THE CATALYST PROGRAM
An Axe & Arrow Proposal Prepared For:
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Marca Clark, Director, Talent Development
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THE CATALYST PROGRAM
PRESENTING NEEDS
Tarsus faces a pivotal moment, aiming to realize its 2030 Vision by cultivating a leadership cadre capable of driving significant organizational impact. This necessitates addressing a critical gap: developing high-potential leaders who can confidently transition from a culture of "niceness" to one that embraces "respectfully challenging and direct" communication, while simultaneously shifting from "high-touch" management to truly "empowering, low-touch" leadership that fosters autonomy and growth within their teams.
The current environment demands enhanced executive presence, the ability to engage in courageous conversations, a broadened strategic lens, and sophisticated coaching skills that empower rather than advise, all within the constraints of highly demanding schedules for these key individuals. Failing to equip these seven critical leaders with these nuanced capabilities risks hindering Tarsus's strategic objectives and its aspiration to be the #1 place to work.
The current environment demands enhanced executive presence, the ability to engage in courageous conversations, a broadened strategic lens, and sophisticated coaching skills that empower rather than advise, all within the constraints of highly demanding schedules for these key individuals. Failing to equip these seven critical leaders with these nuanced capabilities risks hindering Tarsus's strategic objectives and its aspiration to be the #1 place to work.
Introducing CATALYST
The Catalyst Development Program Pilot is Tarsus's direct strategic solution, meticulously designed to address urgent leadership development needs. By integrating personalized 1:1 coaching, an impactful in-person kickoff, and dynamic group coaching sessions focused on micro-training and skill application, the program will explicitly guide leaders through the required behavioral shifts. This bespoke approach ensures that each participant receives targeted development in areas like teaming for impact, courageous communication, and true coaching, thereby fostering the precise capabilities needed to accelerate their growth, elevate their impact, and propel Tarsus toward its ambitious 2030 Vision.
In this comprehensive and transformative program, Tarsus leaders will:
In this comprehensive and transformative program, Tarsus leaders will:
- Complete critical self-assessments, including the WorkPlace Big Five and Axe & Arrow questionnaire, to deepen self-awareness.
- Select a dedicated executive coach to guide their personalized development journey.
- Define and align on specific development goals with their coach and C-suite manager through collaborative meetings.
- Engage in an immersive, two-day in-person kickoff, focusing on Tarsus's strategic future, self-discovery, and high-performing teaming.
- Participate in regular individual coaching sessions tailored to accelerate their progress on personalized goals.
- Actively contribute to dynamic group coaching workshops, utilizing micro-training and peer coaching to build practical leadership skills.
- Undertake strategic stretch assignments, applying new capabilities to expand their impact and influence within Tarsus.
- Gain elevated exposure through direct interactions and roundtables with Executive Team and Board members.
- Practice and integrate critical leadership behaviors, including courageous communication and empowering delegation, throughout the program.
- Reflect on their leadership evolution and develop a robust plan for sustained growth beyond the pilot.
PHASE ONE: Survey, Planning & Coach Match
JAN - FEB 2026
To ensure a highly personalized and impactful experience, all participants will complete the following 5 pre-work activities prior to the March program launch:
INITIAL PRE-WORK (Less than 25 minutes total):
PERSONALIZED COACHING LAUNCH: Following this initial assessment phase, participants will engage in several key steps to activate their individualized coaching journey.
JAN - FEB 2026
To ensure a highly personalized and impactful experience, all participants will complete the following 5 pre-work activities prior to the March program launch:
INITIAL PRE-WORK (Less than 25 minutes total):
- WorkPlace Big Five Personality Assessment (10 minutes): Participants will dedicate 10 minutes to complete this validated assessment, providing foundational insights into their natural personality traits.
- Axe & Arrow Questionnaire (15 minutes): This 10-minute questionnaire will prompt participants to analyze and articulate their individual strengths and key development areas. Results will help shape programming for cohort learning sessions.
PERSONALIZED COACHING LAUNCH: Following this initial assessment phase, participants will engage in several key steps to activate their individualized coaching journey.
- Coach Selection: Participants will review profiles of our executive coaches and select the individual who best aligns with their development needs and preferences.
- Individual Coaching Session for Goal Identification: Each participant will meet one-on-one with their chosen coach to dive deeper into their their personal challenges, and collaboratively identify 2-3 specific, actionable development goals for the program.
- Triadic Alignment Meeting: The participant and their coach will then meet with the participant's direct manager. This crucial three-way conversation ensures full alignment on the identified development goals, discusses how the manager can best support the participant's growth, and outlines expected outcomes, integrating their personal development with Tarsus's strategic objectives.
PHASE TWO: Program Kick-Off
MAR 2026
This intensive two-day kickoff will leverage insights from your individual WorkPlace Big Five assessments and Axe & Arrow questionnaires to deliver a truly transformational experience. Through dynamic modules, facilitated discussions, and interactive exercises, we will cultivate a cohesive and high-performing cohort ready to drive Tarsus's strategic objectives.
Day One: Vision, Self, and the Power of Teaming
Day Two: Practical Collaboration & Future Forward
MAR 2026
This intensive two-day kickoff will leverage insights from your individual WorkPlace Big Five assessments and Axe & Arrow questionnaires to deliver a truly transformational experience. Through dynamic modules, facilitated discussions, and interactive exercises, we will cultivate a cohesive and high-performing cohort ready to drive Tarsus's strategic objectives.
Day One: Vision, Self, and the Power of Teaming
- Module 1: The Tarsus Journey: Leading Through Transformation This module sets the strategic stage, exploring where Tarsus is headed and the pivotal organizational shifts that will necessitate a change in leadership approaches. Participants will collectively examine the current landscape and future vision, understanding the strategic imperatives that demand a transformed leadership mindset and collective action. This discussion will ground the cohort in the "why" behind their individual and team development.
- Module 2: Self-Awareness for Transformational Leadership Building on insights from your pre-work (WorkPlace Big Five and Axe & Arrow), this session will deepen individual self-awareness. Participants will explore how their unique strengths and natural tendencies contribute to their leadership style, and critically examine how they personally will need to adapt and evolve as leaders to help drive Tarsus's organizational transformation. This module includes guided reflection and initial peer discussions on personal growth areas. Leaders will share their organizational challenges and personal reflections with the group.
- Module 3: Teaming for Impact: The Power of Collective Strength This module shifts focus to the collective, exploring the profound impact a high-performing team can have on driving organizational results. Participants will engage in discussions about the characteristics of highly effective teams and how being part of such a team can exponentially increase their influence and strategic impact. The session will introduce frameworks for understanding team dynamics, fostering a shared vision for the cohort's collaborative potential.
Day Two: Practical Collaboration & Future Forward
- Module 4: Strategic Teaming: A Collaborative SWOT Analysis Putting theory into practice, this module engages the cohort in a collaborative SWOT analysis focused on their own team's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This exercise will not only identify key areas for development within their collective but also provide a practical application of strategic thinking and collaborative problem-solving, leveraging individual insights to build a shared understanding of their cohort's potential and challenges.
- Module 5: Amplifying Impact: The Speed-Dating Feedback Session A dynamic and interactive "speed-dating" feedback module will provide participants with rapid, constructive feedback from their peers. This session is designed to enhance self-awareness of one's impact on others, practice both giving and receiving feedback effectively, and quickly identify areas for refinement in communication and leadership style, fostering a culture of directness and respectful challenge.
- Module 6: Charting Our Collaborative Future: Norms for Success The kickoff culminates with a crucial session focused on establishing how the cohort wants to collaborate moving forward. Based on the insights from previous modules – including self-awareness, team dynamics, and feedback – participants will collectively define and commit to a set of operating norms. These co-created norms will serve as the foundation for their ongoing interactions throughout the Catalyst program and beyond, ensuring a cohesive and high-performing unit.
PHASE III: Micro-Learning and Peer Coaching
Following the immersive Kickoff, the Catalyst program continues with a series of highly practical and flexible microlearning sessions, designed to provide ongoing support and deep dives into critical leadership capabilities. These sessions are purposefully adaptable; while we have identified key areas aligned with Tarsus's strategic needs and common high-potential development pathways, the specific selection and sequencing of these five modules will be finalized based on the collective insights gathered from Phase I assessments and individual goal-setting, ensuring maximum relevance and impact for the cohort. Here are potential microlearning modules, each approximately two hours and incorporating peer coaching:
Following the immersive Kickoff, the Catalyst program continues with a series of highly practical and flexible microlearning sessions, designed to provide ongoing support and deep dives into critical leadership capabilities. These sessions are purposefully adaptable; while we have identified key areas aligned with Tarsus's strategic needs and common high-potential development pathways, the specific selection and sequencing of these five modules will be finalized based on the collective insights gathered from Phase I assessments and individual goal-setting, ensuring maximum relevance and impact for the cohort. Here are potential microlearning modules, each approximately two hours and incorporating peer coaching:
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MODULE 1 (2 hours)
Coaching for Empowerment: Enabling Your Teams This module moves beyond the foundational understanding of coaching, focusing on its practical application to foster accountability and development within participants' teams. Leaders will explore empowering direct reports, and cultivating a "low-touch" leadership style that maximizes team ownership and performance. During the micro-training, participants will engage in structured peer coaching, practicing how to guide and empower their team members without resorting to advice-giving, thereby building capability from within. |
MODULE 2 (2 hours)
Strategic Influence & Persuasion Designed to enhance leaders' ability to drive initiatives and gain buy-in across Tarsus's complex ecosystem, this session focuses on the art and science of influence. Participants will build a strategy to move stakeholders. Micro-training will cover the art of stakeholder analysis, crafting an influence strategy, and choosing key tactics to move others without authority. Peer coaching will provide opportunities to strategize and refine approaches for current influence challenges, receiving constructive feedback on their persuasive communication. |
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MODULE 3 (2 hours)
Navigating Resistance This module directly addresses the need to shift from "nice" to "respectfully challenging & direct" communication. Leaders will gain practical tools and strategies for engaging in difficult conversations, addressing resistance, and managing conflict constructively. Micro-training will focus on techniques for maintaining composure, active listening through disagreement, and reframing obstacles into opportunities for collaboration. Participants will then engage in peer coaching sessions to practice navigating sensitive discussions and transforming potential confrontations into productive outcomes. |
MODULE 4 (2 hours)
Cultivating Executive Presence Essential for leaders operating at the Senior Director, VP, and C-suite levels, this module delves into the components of executive presence. It explores how to project gravitas, confidence, and credibility in various professional settings, from one-on-one interactions to group meetings. Participants will learn about non-verbal communication, vocal projection, composure under pressure, and the power of intentional messaging. Through observational exercises and peer coaching, leaders will gain valuable feedback on how they are perceived and identify specific actions to enhance their personal brand and leadership impact. |
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MODULE 5 (2 hours)
High-Impact Presentations & Storytelling This session hones the critical skill of communicating complex information clearly, concisely, and with persuasive impact, especially to senior leadership and broader audiences. Leaders will learn to structure compelling narratives, craft engaging visual aids, and deliver messages with clarity, conviction, and emotional resonance. Micro-training will cover techniques for audience analysis, message framing, and managing stage presence. Participants will deliver short, high-stakes presentation excerpts, receiving targeted peer feedback to refine their delivery, storytelling, and overall ability to captivate and influence. |
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Program
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Ingrid and her team exceeded all expectations when upskilling our Talent Enablement Team of 300 with the skills to Build Strategic Partnerships.
Her program divided the teams into cohorts of 20 and took them through three unique experiences. Her three separate modules were the highest rated live training of 2023 across Pinterest. The Axe & Arow content is the right mix of science based theory, playful activities and surgical application for our Pinterest associates. Every exercise feels relevant and no time is wasted. Ingrid's team was able to manage the communications and schedules for over 300 of our people with no complaints. Ingrid is a joy to work with and remains a valuable partner for our team. - Charlie Hall, Global Head of Talent Enablement, Pinterest
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THE CATALYST PROGRAM INVESTMENT
PHASE |
PRICING |
PHASE I: Survey & Planning VIRTUAL | 7 PAX
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$6.075 |
PHASE II: Program Kick-Off IN-PERSON | 7 PAX | 2-DAYS
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$16,000* |
PHASE III: Micro-Learning & Peer Coaching VIRTUAL | 7 PAX | 2 HR MODULES
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$19,500 |
COACHING ENGAGEMENTS 7 PAX | NINE (9) TOTAL COACHING SESSIONS FOR EACH PARTICIPANT
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$55,300 |
CUSTOM MATERIALS 7 PAX
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$2,375 |
TOTAL |
$99,250 |
*This pricing does not include T&E.
Who is your coach?
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MEET YOUR DESIGNER AND HEAD COACH, INGRID WIESE
Ingrid brings over fifteen years of experience to this engagement, having helped thousands of leaders worldwide transform their communication style to drive greater influence and organizational impact. Her expertise is built on a unique foundation of high-stakes negotiation; beginning her career with the US State Department in Eastern Europe, she coached political leaders through complex conflict resolution and peace negotiations. This background provides her with a rare and practical depth of perspective on how to navigate the "friction" essential to leadership, which she further honed by executing strategies that raised over $100 million for major NGOs. Ingrid backs this real-world experience with rigorous academic training, holding Advanced Certificates in Influence and Leadership from both Harvard Law School and M.I.T., as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Syracuse University. As the founder of Axe & Arrow Coaching and senior faculty for the McKinsey LEAD program, she blends the psychological acuity of a mediator with the strategic focus required by top-tier organizations. Her client list includes global giants like Google, Facebook, Disney, and Microsoft, where she acts as a trusted partner in helping managers evolve into strategic leaders. |
Why Axe & Arrow?
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We Create Custom Solutions
We are not a training organization. We are a problem solving partner, helping you move your organization from point A to point B. Our solutions dig deep into the underlying needs of your people, and we co-create fully customized learning solutions, tailored to the unique challenges of your organization. |
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We Stress Practical Application
It's not enough to raise awareness or simply educate your people. We equip leaders with practical tools and practice them immediately in the workshop to transform mindsets and behaviors in the workplace. Our ongoing learning and coaching plans help leaders sustain their skills and mindsets and transform the way they lead. |
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We Infuse Energy Into All Our Offerings
We believe great learning happens when audiences are passionately engaged in the content. This means energized coaches and participant environments designed to boost engagement and focused learning. We use layered learning experiences that involve self-reflection, group discussion, gamification, simulation and case studies. |
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We Can Scale Quickly
With 200+ coaches across 10 countries, we can quickly spread learning and impact to all members of your geographically dispersed teams. With our cohort systems we can launch your global learning experience tomorrow. |
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We Are Virtual Experts
We've been running successful VILT programs for over a decade with a 98% VGE participant rating. We are experts at engaging our audiences with a variety of interactive tools that draw audiences into a safe and intimate learning experience. Our coaches set the benchmark for excellence in VILT. |
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“I was challenged to bring a performance management program to over 300, globally dispersed managers. Our managers were effective at leading for technical results but needed to accelerate their transformation as people leaders.
Axe & Arrow hit the right note across a diverse level of needs. They used surveys, interviews and a pilot to create a highly engaging, rapid, applied learning program to meet our leaders where they most needed help. This enabled them to apply their new skills immediately back on the job. Over the course of one year, Axe & Arrow elevated the quality of four key performance conversations with 300 of our managers across the globe. Now our leaders are having more frequent and meaningful performance and career conversations and are receiving higher engagement ratings from our employees. Axe & Arrow Coaching has produced lasting results for my organization. They continually provide fresh ideas in the most current leadership practices. They also vastly increased the confidence of our managers and helped us scale our programs quickly. If you are looking for a world-class learning partner that takes time to understand your needs then you have found them." Julie Hasset, VP, Chief of Staff, SaaS Engineering, Oracle |
