May 20, 2024
When it comes to building a successful company, having a clear sense of purpose is paramount. Without it, organizations can often drift without direction, lacking a unified vision and core identity. This was the case for Oncourse Home Solutions until a crucial turning point in December 2021. Let's dive into their story to see how a change in ownership and the dedication of its leaders transformed the company into a force on a steep growth path.
To learn more about Oncourse, watch this video and read on.
Discovering a New Path After a Merger or Acquisition
In 2022, Oncourse Home Solutions was created as a result of a carve-out led by the private equity firm Apax Partners from a company called American Water, which had been in existence for over 100 years. Oncourse has its roots in home warranty services that cover the underground network of water and gas lines from the road to your house. This acquisition brought new talent and necessitated a new identity and purpose. The team, now under the leadership of Aaron Cooper as CEO, had to act quickly to rename, establish a new culture, and define a strategic path forward. As with most transformation and change projects, the best time to establish new norms and set new directions is when the window for change is open.
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We had a company, but we didn't have a core identity, and the mission and vision wasn't clear to our employees. - Aaron Cooper, Chief Executive Officer |
Setting the Stage for Success
The Oncourse Home Solutions leadership team embarked on a transformative journey through Lever Talent's MVV CAMP. This intensive program was designed to ignite collective visioning, strategic alignment, and values integration, propelling the team towards a future defined by purpose and impact.
Vision Crafting: With a shared commitment to excellence, the team came together to discuss a vision that embodied their aspirations for the company's future. Through collaborative brainstorming sessions and guided visualization exercises, they painted a vivid picture of success—one where innovation thrived, customers flourished, and employee communities prospered. Together, they distilled their collective dreams into a visionary statement that served as a north star for all their endeavors.
Strategy Alignment: Guided by their visionary compass, the leadership team embarked on a journey to align strategies to propel Oncourse Home Solutions toward its desired destination. Drawing upon their industry expertise, market insights, and organizational strengths, they engaged in strategic dialogue to identify key leverage points and prioritize initiatives. Aaron charted a strategic roadmap that maximized opportunities and accelerated progress toward their shared vision.
Values Mapping: Central to their journey was the integration of values that defined Oncourse Home Solutions' identity and culture. The leadership team reflected on the core principles that guided their decisions and actions, ensuring alignment with their organizational ethos. At Lever Talent, values are the minimum required behaviors.
Future Planning: As they charted their course towards the future, the leadership team embraced the journey with resilience and adaptability. They recognized the need to navigate uncertainty with agility and foresight, equipping themselves with the tools and mindset needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Through action planning workshops and milestone setting exercises, they outlined concrete steps to translate their vision into reality, embracing innovation and collaboration as catalysts for success.
The Oncourse Home Solutions leadership team emerged from the Mission, Vision, and Values CAMP with renewed clarity, purpose, and unity. Armed with a shared vision, aligned strategies, and ingrained values, they stood ready to lead their organization towards a future defined by excellence, innovation, and impact. With courage, conviction, and collaboration, they embarked on a journey of transformation, poised to realize their collective dreams and create lasting value for all stakeholders.
Leadership's Role in Transforming Company Culture
Leadership played a pivotal role in socializing the newly defined mission, vision, and values throughout the organization. The following team members worked together to form spearhead this efforts:
- Aaron Cooper, Chief Executive Officer
- Marlo Gaal, Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer
- Lou Weiss, Chief Marketing Officer
- Antoinette Evans, Learning & Development Manager
The collaborative mix of C-level executives and a point person in Antoinette Evens ensured that every employee understood and embodied the principles that Oncourse Home Solutions stood for. With the guidance of Lever Talent and ultimate commitment of this team, a united culture swiftly took shape within the company.
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When you don't have MVV, you don't have that sense of belonging. When you're centered on the values you have a chance to identify who you are in this employee value proposition. - Marlo Gaal, Chief People & Diversity Officer |
The Power of Working with Lever Talent on MVV
Undoubtedly, the journey companies undertake to realign their purpose is demanding. When it came to defining and implementing its mission, vision, and values, Oncourse Home Solutions found support from external consultants, specifically Lever Talent. Lever Talent proved to be instrumental in their success, exceeding all expectations. Their deep subject matter expertise, adaptability, and strategic counsel supported Oncourse Home Solutions in achieving their goals.
Born from a carve-out, Oncourse Home Solutions had to quickly establish a cohesive new strategy and workplace culture. Using the power of mission, vision, and values to swiftly align their company, they were able to start taking the home warranty space by storm. Learn from their success story that shows MVV is a team sport. Read it.
Finding the SUPER in YOU
Their mission is to make homeownership enjoyable for everyone by reducing costs and guiding homeowners through unexpected challenges. Their vision is to be the most forward-thinking and progressive home warranty business in the market. In a crowded industry, Oncourse Home Solutions wanted its values to be easily remembered but optimized to help them rapidly transform and grow. They captured their core principles in the word "super," which stands for successful, united, progressive, empathetic, and reliable. These values have formed the foundation of their company culture and provide a common language that resonates with all employees.
Client Update on Growth at Oncourse Home Solutions
Here is an update as of 11/22/24. At Lever Talent, we measure our success by the growth and achievements of our clients. Our ongoing relationship with Oncourse Home Solutions is a testament to the power of strategic alignment and investing in people. What started nearly two years ago as a partnership focused on defining their Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV) has blossomed into a dynamic collaboration with remarkable results. This update highlights Oncourse’s continued evolution and the innovative solutions that are propelling them forward.
When Oncourse first engaged with Lever Talent, the focus was on creating a strong foundation—a compelling mission, clear vision, and actionable values. With these guiding principles in place, Oncourse laid the groundwork for a unified organizational culture. Since then, their commitment to growth, employee engagement, and community impact has taken center stage.
To enhance their leadership capabilities and foster a culture of continuous learning, we partnered with Oncourse to develop a three-part, custom e-learning series. This series complements a 2-hour experiential leadership training that includes practical exercises and hands-on application. Participants have praised these sessions as a safe space to learn, share, and grow together. This resulted in a double-digit increase in employee engagement, showing the impact of aligning leadership development with organizational goals.
Oncourse's values integrated into their Naperville, IL workspace.
Expanding into the Phoenix Market
Oncourse’s strategic growth into new markets aligns directly with its mission of making homeownership more enjoyable.
Phoenix, a competitive market, presents immense opportunities in the home warranty space, and Oncourse is well-positioned to make a significant impact. Having already served nearly 10,000 customers in Phoenix and 15,000 across Arizona, their operational reach is rapidly growing, supported by an engaged team and satisfied customers who trust their services.
This strategic move wasn’t just about market growth—it was also about increasing the community impact. Since it began serving the region, local residents have saved $1.5 million in repair costs.
Embracing Success and the Road Ahead for Oncourse Home Solutions
Oncourse Home Solutions' journey is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a company discovers its purpose and aligns its entire organization around it. By investing in the power of a clear mission, a forward-thinking vision, and a set of values that embody success, unity, progressiveness, empathy, and reliability, Oncourse Home Solutions has positioned itself as a leader in the home warranty industry.
For other companies seeking to unlock their potential, working with consultants like Lever Talent can provide the guidance and expertise needed to navigate the complexities of realigning mission, vision, and values. While it requires a budget and resources, the results achieved by Oncourse Home Solutions demonstrate the power of this partnership.
In conclusion, finding purpose is an invaluable asset for any organization. By embracing change, setting clear goals, and fostering a united culture, companies can unlock their true potential and pave the way for success.
Interested in exploring our MVV program? Book a time to discuss it here.
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