line leaders to review documentation and skills more intensely, creating short-term action plans to rapidly upskill leaders coaching abilities.

Post-Assessment of Field Based Coaching: We again assessed aptitude level of written coaching for first-line leaders 30-days post live training event. The results were astounding.

Yearly Check-Ins: For long-term sustainability, we scheduled, with executive leader support, year-end check-in sessions to evaluate coaching with therapeutic area teams.  These check-ins will both celebrate specific successes and create coaching action plans for 2026.

The Results

Thirty days from the start of our live, virtual learning events, and less than 60 days from pre-assessment of field coaching, we saw incredible jumps in coaching skill.  Field-based coaching documentation improved over 34% across the board, with some therapeutic areas seeing jumps of nearly 80% effectiveness.

Not only had skill dramatically improved in a short period of time, but there was now one consistent organizational coaching model, one consistent document, one aligned approach to how to coach field employees.

Lasting benefits will include the reduction of rotational misalignment, more rapid pipeline development for emerging leaders and coaches, and most importantly, coaching delivered to field-based employees that is targeted, concise, simplified, and more easily executed.

Key Takeaways for Field-Based Coaching Alignment

Creating a culture of learning, consistency, and rapid upskilling must include multi-channels and not just leadership buy-in, but leadership involvement.
Aligning documents to one simplified voice of the enterprise simplifies process, builds community, and relieves leaders’ stress.
Learning with others is far more relevant, fun, and lasting than asynchronous or pushed microlearning. We created brief, immersive sessions where leaders were coached real-time, by real coaches, instead of those leaders wasting time clicking through certification courses.
Helping learners see the path to success at the beginning of a learning sprint can lead to huge skill jumps. Simply employing executive and 2nd-line leaders to explain and be part of that learning journey might take a few hours of those leaders’ time, but ROI is immense.

Conclusion

When 2nd-line leaders and executive leaders get involved in learning journeys, employees upskill more quickly, and the enterprise thrives on consistency. By insisting that leadership help shape learning journeys and get involved in their rollout changed everything with this project.

We were so thankful that our learning partners were open to our suggestions about moving away from static learning programs to immersive cross-channel learning journeys.

When organizations move away from asynchronous eLearning, AI designed courseware, and pushed microlearning, and towards how learners thrive—live, immersive, human-based connections—learning becomes endemic to culture and organizations see true ROI.

For less than the cost of an asynchronous eLearning product or microlearning app, we were able to completely reinvent how not just learners, but their leaders saw coaching within their organization. Effective coaching documents became a source of pride rather than a chore.

For more information on how WD Communications can enhance your organization’s coaching culture and your leaders’ coaching skills, contact Mike Mannon at 610.698.7104.

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