Business Need: Accelerating Transformation
Customer expectations in the retail industry had grown to include the ability to shop whenever and wherever met their needs. To take advantage of the opportunity to gain an industry-leading position, the senior leadership needed to build the infrastructure and processes necessary to allow for Omni-channel shopping.

Approach
A small team was selected to refine the company’s definition of Omni-channel shopping. The clarity revealed by this upfront work minimized misdirected effort, wasted resources, and loss of momentum. It also provided an opportunity to inform various stakeholders of the necessary resource commitments. With a clear direction, a larger program team was assembled to guide the required people, process improvement, and technology changes.

Value-delivered
After the changes were implemented, the retailer’s senior leadership heralded this initiative as the best program in recent company history. Major business benefits of the program included delivering on-time and significantly under-budget, with a cultural transformation measured in months, not years. More subtle benefits included: setting a model for future program delivery, knowledge and skill transfer in managing major change, program team member development, and a level of teamwork that had not been achieved previously.

Business Need: Assessing the Knowledge Environment
The agency was jolted into developing a knowledge management system that would provide insight into the intellectual capital within the organization. There was an urgent need to improve process, organization design, and technology.

Approach
The initiative began by conducting a knowledge management assessment and detailed analysis. Based on the findings, recommendations were provided in a business case for senior leadership review and approval. Driven by an urgent need and a compelling solution, the initiative rapidly moved from analysis, to design, and pilot for proof of concept. To ensure a quick start to the effort, project team members utilized their knowledge and skills in change management, organization design, knowledge management, process analysis, and project management.

Value-delivered
This highly successful pilot provided the pathway for several other agencies to consider knowledge management initiatives. After defining best-in-class standards, a major cross-agency initiative was approved, funded, and set into motion.

Business Need: Counsel and Delivery
A government agency needed an independent evaluation of contract compliance. The inability of the vendor to deliver on contract requirements was creating a major impact on morale and operational performance.

Approach
This work included: an assessment of current performance, identification and analysis of gaps, and recommendations for resolution. Additionally, there was a strong desire to minimize the escalating conflict within the partner relationship. The independent contract evaluation and conflict mitigation was accomplished through the use of integrated skill sets to assess operational performance, manage the people-related change dynamics, and coach senior leadership on performance deficiencies.

Value-delivered
The thorough assessment of contract performance provided evidence of non-compliance, confirming leadership suspicions. The work focused on uncovering performance gaps while minimizing tensions throughout the full scope of the project. The final report findings revealed the third-party’s inability to deliver on contract requirements, and offered recommendation for remediation.

Business Need: Integration Performance Stability
As the transition unfolded order turned to chaos. Several of the firm’s most-valued senior leadership departed, and a lack of confidence began to permeate the customer base. The firm needed to stabilize the situation and regain customer confidence.

Approach
To respond quickly, the firm’s leadership selected a highly skilled and deeply experienced change consultant to help stabilize the situation. The consultant gained the trust of the leadership by improving communications and providing counsel on how best to manage the leadership integration.

Value-delivered
The consulting support provided immediate delivery of critical internal and external communication, change related consul during the transition, and an effective approach and detailed agenda for the first integrated leadership team meeting. The quick, competent action resulted in minimal loss of key personnel, and a rebound in customer confidence.

Business Need: Building Internal Change Management Capability
Extreme disruption in the industry drove the need for massive changes in the business. To survive and thrive in the new environment, the leadership team needed to build the internal capability to deliver on the organization’s top priorities.

Approach
The leadership team made the strategic decision to build an internal change management practice. Preparations for the new practice included: a roadmap for team development, team member selection, training, and ongoing individual development. The change team was initially provided time to develop with senior leadership support in the business and then earned credibility in the business through successful program delivery.

Value-delivered
Key benefits realized during this multi-year initiative included: dramatic improvement in business performance, the establishment of an internal change management practice, and a new way of leading change was embedded in the business. The change management team guided this initiative to results that included: a national award for quality (customer service, financial results, and employee engagement) and an operating environment transformation.

Business Need: Building Internal Consulting Capability
The executive leadership team responded to the external threats and made a strategic decision to increase the level of skill and ability of several top-performing change management team members. The change management team members would be responsible for partnering with senior leadership to guide the cultural transformation.

Approach
Senior-level change management consulting capabilities were defined and used to assess the competence level of the individual team members. Key aspects included: personal characteristics, resilience, leadership styles, education, and experience. The assessment results were analyzed to create individual development plans. The development plans provided opportunities to understand internal consulting dynamics, gain skill in dealing with very challenging sponsor scenarios, and master techniques for executing the interface between executive and senior leadership.

Value-delivered
A major benefit involved highly skilled change management resources embedded at the executive level to help navigate the turbulent business and people environment. This resulted in the executive team leveraging trusted relationships to provide insight on sensitive internal dynamics, growing talent for senior positions in the business, and managing external consulting costs.