Case study: Expanding the boundaries of team achievement
Our client, an industry member-based organization, serves some the largest businesses in the country. The members face a range of challenges including weakening economic conditions, ever-increasing regulatory burden and public critique. After the board of directors implemented leadership changes to address member dissatisfaction, the new executive team found themselves in a classic dilemma: how to address fast-multiplying needs of members while constrained in funding and organizational confidence?
We supported the executive team through a series of analyses and workshops to reimagine the way the organization creates value for members. Along the way, the team grappled with difficult choices. Among these: the decision to abandon historical norms for what constitutes great performance, and establish higher expectations for individuals and teams.
We then supported the client to unlock potential by transforming their organizational governance and performance management framework. As part of this work, we:
- Redesigned the framework, clarifying essential accountabilities, capabilities and culture attributes for executing the new strategy
- Deepened understanding of the factors which enable high-performing teams
- Rapidly designed and rolled out a leadership and teamwork development program
- Provided high-quality online learning resources for independent learning
- Trained the executive team to facilitate interactive learning sessions, and to coach N-1 and N-2 leaders in teamwork development skills
- Measured impacts and adjusted the program to become a yearly recurring activity
The executive team united in the belief that their organization could accomplish far more, and followed through by resetting expectations and providing development supports. And by modeling the change themselves, they inspired new levels of accountability, productivity and engagement in their teams. Over a six-month period, the organization realized transformative change in service quality and member experience scores. Having rebuilt trust with the member board, leadership is now planning a more ambitious agenda for reshaping the industry and public perception.
