Transitioning from remote work to in-office collaboration isn’t just a logistical challenge — it’s a leadership challenge. For a 14-person UX leadership team at a Fortune 100 company, preparing for an impending return-to-office (RTO) mandate brought a unique set of hurdles: adapting to new dynamics, managing the energy required for effective in-person collaboration, and integrating leadership presence with demanding workloads.

Recognizing the stakes, the team pooled their professional development resources to pursue a transformative learning experience — the IEP Method® Foundations community membership and self-study programming.

Here's how they made it happen:

Challenge

A 14-person UX leadership team at a Fortune 100 company faced unique challenges as a fully remote team preparing for an upcoming return-to-office (RTO) mandate. Challenges included:

• Navigating the shift from remote work dynamics to in-office collaboration.
• New department leadership. 
• Inconsistent energy management and leadership presence across the team.
• Balancing demanding workloads with the need for intentional leadership development.

The department sponsor sought a solution to equip team leaders with the skills to adapt to these transitions while fostering a positive, authentic culture of growth and presence for their team. The leaders made a collective decision to combine their professional development funds to pursue the program as a team.

 

Approach

The leadership team participated in the IEP Method® Foundations self-study program over seven months (May to December 2024). The program was designed for independent learning and included:

• A pre-program diagnostic to assess individual and team baseline performance, and post-program diagnostic for growth measurement.
  
  
• Access to foundational IEP training modules, including the Introduction to the IEP Method® Self-Study Course and the 30 Days of IEP Sheets Challenge.
  
  
• Access to the IEP Fundamental Tools Library with foundational tools and tools and resources to support energy management, accountability, and presence.
  
  
• Access to complete individual credentials as Certified IEP Method® Positive Energy Leader: Level 1 

 

The team also determined they would implement several best practices provided by Active Choices, Inc.:

• Structured milestones and deadlines to ensure progress across the team.
• Incorporating the IEP Method® programming and goal completion dates into organizational OKRs.
• Completing requirements together and creating accountability to work toward certification as IEP Method® Positive Energy Leaders.
• They held weekly check-in meetings to connect, share insights, discuss progress, and provide gentle accountability to one another. These meetings created space for reflection, collaboration, and mutual support as they navigated the programming.

 

Additionally, their main contact and executive sponsor actively participated in programming and served as a champion for the program, acting as a bridge between the group and the ACI programming team. This sponsor proactively sought assistance and clarification whenever questions arose, ensuring the team had the resources and support needed to stay on track.

 

"I hadn’t realized the cost of my little energetic leaks and how that was impacting my trust equity and credibility with my team. Seeing this now and embodying the work for a while, I am catching them faster and it’s making a difference."

 

Results

The program delivered significant outcomes for the UX leadership team:

 

Additional insights from participants included:

Enhanced self-awareness and mindset shifts: Leaders noticed clear differences in their thinking, reflected by data indicating how their presence impacts others and how others’ energy affects them.

 

Greater clarity and resilience: Participants reported that their ability to recover from setbacks had improved significantly, with shorter reset times. For example, challenges that previously “took them out for days” could now be navigated more effectively with quicker rebounds.

 

Improved decision-making and communication: Leaders reported that answers felt “more accurate and clear,” allowing them to address challenges with greater confidence.

 

Conclusion

The IEP Method® Foundations program provided a powerful self-study and interactive framework for this UX leadership team to navigate transitions and enhance their leadership presence.

By completing the IEP Method® programming, the team demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and alignment, equipping them to lead effectively in a hybrid and return-to-office work environment. They are on track to continue IEP programming and confidently scale it outward to their teams for integration.