Strava

Strava is a social network and tracking tool for athletes. A global community of millions of runners, cyclists and triathletes, Strava brings athletes together from all walks of life and inspires them to unlock their potential – both as individuals and as communities.

The energy and excitement of a startup is still palpable at Strava. The company's managers are young and less experienced, though curious and hungry to learn.

Between the company's rapid growth and the managers' thirst for knowledge, the executive team recently realized that they needed to provide their leaders and managers with some professional development.

KLR: Developing Skills and People

"The executive team brought KLR Consulting in before I was on board," says Kim Broadbeck, VP of People. While she was going through her own onboarding process Kim was impressed with Kristi's clarity and insight. Plus, "Kristi had done a 'pilot' with one group of our managers, and the results were dramatic."

Kristi worked with the first group of Strava's leaders, using:

• DiSC assessments
• one-on-one coaching
• facilitating workshops

"These managers were incredibly engaged and excited to be learning new skills," says Kristi. "After the workshop I'd run into one or the other of the participants in the Strava offices and they would inevitably stop me to tell me how they were using their new skills!"

Kim confirms, saying, "That initial group felt that the workshop and the follow up one-on-one coaching with Kristi was really valuable."

Teams: Learning to Work Effectively With Each Other

Strava expanded the program to the rest of the managers and leaders, and was impressed with how readily most absorbed the training and started using it.

One of the early participants in the program was Brian Riordan, Customer Success Lead for Strava Metro. Says Brian, "Kristi has a way of setting the room at ease which allows the group to quickly build trust with each other, and with her. This trust is what makes for dynamic dialog and team growth."

"The key to what I learned is through the DiSC and then inner reflection. I came to further understand that everyone hears things differently...You need to break past the perception and really tailor your voice and ear to the audience you hope to resonate with."

Using New Skills: Improved Communication & Teamwork

Being able to recognize the motivations of his direct reports or the different communication styles of his colleagues has changed Brian's interactions. "It has made me slow down and structure my words so they will be the best received."

Kim has seen her share of employee training programs that don't stick and is impressed by how effectively Kristi's training has taken hold. "It's really sticky! I think that's because of Kristi's empathy and understanding, the way she encourages everyone to dig deep and explore, and especially because she takes the time to help them understand how to make it work for them."

Brian agrees, saying, "With her wealth of knowledge and experience across so many industries she was able to relate to the needs of everyone in the group. We were able to quickly relate to her and know that she 'gets it'."

"It's exciting to see them using their new-found skills, rather than abandoning the process as so often happens," says Kim.

Expanding to the Whole Company

Having seen the value for the leaders and managers, Strava is now planning to take their entire staff through KLR's DiSC program. Already over 50 employees have participated.

Kim mentioned that she was talking with a board member the other day, and without prompting the board member said that she was hearing great things about Kristi and her DiSC workshops. "That kind of organic feedback, combined with actually seeing people using what they learned, is huge."

Kristi's DiSC program, with her masterful facilitation and support, is giving Strava's managers and staff practical skills that they are using daily to improve their interactions with team members, direct reports and their own managers.