Challenge
Breaking Out of the Silo Trap
Tradition Capital Bank, a 138-person financial institution in Minnesota, had been using the Traction methodology for four years. While well-intentioned, this individual-based system led to fragmented focus across departments and limited progress on key metrics like organic growth. Teams were operating in silos, often unaware of how their work overlapped or conflicted with others’.
To overcome this, the leadership team needed to:
- Create Company-Wide Alignment: Replace isolated goal-setting with shared objectives that connect departments and teams.
- Improve Transparency: Gain visibility into who’s working on what and where efforts are being duplicated or misaligned.
- Unlock Organic Growth: Establish a strategic system that could move core business metrics after years of stagnation.
- Build a Sustainable System: Train internal OKR coaches and embed OKRs into the company culture for long-term success.
“We were moving in too many different directions, with multiple teams working on the same things but in silos. Others were stressed because they didn’t realize they played a part in someone else’s priority.” — Jessica Porter, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Tradition Capital Bank
The Solution: A Coaching-Led Cultural Transformation
From 138 Individual Goals to One Shared Direction
Tradition Capital Bank partnered with Wave Nine to implement a company-wide OKR transformation using the WorkBoard platform and hands-on training:
- Executive Alignment: The program began with an OKR workshop for the leadership team to reshape priorities and connect strategy to execution.
- Internal Enablement: Wave Nine trained internal coaches to scale OKR understanding across the organization.
- Systemized Visibility: Managers gained a real-time view of all workstreams via WorkBoard, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Cultural Shift: Through consistent coaching, mid-quarter check-ins, and leadership engagement, OKRs became part of everyday thinking—not a quarterly exercise.
By the third quarter, Tradition Capital Bank saw measurable improvements in organic growth and operational efficiency. Today, they continue to push forward with more ambitious OKRs and a transparent, collaborative culture built to last.
