The Boeing Company
“…authentic and genuine…”
Challenges
The commercial sales and marketing division of The Boeing Company (those who reported to the SVP of sales and marketing) sought a way during the COVID pandemic to:
- Forge professional relationships while working 100% online
- Provide a fresh way to socialize among themselves—beyond what they were already doing virtually
- Move through some of the difficult emotions that the pandemic surfaced
- Walk away with a refreshed, more optimistic outlook and actionable ways to make the best of what they had to work with during this time of significant isolation.
Approach
After talking at length with the meeting organizer and a representative from the sales team, Andrea Driessen designed a 60-minute Gracenotes “wenote” and then delivered it on the company’s Webex platform. The program included story; meaningful shares that felt safe in a work context; live polling; writing how-to’s; a group exercise; and a bit of solo writing time so everyone returned to work with an actual Gracenote to give to someone they cared about.
Results
After the session, the organizer wrote: “Andrea Driessen as a person and a professional is authentic and genuine, making the working relationship extremely positive and enjoyable. She is a clear communicator, organized, thoughtful, intentional and an active listener ... During Andrea’s Gracenotes session, our audience participation and engagement were at the highest I’ve seen [in a virtual format] because of Andrea’s ability to relate to people, making them feel safe and comfortable. After her session, I received several notes of praise and thanks to Andrea for reminding and encouraging them to pause and reflect on acknowledging those who are most important in life.” —K. H., Boeing Sales Operations
