Case Study: Tomik

BACKGROUND

Tomik is a residential building company specialising in
ultra-high-end, luxury holiday homes on Waiheke Island.
Owner and Managing Director, Todd Flashman, has a
team of 12 people and engaged EXCC for a focused,
customised 90-day programme.

THE PROBLEM

The first COVID-19 lockdown had a severe impact on Tomik. “Projects were cancelled and we went from hero to zero in days, with no work,” says Todd Flashman, Owner and Managing Director. “In the stress of all that, I figured I was stuck in an old cycle and needed to rebuild my business. I wanted to break the chains and barriers that were holding us back.

“I’d lost a couple of key team members in the previous six to eight months, which was quite devastating. And one of the common feedback points was that the company felt disconnected, and the staff members felt a bit abandoned. So I knew that I had to strengthen the unity of my team and really bind them together. As a residential building company, staff are my key asset, and losing 20% of my key resource was significant. There was also a high emotional cost in losing those people. “We got stuck in a rut in terms of communicating internally, to the point where it was sometimes challenging, fierce, and abrupt.

“While I knew I had to address these challenges, there was also the problem of funding any coaching, as we just didn’t have the cash flow for it.”

THE SOLUTION

“I attended the NZCB (New Zealand Certified Builders) conference and stayed on for an extra day to attend Jason Dinan’s workshop, The Executive Level Masterclass. I was in a growth mindset, and Jason’s workshop helped solidify some learning, and also opened my eyes to a few new things. The session was really engaging and balanced. As with any of these things, you get out of it what you put into it, so I was very interactive and good dialogue going on with Jason and we created a connection quickly. I came out knowing that Jason was the right person to engage for my business.

“One challenge was around funding: although the EXCC coaching programme was at an attractive price point, it was slightly out of my reach. Jason pointed me towards some Government funding that paid for 50% of it, and that meant I could proceed immediately

“I engaged EXCC to really focus on team development, personal growth, and goal setting for a 90-day programme. I had already covered off sales and marketing with another coach, so I didn’t want to double up. Jason was great in putting together a personalised plan for us; he really listened to our needs. I was initially worried that with his background in large corporates he might not be able to pull it back to the needs of a small residential building company, but he adapted his programme perfectly for us. The EXCC team delivered amazing extra value in terms of the additional time they put into working with us too.

“A lot of the content was delivered by Jason’s Master Coach, Grant Shields. He’s had a huge amount of experience coaching businesses in the construction sector, so he was a great fit for working with our team. Grant adapted brilliantly to our business, and engaged really well with the team. It was the perfect pairing.”

OUTCOMES

Improved company culture and motivation

“Our company culture is pretty bloody excellent now! It was never terrible, but we’ve now got a team that’s completely engaged. They’re driven; they’re motivated; and you can see that they’re all standing an inch taller. They’re actively participating in work. “Considering that we’ve come out of New Zealand’s longest lockdown period, it’s fantastic that through Jason’s coaching, we’ve managed to keep the team motivated and engaged. Jason went above and beyond in rearranging the physical workshops we’d planned and taking everything online. The level of adaption was well above what we’d engaged and employed Jason for.”

Company values, purpose and vision that really resonate

“I’d already done some work on the company values with another partner, but Jason worked with me to really fine-tune it. I enjoyed that process, as it created a solid foundation. It now resonates with who I am; how I want my business to flow; and how it’s presented to my staff, peers, clients, and the community. The values are now ingrained in the company culture, and it’s received very well. This was one of the biggest lifts of the journey.”

Extended DISC took communication from being challenging to being calm

“When I read the personalised Extended DISC reports initially, my reaction was, ‘that’s not me! And that’s not him! And that’s not her!’ But the more we went through it, and the more we went through the journey of engaging with it, and spent time communicating, it became apparent that the report was a lot closer to the reality of the individual. It was very enlightening, and has helped us understand each other better. For example, you know not to push certain individuals in certain areas. “I’ve known my Construction Manager for 22 years, but thanks to the Extended DISC reports, we understand each other a lot better now. We got stuck in a rut in terms of communication; it was often challenging. With the new approach, our communication is calm. Everybody is valued equally, and we take the time to listen. If everybody’s involved, then everybody’s brighter, happier, and more motivated – and productivity goes up, which is the gold.

“The team’s now talking and communicating in a way we’ve never done before. Being trade-based, communication traditionally involved a lot of effing and blinding at others, and it was all quite blunt. We needed to break that old industry culture as it wasn’t serving us, and it’s not appropriate in the modern age. Clients see this communication; and subcontractors see it. This negative
communication is heavy and weighs us all down.

“We now have a better way of communicating, and that rubs off on the contractors on site too. Clients may not necessarily see the shift, but what they do see is an engaged team of individuals. We’re now bonding and communicating in a way that’s fresh and new it’s hugely beneficial to our mental health, which is awesome.”

Personal empowerment for improved mental health

“My approach is to empower others and provide a platform where individuals can stop and think about the way they’re communicating with people. Not only in the workplace, but taking it home too. This has a huge bearing on wellness and mental health.

“Looking after mental health has a renewed focus in my business. It’s a new way of breaking down the old barriers and chains that were holding us back.

“Jason has given us tools that are structured to help personal empowerment. By empowering myself and empowering my team, it helps you put your shoulders back, stand a little bit taller, hold our heads a bit higher, breathe fresher air that extra inch higher, and clear your head a bit more. So you’re opening your mind to growth, clarity, and being present in the moment, which is where we all need to be.

“In terms of communication, the tools help you be more present with the individual you’re talking to, which creates a calmer environment. That’s gold in terms of mental health.”

Vibrant, engaging and adaptable coaching approach

“We got everything out of the programme that we’d hoped. We’re now headed into a busy construction period, followed by the holiday period. Over that time, I’ll be giving thought as to what I next need to do in the business, and for myself.

“My favourite part of working with Jason is that he is so bloody passionate and obviously good at what he does. He has a platform that’s adaptable to various industry sectors. He’s vibrant. And he’s engaging, and easy to work with because of the way he communicates, and his personal presence. The coach working with us really adapted well to our mindset, and was a great fit for our company.

“The contract we had with EXCC was on point and we’re thankful for the journey. I got a lot out it; and my team got a lot out of it. It couldn’t have been better. We were really satisfied with the content and the delivery. In fact, the content was perfect.

“I’d definitely recommend EXCC, and have already recommended them to multiple people, and some of them are very big players.”

If you’d like to find out more about working with EXCC, please contact us.