CASE STUDY
Alcoa
The Client
INDUSTRY
Mining and Metals
LOCATION
Portland, Australia
Challenge
When Britt Butler took on her role as General Manager at Portland Aluminium, she faced immense pressure. Balancing the demands of a large-scale organisational transformation with her family commitments left her fatigued and overwhelmed. Britt experienced daily brain fog and struggled to find clarity in her leadership, leaving her unsure of how to lead impactful changes and drive results within Alcoa’s established systems.
“I was facing obstacles at work, constantly fatigued, and I wasn’t sure where to start with driving change in such a large organisation.”
Approach
To help Britt overcome these challenges, we implemented a structured 90-Day Leadership Coaching Program, which was recommended to her by a trusted colleague. The coaching focused on addressing her immediate leadership challenges while providing the tools and insights needed to manage her energy, improve team performance, and achieve balance in her professional and personal life.
The program included:
- PRISM Brain Mapping to identify Britt’s leadership strengths and energy drains, helping her maximise her brain’s potential.
- Tailored Coaching Sessions designed to tackle her specific obstacles and desired outcomes.
- Action-Oriented Coaching with clear, actionable steps and continuous support.
- Regular Brain Breaks to recharge her energy and maintain focus throughout the day.
Solution
The Leadership Coaching Program provided Britt with actionable, neuroscience-based insights that transformed how she approached her role:
- Initial Assessment: We evaluated Britt’s unique challenges and set clear leadership objectives.
- PRISM Brain Mapping: This tool helped Britt understand her brain’s strengths and gaps, showing her how to leverage her natural leadership style more effectively.
- Actionable Insights: We broke down her overwhelming responsibilities into manageable, bite-sized actions that could be implemented immediately.
- Ongoing Coaching Support: Britt received regular check-ins and coaching sessions to track progress, adjust strategies, and stay on course.
Experience
The coaching program delivered tangible improvements for Britt, both professionally and personally. She gained clarity on her leadership style and built the confidence to lead her team through transformation effectively. Her team at Portland Aluminium saw increased engagement and productivity as Britt’s energised leadership style took hold.
“I now feel happy, grateful, relaxed, energised, and wiser—this is in stark contrast to last year when I didn’t think it was possible to be in this space. The actionable steps and guidance I received helped me improve not only my work but my family’s well-being.”
The coaching also helped Britt maintain work-life balance, allowing her to recharge throughout the day and show up more effectively for both her team and her family.
What our client had to say:
I started working with Vannessa when I was facing obstacles at work and needed help to move past them. We worked on recharging my energy with brain breaks during the day, leveraging the PRISM Brain Mapping model for my leadership gaps and regular discussions to gain clarity on the actionable steps to move past obstacles.
I have used coaching throughout my career, and Vannessa’s coaching provided a level of detail and clarity that was more than I expected and far beyond what I have experienced before. Vannessa listened carefully and helped me reflect on where to make changes in my mindset and daily routines – it was challenging and tough but so rewarding.
I now feel happy, grateful, relaxed, energised and wiser for the experienced support I received throughout the year. This is in stark contrast to last year where I didn’t think it was possible to be in this space. Your guidance, challenges, clarity and unwavering belief in me made a difference in my life and my family’s well-being.
I recommend Vannessa to anyone who is committed to real change in how they show up at work and needs help to get there.
Britt Butler
General Manager — Portland Aluminium, Alcoa
If you’d like to find out more about our approach to achieving peak mental performance, we’d love to talk to you!