In January 2014, as the son of the owner of Citrus Valley Medical, a company that provides primary care medical services, I experienced a major upheaval. Our CEO suddenly passed away, overnight. Though I had an MBA in business, and title of Vice President for my father’s company, I had thus far been given few real responsibilities.
On the heels of this event, I approached my father, requesting that he allow me to take over the position of CEO. While he and I both agreed it would be a huge leap, and that I wasn’t fully qualified in terms of experience for this role, he duly noted my passion for wanting to move the company forward. He gave me a chance.
It was immediately apparent to me that I needed guidance—a coach—a mentor. Through a family friend, I met with the MAP team. My friend had highly touted their business acumen, and their management consulting skills.
I immediately signed up for one of their MAP workshops in a quest to learn management techniques, ones that would help me radically change our business practices, most notably as they related to the company’s current finances and lack of an “on paper” budget. Also, the company was in need of a cultural overhaul and a clear branding/marketing effort.
After attending their remarkable workshop, I met with my MAP Consultants. They listened carefully. For hours. They then confidently told me they could help with all my concerns.
What was most impressive, after conferring with my MAP Senior Consultant over the subsequent few weeks, is that I was not provided a boiler-plate program to address what he referred to as identifying “vital factors,” instead he devised a personalized program that expressly fit my company’s needs. We started by addressing the issues with our executive leadership team. Soon we had a set of protocols in place—ones that began with a list of goals, all of which we have begun to reach. Eventually, all of my team attended the MAP workshop. Soon, we were all on the same page. We dug deep to set a whole new decorum. We began to interact with full disclosure. Next, we began to collaborate to set a pathway to revamp the company and clearly define our goals. Through this process we held one another accountable; there was a new camaraderie, and a determination to act on our promises.
Our MAP Senior Consultant helped us to define our culture in a way that stimulated and inspired all of us to want to participate; provide input. This allowed us to find ways to integrate our ideas and come to agreement in how to move forward. He also helped us define our mission and values. He found us needed experts. He challenged us, he encouraged us (he had become my confidante), and he shared his own insightful experiences with us. We established quite a team! He continues to stand by on the sidelines to help us shape each game plan; he cheers us on with each victory.
All in all, I can confidently say that without the MAP Program, and my MAP Senior Consultant’s sage advice, I am certain we would not have achieved the bottom line results we have in the past two years. We highly recommend MAP to any company that is looking for strategic guidance and solid advice, delivered with kid-glove care.
Robbie Nelson
CEO
Citrus Valley Medical Associates, Inc.