Making Coaching Stick for a Global Pharmaceutical Organization

A global pharmaceutical organization had already invested in developing its Sales Managers. The open question was whether any of it would change behaviour in the field, or fade like most training does. We built the custom simulation layer that made it stick.

About the Client

A leading global pharmaceutical organization with a strong focus on innovation and patient impact. Its Canadian affiliate had invested in building coaching capability across its sales organization and wanted that investment to produce durable change, not another round of strong workshop feedback followed by a quiet return to old habits.

The Challenge

The organization did not have a content problem. Its Sales Managers had been through coaching development before. What it had was a transfer problem — the gap between what managers learned and what they actually did in the field.

Inconsistent Coaching

Coaching quality varied significantly across Sales Managers

No Behaviour Change

Traditional training produced strong satisfaction scores but limited durable change.

Avoiding Difficult Conversations

Managers deferred or softened the performance conversations that mattered most.

Misaligned Priorities

Coaching was not consistently aligned with current business priorities.

Low Retention

Limited reinforcement meant learning faded within weeks.

No Structured System

Coaching capability was treated as an individual trait, not an organizational capability that could be built and sustained.

Our Strategy

We did not propose a new program. The organization had already invested in developing its managers. We proposed the layer that was missing — structured practice, real feedback, and custom simulation reinforcement that kept new behaviours alive.

1
Shift from Training to Behaviour Change

We repositioned coaching development from a one-time event into an ongoing capability-building system focused on real-world application.

2
Practice Real Conversations

Managers worked through live simulations based on actual business challenges — performance management, engagement, and accountability conversations.

3
Immediate, Multi-Source Feedback

Each simulation was followed by feedback from the coachee, a professional coach, and a written report identifying strengths and development priorities.

4
Practice–Apply–Refine Loop

Managers immediately re-applied that feedback in a second simulation — the step most training skips, and the one where behaviour actually changes.

5
Align Coaching to Business Priorities

Managers chose scenarios based on real business needs. Advanced sessions included observation by their own manager to reinforce alignment.

6
Reinforce Through Digital Simulation

Customized SIMpact Live™ simulations, built specifically for this organization's challenges, were used between and after sessions to keep new behaviours alive and ensure long-term retention.

Custom Simulations Built for this Organization

The reinforcement layer was not generic. We built custom simulations drawn from the organization's own coaching scenarios and business priorities — the accountability conversation a manager kept avoiding, the engagement deficit on a specific kind of team, the territory-planning discussion that needed a lighter touch.

Each manager received simulations calibrated to their development focus. The simulations were short enough to fit a working week, specific enough to reflect the manager's real world, and built around immediate feedback with the option to replay and try a different approach.

This is the heart of what we do. Most organizations already have a program. What they are missing is the practice layer that turns it into behaviour change. We build that layer, custom, drawing on a library of more than 100 existing simulations across leadership, sales, coaching, conflict, and change.

Implementation

Phase 1

Foundation

  • Live coaching simulation
  • Immediate feedback (coach + coachee)
  • Written development report
  • Second simulation to apply feedback
Phase 2

Business Integration

  • Selection of real business scenarios
  • Advanced role play with manager observation
  • Multi-source feedback
  • Customized simulation reinforcement
Phase 3

Sustainment

  • Ongoing custom coaching simulations
  • Continuous feedback cycles
  • Personalized digital simulations
  • Development aligned to business needs

Results

We report what we can stand behind. The strongest evidence came from direct observation under consistent conditions, supported by what managers described doing differently in the field and what senior leaders observed in the months that followed.

What We Observed
  • Visible improvement within the first session. The difference between a manager's first and second simulation was consistent across the cohort — the rule, not the exception.
  • More difficult conversations, handled sooner. Managers reported initiating performance and accountability conversations they had previously deferred.
  • Higher-quality coaching. Conversations became more structured, more focused, and more clearly tied to what the representative needed to do next.
  • Leadership alignment. Manager observation in advanced sessions aligned coaching expectations across leadership levels.
  • Behaviour that persisted. The custom simulation reinforcement layer kept new behaviours alive in the months after the live work, where most programs lose their gains.
Business Impact
  • Stronger accountability culture
  • Improved team engagement
  • Better execution of business priorities

From training people… to building capability that shows up in performance.

"This experience fundamentally changed how our managers approach coaching. The combination of real-world practice, immediate feedback, and reinforcement made the learning stick in a way we haven't seen before."

— Senior Leader, Sales Organization

Key Insights

  • Behaviour change requires practice and feedback — not just knowledge

  • Immediate application — a second attempt right after feedback — dramatically accelerates learning

  • Leadership alignment is critical for sustained change

  • Customization increases relevance and adoption

  • A reinforcement layer is what keeps behaviour change alive after the program ends

Frequently Asked Questions

That is exactly the situation we are built for. We do not replace your program. We build the custom simulation layer that reinforces it and turns it into durable behaviour change.

Yes. Every scenario is built around your organization's real challenges, priorities, and leadership context, drawing on a library of more than 100 existing simulations.

Most demonstrate visible improvement within the first session, through the practice, feedback, and apply model.

Yes. The model is modular and designed to scale across functions and geographies.

Short, specific simulations reinforce key behaviours, test decision-making, and keep new habits alive in the weeks and months when most learning fades.

Ready to Achieve Similar Results?

You have already invested in the program. We build the simulations that make it stick. If your organization has run leadership or sales development and you are not seeing the behaviour change you paid for, we can build the custom simulation layer that closes the gap.