Non-Profit Uses PI as Catalyst for Change

Firefly: A Case Study in Leader-Led Culture™

Firefly is a community institution in Indiana working on behalf of more than 43,400 abused and neglected children and their families each year.

Firefly has evolved to provide an array of community based prevention and intervention services, working in partnership with state and local government programs, as well as other community organizations.

The private non-profit Firefly, formerly Children’s Bureau, was founded in 1851.

Firefly President and CEO, Tina Cloer


Challenges

When the previous CEO of 20 years stepped down and Tina Cloer was appointed, it was a time of significant leadership change for the organization.

Tina identified some significant initial challenges:

  • An entirely new leadership team
  • A lengthy hiring process with mediocre retention
  • A cultural transition to accountability and measuring success
  • Past promotions of personnel beyond their individual capacity

Solution

The ADVISA team and the Predictive Index® system provide broadly applicable data, best-in-class training and learning reinforcement to meet the bureau’s challenges:

“Activate” driver

Build commitment from the top.

  • Tina was proactive, decisive, and already able to name specific challenges we needed to help solve.
  • Her willingness to lean into the work set an example for the entire organization.

“Target” driver

Establish desired future state.

  • Firefly partnered with ADVISA on “Diagnose + Define” using our proprietary Leadership + Culture Assessment® to clarify its ideal culture and the exact leadership behaviors which will help them achieve it.

“Lead” driver

Develop confidence and capability.

  • Predictive Index® training for all executives, managers and employees provides for awareness, a common language, and integration into all people-related processes.
  • Behavioral interview training for hiring managers empowers them to better analyze fits and gaps for better hiring outcomes.

“Apply” driver

Improve performance with people data.

  • Predictive Index® behavioral assessments for job candidates bring objectivity to the hiring process.
  • Benchmarking specific roles using the PI Job Assessment enables better matches of candidates to positions while also improving hiring efficiency.
  • Behavioral competencies bring clarity to job descriptions and enable more effective coaching.
  • Behavioral data illuminates why some people thrive while others struggle.

“Scale” driver

Enable behavior change.

  • Monthly leadership meetings and ADVISA webinars frame learning as a journey, not a one-time event.

Results

“Change was immediate and easy to identify. The Predictive Index
system and the ADVISA team gave us a roadmap for improvement and tangible results.”

Firefly President and CEO, Tina Cloer

  • Staff retention increased to 84% in the first year, improved from 58%.
  • Time-to-fill reduced to 33.62 days from 56 days (2 years prior).
  • 50% less interviewing time for hiring managers.
  • Hiring managers’ confidence increased as PI helped them understand fit-to-position.
  • Leaders demonstrated improved abilities:
    o To assemble balanced teams with the right people in the right seats improved.
    o To understand and best support performance issues improved.
    o To better communicate, overall.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has honored Firefly with its Best Places to Work in Indiana award for multiple consecutive years.

Continued Partnership

Since our initial implementation, Firefly has continued to engage ADVISA to provide training for leaders in ADVISA Leadership Academy cohorts.

Discover the advantage of Leader-Led Culture™

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