DILEMMA

The leaders of Special Olympics wanted a clear vision for the future and a solid plan to get there. But with a small head office leading a 200+ volunteer organization, they knew the only way to succeed would be to involve everyone. The only way to do that was through the annual meeting. Would it be possible to engage over 200 people in meaningful, action-oriented conversation? This client worried it was an impossible feat.

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

 Not so fast! Our facilitators (experts at large group facilitation) jumped at the opportunity to face the challenge head on and support this organization. We designed and facilitated a half-day experience for the entire group (yes, 200+ people) to uncover their desired future. Through interactive experiences, small group dialogue, and creative visualization techniques, everyone’s voice was heard and integrated into a new, big-picture vision.

The meeting was a huge success, but the clear next step in the process was to get everyone’s input on the strategy the leadership team developed to achieve the vision. A year later, at the next annual meeting, we brought our expertise again and facilitated another highly interactive process to get everyone’s input (yes, still 200+ people).

IMPACT

This client’s commitment to its new vision blew us away. They gave us passion, determination, and creativity through the entire process (and yes, a few tears of gratitude too). They poured their energy into the new strategy and used the high level of organization-wide commitment from the meetings to start achieving their goals. One day at a time, each person committed and began contributing.

Thanks for your amazing facilitation. We’ve got a clear vision the whole organization is committed to that will sustain us into the future.

DILEMMA

This firm needed a savvy, new process to differentiate and engage talent (read: to establish better ongoing feedback and smarter bonuses). An internal focus on employee engagement and an external pinch from a changing workforce and budget constraints meant a new lens on performance was a must. But this client wasn’t sure where to begin. Any change would run counter-current to existing practices and failure wasn’t an option. The result: uncertainty, anxiety, and a clear request for help.

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

We entered the picture and worked with this client to find a practical, new approach. Through one-on-one meetings with executives and managers we heard what people were looking for and designed a calibration system to differentiate with ease and objectivity. We built strong relationships with senior leaders (via empathy and challenging them to be their best) and partnered with them to facilitate team differentiation sessions. We brought the same approach into our facilitation of unit calibration meetings, where we equipped managers to navigate the new approach, diffuse tension, and differentiate effectively.

IMPACT

This work was completed on a timeline the client didn’t believe to be possible and the new approach gained almost immediate success and credibility. Within a short period of time, leaders and managers started thinking more critically about how to differentiate and talk talent.

DILEMMA

This federal agency was stuck. They had a long-standing, well-worn system deemed ineffective that cost millions in leader and manager time. It was time for change, but this would mean a seismic shift in mindset and behavior across all levels and geographic locations. We’re talking technology overhaul, process redesign, AND culture change. The client pulled together a strategic steering committee to help design the change from conception to rollout, but the load was huge and they needed additional expertise to surface, understand, and implement the best path forward.

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

In collaboration with the steering committee, we led the design and facilitation of a two-step change rollout. First step? Establish a common basis of knowledge in the organization about the change. Solution: organization-wide eLearning (which everyone was required to take). Second step? Surface the REAL questions people had about the change and get them REALLY implementing it (aka, engage their hands, not just their heads). Solution: a series of awareness and training sessions that went deeper into the change and allowed people to start practicing the new skills they needed to be successful.

IMPACT

Through this two-step approach we partnered with this client to establish shared understanding across the organization and bring over 200 leaders through our customized awareness sessions. This change was a BIG transition.

I had 100% confidence in the consultants; they approached the project collaboratively and jumped in to really understand our business, the complexity of the project, and then develop solutions that really supported our work.

DILEMMA

Over and over again, this organization heard from its employees that leaders were being consistently inconsistent. Data from surveys and focus groups confirmed this and revealed how widely standards across the organization for everything from performance management to meeting frequency varied. Leaders themselves knew it was a problem. They described how difficult it was to stay on the same page when they were never given a common book to start with. One group of directors and senior leaders took initiative to come together and reach out for support. They told us simply and bluntly, “We need consistency.”

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

We partnered with the executive team to develop a very clear picture of the outcomes they wanted and the changes that would make the biggest difference. Through an iterative series of monthly conversations, one-on-one coaching, quarterly meetings, and the first ever leadership conference, we supported the group in developing a set of six leadership principles to shape and guide a common understanding of what it means to be a manager or leader in their organization. Starting with this common page, we worked with the steering committee to design a customized version of our leadership development program that emphasized consistency through conversations and gave participants the tools and techniques necessary to set standard expectations.

IMPACT

With our support, this organization formally agreed to a consistent set of leadership expectations and is currently in the process of embedding these principles into its performance management system. Moreover, the leadership development program, which was rolled out to all leaders and managers, was a huge success and equipped participants with the skills necessary to apply a consistent approach. The program is now being considered for integration into an organization-wide onboarding program.

Through [ChangeFusion’s] flexible approach and expertise in their field, they have enabled us to realize results we have not been able to make happen in over 10 years.

DILEMMA

This client wanted to change its culture. But change was not well received and often met with strong resistance. Still, there was a big need to build more innovation, partnerships, engagement, and agility. Where was the leadership on this question you ask? Mixed and skeptical. Further down the hierarchy were key influencers who were willing and ready to roll up their sleeves and get started.

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

In partnership with our client, we brought together these contacts and created a group of change agents ready to work on moving the culture. We gave them theory and tools. We provided them moral, psychological, and physical support. We worked beside them to effectively connect the dots of their passion and approach and bring all levels of leadership on board. 

IMPACT

Working with this change agent team helped usher in a new era. These change champions surfaced the real concerns that needed to be addressed for change to be successful. With their input and our collaboration, the organization’s new and evolving culture is building momentum.

DILEMMA

This executive director faced a shifting external environment and an organization ripe for change. The opportunity to capitalize on changing dynamics was tremendous, but the barrier to doing so felt the same: the organization’s Board was fragmented and polarized around vastly different positions. The executive director needed everyone unified behind a new approach for it to be successful, and even then, he knew the group historically stalled at commitment and decision-making. He knew his answer: a strong and savvy strategy for success. The path to get there was less certain.

ENTER CHANGEFUSION

We partnered with this executive to pave a strategic and unified path forward. We began by interviewing Board members individually to assess their readiness for change and surface their individual views on different strategic approaches. Using this information we designed and facilitated multiple offsite sessions to engage the group in building a strategic plan and implementation approach. Working in partnership with the executive director, we made sure the sessions allowed for balanced participation, not weighing too much towards any one pole or vocal participant.

IMPACT

With our support, the Board established new principles to guide its decision-making and successfully developed, adopted, and implemented a unified strategic plan. The executive director reported that the Board overcame difficult decisions that had stalled its progress and action in the past. The Board members themselves told us that the process itself gave them new energy and confidence in their capacity and the organization’s new direction.

I always call in ChangeFusion when the stakes are high and views are divergent. They find ways to help us map out common ground and build commitment to our actions.