Stories from Past Prism Winners
The Prism Award & Conference has a long history of celebrating excellence in organizations who are using coaching for leadership and development in the Atlanta-area and now throughout the Southeastern United States.
When you attend the 2010 Southeast Prism Award & Conference on May 5, you'll hear stories like the ones that follow from finalists and winners of the Prism Award.
Non-profit organization award recipient, 2009
Laura Reeves (r), Chief Talent Officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) accepted
the prestigious Prism Award in 2009, winning in the category of non-profit organization. ACS, she asserts, is the very best place to work and volunteer.
Speaking at the 2009 Prism event about how ACS uses coaching as a key part of their leadership development programs, Ms. Reeves stated, "We believe coaching not only impacts our bottom line, it helps us save lives!"
According to Ms. Reeves, "We change our organization through coaching so that we are a culture of learning leaders and coaches. We're a culture of high performers." In partnership with Atlanta-based professional coach Patricia Budd, the Society targeted sixty-five "up and coming" leaders--both staff and volunteers--and developed a cadre of both external volunteer coaches as well as internal coaches to work with them.
Their coaching program provides a cost effective, high impact way to individualize learning experiences, drive improved performance, and affect behavioral change for two key programs at the American Cancer Society, the Nationwide Leadership Development Program and the Talent Opportunity Program.
Measuring the success of coaching can be a challenge, but a recent bi-annual survey of participants indicated that 95% of the coachees expressed satisfaction with their coaching experience at ACS, and requests for a coaching engagement are the most popular feature of leadership programs there. As a result, last year the number of coaches increased to an impressive 54 with the potential of delivering 1500 hours of coaching across the organization.
Small company award recipient, 2009
When accepting his company's Prism award last year, Dr. Thomas W. Kauffmann, DDS (pictured left), told the audience he hired a coach because "I wanted to work less and make more money."
This committed professional and former member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Dental Association also knew the time had come to change his leadership responsibilities within his business, and transition daily administrative responsibilities to a well-trained and qualified staff.
Dr. Kauffman assured the conference attendees, "You won't find anyone who works harder than me !" However, he knew the time had come for him to consider his legacy and to create and step into a different leadership role for the future.
His process began after reading about Bob Reissiger (pictured right, above), owner of an executive coaching company, in an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bob specialized in working with small to mid-sized businesses and Dr. Kauffman decided to give him a call.
Dr. Kauffman was very particular about what he was looking for in a coach, "I needed someone who had business experience and wisdom, someone who was positive with the ability to be confrontational, someone reasonable and believable, affordable, flexible and accommodating." After meeting with Bob, Dr. Kaufmann was sure he'd found the right coach and they began their partnership.
His coach helped Dr. Kauffman fine-tune his vision of the future of his business, learn to delegate more effectively, and create an environment and culture that would allow him to do only the things that he really cared about and that only he could contribute--diagnose, treat, guard the incentives that motivated and rewarded his people, and support the administrator as she stepped into a greater, more impactful leadership role.
Accepting his award, Dr. Kaufmann told the over two hundred attendees from small to large companies and non-profit organizations that he found " . . coaching to be an extremely effective tool to generate personal, family and corporate positive growth. The bottom line is this year I will work twenty-four less days and make more money! This process works!"
Large organization award recipient, 2009
"We've embraced coaching as a way to move our leaders and our businesses forward," 
said Robert Cahn (right), Director of Leadership Development, Diversity and Training for Cox Enterprises, Inc. A leading communications, media and automotive services company with over 66,000 employees, Cox was recognized as the winner of the Prism award in the large company category.
Speaking to the audience of over 200 at the 2009 Prism conference, Mr. Cahn shared Cox's journey and successes in coaching and leadership development, from its start in 1993 to its investment in coaching that has impacted over 1000 leaders since then.
Key to the success of coaching at Cox was an early shift in why and how coaches are deployed. No longer are coaches sent in to do remedial work with leaders. Performance difficulties are resolved in other ways. Coaches are viewed as developmental resources. Coaching is leveraged as a leader embraces change, takes risks and grows professionally. Additionally, coaches at Cox focus on an executive's strengths and help the coachee leverage talents and special skills as part of their commitment to self-development.
Even in difficult economic times, Mr. Cahn shared, coaching investments are championed from the very top of the organization and thrive due to endorsements of its effectiveness. Cox executives charged with budget cuts continue to support coaching as an opportunity for "a year-long look in the mirror" since coaching has personally proved valuable to many of them. In fact, Mr. Cahn shared a quote from a Cox business president: "I wouldn't be president if it wasn't for my coach."
In reflecting on coaching's importance among several other leadership development interventions, Mr. Cahn shared data and said, "At Cox Enterprises, year after year, the coach emerges as one of the most valuable components of our leadership program."
We thank Georgia Coach Association Board Member Charles Lewis for his assistance in writing the winner's stories for this site!
Download case studies of 2009 Prism nominees:
- Atlanta Community Food Bank
- Alltel
- American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC)
- Ernst & Young
- Sublime Salon
- Turner Broadcasting
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