Ocient Case Study: Custom Leadership Training to Sharpen Communication & Accountability

The Challenge: Equipping a Growing Tech Company’s Leaders with People Management Skills

Ocient, a Chicago-based AI-driven data analytics company, was scaling rapidly and needed its leadership team—known internally as the Talent Team—to develop stronger interpersonal and management skills. As the company grew, managers both new and experienced were navigating increasingly complex people dynamics: setting expectations, creating accountability, and having difficult conversations that are critical to a healthy, high-performing culture.

Ocient’s HR team recognized that investing in leadership development would pay dividends across the organization, but they needed a partner who could design and deliver a training program tailored to their specific culture, challenges, and brand identity—not an off-the-shelf workshop.

Our Solution: Customized Leadership Training with Practical, Take-Home Tools

18 Coffees conceived, developed, and facilitated a first-of-its-kind leadership training for Ocient’s Talent Team. The workshop was designed to empower managers with practical skills for navigating interpersonal challenges, sharpening communication, and building a culture of accountability—all delivered within the context of Ocient’s own brand identity and organizational values.

Our team developed a custom curriculum that addressed the specific topics Ocient’s HR team identified as highest priority, including setting clear expectations, managing difficult conversations, and fostering accountability across teams. The training was designed to be highly interactive, driving engagement, discussion, and self-reflection among participants. We also created functional take-home tools and resources that provided immediate benefit and supported sustained leadership growth beyond the workshop.

Key Services Delivered:

• Custom Training Curriculum Development
• Leadership Workshop Facilitation
• Communication & Accountability Skills Training
• Take-Home Tools & Resource Development
• Organizational Culture Assessment

Tangible Impact: Energized Leaders

The training generated immediate, visible impact across the organization. Ocient’s HR team reported that the Talent Team’s internal Slack channel—which is typically quiet—was buzzing with discussion following the session, reflecting a new level of engagement and enthusiasm for leadership development. The program received across-the-board 5.0 ratings from the client for quality, service, schedule, cost, and willingness to refer.

The impact extended to the C-suite: the training helped Ocient’s executive team see team dynamics and leadership challenges from new perspectives.

Project Details:

• Project Length: 0–6 Months
• Client Location: Chicago, IL
• Industry: Technology / AI & Data Analytics
• Client Type: Medium Enterprise

Looking to develop stronger leaders across your organization? Contact us to explore how our Training & Workshop Facilitation expertise can build the communication and accountability skills your team needs.