Coaching as a Pillar in the Foundation of Convene

Startup companies face daunting challenges when establishing a workplace culture. Convene was no different. Specializing in the design and service of work, meeting and event spaces, Convene wanted to be mindful and deliberate as it developed its culture. Founders Ryan Simonetti and Chris Kelly recognized the challenge was twofold: support its small and young workforce in the early startup stages but also sustain the company through its future growth.

Launched in 2009, Convene grew from one location with 22 employees, to a network of 32 locations with more than 800 employees in cities from Los Angeles to London. To avoid the growing pains that typically plague young companies, the founders of Convene adopted a coaching program to invest in every team member’s growth.

Convene’s investment in coaching as part of the company’s foundational culture and continued growth drew recognition from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which named the company a finalist for the 2019 ICF International Prism Award. The Prism Award program honors organizations that have achieved the highest standard of excellence in coaching programs that yield discernible and measurable positive impacts, fulfill rigorous professional standards, address key strategic goals, and shape organizational culture. (Learn more at coachfederation.org/prism.)

A ‘People First’ Foundation

Leadership, personal growth and empathy in the workplace are values the founders took from their own work with coaches and built into the organization’s culture from the beginning. The young founders grew alongside their team, working the front lines and developing a close relationship with employees at every level of the organization.

“We were able to chase opportunities that allowed us to learn and grow,” Kelly says. “We have the same belief that every single person in our organization can grow at the same rate if provided with the right resources. Coaching has been so integral to our success and helps people to identify what their strengths and what their weaknesses are, and also what their goals and hopes and fears are. It helps them to become extremely self-aware.”

A Three-Pronged Approach to Coaching

Convene’s coaching program features three components that work together to support a culture of learning, leadership and internal growth. This three-pronged approach includes:

• Internal: A required three-hour workshop for every new hire and an optional Human Center Leadership Mastermind class, available to interested employees at all levels;
• External: ICF-Credentialed external coaches available for one-on-one engagements with employees; and
• Employee-Certified Coaches: An opportunity for employees to receive their own coaching credentials.

“Every person who joins Convene as a new hire is given an introduction to our coaching vocabulary so we are all speaking the same language,” says director of learning and development Julie Starr. “From there, the team starts to build that self-awareness muscle and progress through our internal programs.”

How to Measure Success

The biggest impact from Convene’s coaching program is the growth demonstrated through internal promotions and transfers. In 2019 alone, the company made more than 150 internal promotions or transfers. Of those employees, 42% participated in the Human Centered Leadership Mastermind training or received one-on-one coaching with a Certified Professional Coach.

These successes demonstrate the effectiveness of leadership within the company and its ongoing commitment to continue individual growth for every employee.

The Future of Coaching at Convene

As Convene continues to grow, Kelly and Simonetti look for new opportunities to scale the coaching program. One of those is to sponsor Convene team members to attain their own ICF Credentials. Convene currently has one ICF-Credentialed coach on staff, with additional employees pursuing accredited training and ICF Credentials. Additionally, Convene plans to incorporate new technologies and coaching methods, such as peer-to-peer coaching and online platforms, into their coaching program to reach more employees.

Kelly remarks, “The five-year vision for what success feels like is ‘Do employees of Convene feel like they show up every single day and they’re actively learning and growing?’ That’s what success feels like to me and whatever our team has to do to navigate towards that feeling, we will do.”

The decision was made early in Convene’s creation to have coaching serve as one of the pillars of the company. Founders Simonetti and Kelly made developing a coaching culture a top priority. As a result, Convene has created a workplace where people want to come in every day, learn and lead their teams, and develop self-awareness that transforms their lives—even as rapid growth keeps the company evolving.

With coaching woven into the organization’s culture, Convene operates a network of hospitality-driven offices across the United States that is run by a team of engaged, receptive and driven individuals.