Core Need Solved
Hyper-growth marketplace needed a repeatable pipeline to turn star individual contributors (ICs) into ready-now leaders.
What We Delivered
Six-month cohort journey mixing assessments, micro-learning, peer circles, and live workshops anchored in real Faire projects.
Proof of Impact
Graduates placed on succession short-lists; managers reported higher confidence delegating stretch work.
We had to fail first to build something long-term successful. This is the story of how we almost lost a client and ended up with an oversubscribed program they are using to accelerate the development of their individual contributors (ICs) in unique ways.
Faire came to us with impressive momentum:
They are in the process of revolutionizing retail by connecting independent brands with local shops, attracting top talent globally, and scaling at a pace that makes other startups envious.
But beneath this success lurked a challenge. Their ICs were trapped in reactive work patterns:
- Meetings that led nowhere
- Decisions that constantly stalled
- Follow-ups that became endless loops
Does this sound familiar?
When we interviewed their ICs, the frustrations poured out:
- “We can’t move the needle in meetings, so we schedule follow-ups… where nothing happens again.“
- “I need executive alignment but can’t get five minutes of their attention.“
- “I’m drowning in potential problems but can’t figure out which ones actually matter.”
Global Talent Reports [1] [2] show the same issues crippling companies worldwide, with executives identifying insufficient upskilling as their #1 risk to business transformation.
Re-branding leadership:
Adding to this complexity, not all ICs want to be leaders, but all ICs want personal growth.
Gen Zs turn down leadership roles to focus on personal growth: 72 % say they want to focus on personal growth and skill accumulation rather than taking on a management role. [3]”
So Faire faced two important questions:
- Can an off-the-shelf program solve the productivity problems ICs were experiencing?
- If not, did they have the bandwidth and resources to build a custom program in-house?
In this case study, you’ll learn how we partnered with Faire to create a custom program that delivered real results. (Spoiler: we didn’t get there without failing first.)
The Off-the-Shelf Training Trap
Faire quickly realized that generic training programs wouldn’t solve their problem.
Most organizations have experienced the typical off-the-shelf training: high-energy kickoffs and polished slide decks that feel good in the moment, but create no lasting change once the initial excitement fades. People revert to old habits, and the business sees minimal ROI.
Why? Because generic content rarely addresses the unique challenges, culture, and pain points of your organization. There’s no built-in mechanism for iteration, no direct tie to specific business challenges.
Faire wanted something different: a program addressing actual productivity barriers important enough to include in OKRs. They weren’t looking for a quick fix. They needed a solution as unique as their challenges.
Beyond the Generic Playbook
Customization isn’t just about replacing generic examples with company logos. True customization means understanding the specific cultural context, business challenges, and skill gaps of an organization.
For Faire, we took a multi-layered discovery approach:
Stakeholder Interviews: We interviewed diverse stakeholders across six departments – from Senior Sales Managers to Software Engineers, from Chief of Staff to Product Marketing. These conversations revealed department-specific challenges and varying perspectives on the same productivity barriers.
Direct IC Input: We didn’t just take leadership’s word for it. We went straight to the Individual Contributors, conducting extensive interviews to understand their daily frustrations, aspirations, and obstacles.
The result was a lot of data:
Skill Needs Analyses: a crucial next step was determining whether or not we had a skills problem. It’s dangerous to assume everything is a skills problem. To ensure we were solving the right problem, we focused on what behavior change was needed. Questions like: “What do you want ICs to be able to do differently?” were key here. Once you understand the behavior change, you can then look at whether it’s a skill, a resource, a technology, or a even just dialogue that can help make the shift.
Skills Mapping to Business Impact: We then created an impact map connecting business goals in the form of OKRs to the skills we identified would enable those behaviors. This ensured every element of the program had a direct line of sight to Faire’s business objectives.
The result was a three-module program targeting exactly where productivity towards the identified OKRs was breaking down:
- Module 1: Problem-Solve Individually: Strategic frameworks to identify which problems actually matter and get to root causes
- Module 2: Communicating the Work: Making impact visible and crafting messages that capture executive attention
- Module 3: Facilitating Team Problem-Solving: Building trust across functions and driving decisions without formal authority
But content customization was just the beginning. We designed a comprehensive learning sprint with multiple touchpoints:
- Pre-assessments to establish skill baselines and create personal awareness
- Focused main sessions with real Faire examples that brought abstract concepts to life
- Learning circles where peers helped peers solve real challenges in real-time
- Manager guides with structured discussion prompts for 1:1 conversations
- Post-assessments to measure tangible progress
We Got a Negative NPS
Wait, what? A case study by a company about a negative NPS? But that’s the truth of it. What looked promising on paper hit a wall in reality. After our first session, we received a negative Net Promoter Score, and feedback made it clear we missed the mark.
Our mistake? We relied on input from just a few high performers, missing the day-to-day realities facing most ICs.
We pivoted quickly and expanded our discovery – surveying the entire cohort and conducting more interviews across departments. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for far-reaching discovery done well.
By listening to more voices and reorganizing our approach, we added the missing elements to the program:
- Introduced proper onboarding – adding a kick-off call so participants could connect and align on goals
- Personalized the experience – reached out 1:1 to participants who needed extra support
- Involved managers more deeply – equipping them with tools to reinforce learning during routine 1:1s
Real Upskilling, Real Business Impact
The transformation was remarkable. By the final module, participants were actively applying their new skills to daily work:
95% improved their ability to identify and solve root causes rather than symptoms “I’ve used SCR to frame up tough conversations with stakeholders, helping them see the issue from a structured perspective and understand the root causes of our challenges.”
100% enhanced their ability to adapt communication for different audiences “I’m using the Whole Brain Thinking model to approach feedback with team members and peers.”
74% improved in facilitating team problem-solving “I’ve adapted the how/what framework to better coach my team and guide them through problem-solving in more productive ways.”
“This wasn’t just about saving a client relationship – it was about proving that learning solutions work best when they evolve through feedback and iteration.” – Andrew Barry, CEO, Curious Lion
ICs are now using our frameworks in diverse ways:
- Asking deeper questions during 1:1s for better feedback
- Pushing designers to think about the reasoning behind decisions
- Clarifying understanding of engineering design proposals
- Getting to the root of why teams were making product changes
But the magic isn’t in the frameworks themselves – it’s in the conversations they sparked. Participants consistently rated interactive breakout rooms, facilitated discussions, and peer-to-peer Learning Circles as the most valuable elements of the program.
More Than Just Training
This wasn’t just another training program. It has become a strategic business initiative addressing multiple organizational priorities:
Tackling the skills shortage head-on
✓ Raising core IC capabilities across six departments
✓ Building a common language for problem-solving company-wide
Creating a cross-functional talent network
✓ Connecting high-potential ICs who would otherwise never meet
✓ Establishing thought partners who support each other long after the program
Building a culture of high-performance
✓ Setting new standards for what “good” looks like at Faire
✓ Creating a shared identity among program graduates
The most telling indicator of success? The program was renewed for three more cohorts each with oversubscribed waiting lists. Managers actively nominate their team members, and the organization has committed long-term to this initiative.
When leadership starts fighting to get their people into your program, you know you’ve created something impactful.
Why It Matters
Faire’s story demonstrates that when organizations invest meaningfully in their people, productivity challenges transform into growth opportunities.
In a world where 42% of employees report drowning in “busy work” and 38% can’t get enough thinking time, generic training isn’t the answer (Page 8, [1]).
Custom-built programs that evolve through feedback and directly address business-critical skills are the solution.
The journey from off-the-shelf to strategic impact isn’t easy. It requires:
- Deep understanding of your specific business challenges
- Willingness to iterate based on participant feedback
- Involving managers in the reinforcement process
- Focus on application rather than theory
- Creating peer to peer learning opportunities
But the payoff is worth it: a workforce that doesn’t just execute tasks but identifies the right problems to solve – perhaps the most valuable competitive advantage in today’s business landscape.
Want to learn more about our programs directly from our clients?
We love the spirit of sharing knowledge, and we would be happy to set you in contact with any of these amazing clients below:
