Delta Air Lines, a renowned leader in safety, innovation, reliability, and customer experience, was faced with a toxic team situation occurring in one of its major divisions. Head of supply diversity Karmetria Burton quickly realized that the team was struggling, and she was struggling to find the leadership center to pull it all together.
This newly-created department was crucial to Delta's efforts to demonstrate commitment to its supplier diversity initiative, so team success was imperative for company success in this arena.
The engagement began by conducting initial behavioral assessments, first with Karmetria, then with each of her team members, while also closely examining the team's current operations and standards.
Training tools and behavioral assessments including DISC Analysis were leveraged to bring awareness to each team member's individual behavioral style. DISC reveals how each person naturally communicates, processes information, and responds under pressure, creating the shared language the team needed to collaborate productively.
The supply diversity team at Delta Air Lines achieved their first successful annual strategy session, a milestone the team had not previously reached. With behavioral awareness established, the team moved from dysfunction to focused alignment around their shared mission.
The team subsequently went on to be recognized for its initiatives with the company's top minority-owned, women-owned, and small business suppliers, delivering the organizational impact Delta's supplier diversity initiative required.