Breaking Patterns, Making Progress: A Team Claims Its Voice 

CORENTUS CLIENT CASES | EFFECTIVE TEAMING CASE STUDY | Breaking Patterns, Making Progress: A Team Claims Its Voice

Background 
A fast-moving global organization brought together an executive team composed of individuals from different national and legacy cultures. These cultural dynamics resulted in varied expectations, working styles, and decision-making habits. While the team was made up of smart, driven individuals, many of them came into executive activities with different mindsets and goals, often resulting in a leadership environment where certain voices dominated and others struggled to be heard. 

Corentus was engaged to support the executive team in “scaling their leadership” - that is, shifting away from a model where the CEO was the primary decision-maker and toward one in which decision-making was more inclusive and distributed across the team. The engagement began with a Corentus Voice of the Team™ Experience, which included one-on-one interviews and a team-wide survey. Two clear opportunities emerged: 

• Create a more inclusive approach to decision-making where more people can contribute 

• Improve use of meeting time to support a shared, consensus-based model 

Design and Delivery 
Ahead of a three-day offsite, Corentus provided one-to-one support for executive team members assigned to design and facilitate specific work sessions. They were coached to clarify outcomes, structure agendas with clear process steps, and design prep activities to ensure their sessions were productive and intentional. 

At the offsite, two Corentus practitioners worked side by side in complementary roles. One tracked speaking data in real time: who was talking, who wasn’t, interruptions, and which questions were asked and answered. The other practitioner observed patterns at a macro level, focused especially on how previously identified decision-making behaviors were showing up in the room. 

The session opened with a long table of 12 team members, the CEO seated at one end, Corentus at the other. Right away, it was clear that what team members had shared in their one-on-ones was showing up in real time: a small number of participants dominated the conversation, interruptions were common, and some team members couldn’t find a way into the discussion. These weren’t new dynamics, but in a culture where issues often went unspoken, they had never been surfaced in a visible way, let alone examined or addressed collectively. 

At the end of the first day and throughout, Corentus shared patterns back to the team, such as whose voices were being heard and whose weren’t. Rather than being defensive, the team responded with recognition and even occasional laughter. One practitioner stepped in at key points to pause the conversation and help the group get clear on what decision they were trying to make, who the decision-maker was, and whether everyone had been heard. The other offered a sense of grounded presence through steady observation and notetaking. 

Outside of full-team sessions, Corentus also offered coaching moments during breaks and meals, helping participants figure out how to raise issues constructively or shift how they were showing up. 

Results 
By the end of Day 1, the team had made two major decisions, applause broke out in the room when they realized they had actually done it. For the first time in a long time, every team member had contributed to the outcome. 

In a second offsite four months later, interruption rates were down, inquiry was up, and participation had leveled out. When old patterns began to creep back in, team members noticed and corrected course themselves, a sign that change had taken hold.  

Corentus also offered optional one-on-one feedback sessions with participants, providing personalized behavioral insights. Many team members opted in, seeing it as a valuable opportunity to deepen their growth. 

Why It Works 
This Corentus Classic brings together observation, facilitation, real-time feedback, and clear decision-making structures. By turning an executive offsite into a living laboratory, the team learned to name and shift long-standing patterns, building the foundations for a more accountable, participatory, and aligned leadership culture.