Success Stories
Personalized Strategies for Complex Challenges
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. My engagements typically weave together multiple areas of expertise to address the complex, interconnected challenges modern organizations face.
I lead every project personally, drawing on a network of trusted experts when needed. This approach allows me to offer comprehensive solutions tailored to your specific needs while ensuring all aspects align with your organization’s bigger picture.
You get the best of both worlds
specialized expertise and strategic continuity, with a dedicated partner to walk with you through the entire journey.
As you explore these stories, you'll see how we've helped companies:
Break down silos and foster collaboration
Empower employees at all levels
Navigate significant organizational changes
Improve communication and engagement
Drive strategic growth and innovation
Ready to write your own success story? Let's connect and explore how we can transform your challenges into opportunities for growth and success.
The Best of Both Worlds
Specialized expertise and a dedicated partner to walk with you through the entire journey.
As you explore these stories, you’ll see how we’ve helped companies:
Break down silos and foster collaboration
Empower employees at all levels
Navigate significant organizational changes
Improve communication and engagement
Drive strategic growth and innovation
Ready to write your own success story? Let’s connect and explore how we can transform your challenges into opportunities for growth and success.
Let’s get your success story started.
Success Story 1
Empowering Voices: The Cross-Functional Shadow Board
Tags:
- Culture Transformation
- Employee Experience
- Communication
- Change Management
The Challenge
In a third-generation family-owned supply chain company with 50-100 employees and $50-$100M in revenue, silos, finger-pointing, and low morale had taken hold. Front-line employees felt their voices didn’t matter, and their real frustrations were dying at the manager level, leaving them feeling unheard and undervalued.
Uncovering the Root
As we dug deeper, it became clear that the company’s culture had discouraged employees from raising legitimate concerns. Front-line staff had valuable insights into day-to-day operations and customer experience, but their ideas for improvement were getting lost in the shuffle.
The Transformative Approach
To address these challenges head-on, we created a cross-functional shadow board comprised of nominated employees from each department. The purpose was clear: work together to identify problems and collaborate on potential solutions. We established ground rules for all meetings and interactions, fostering a safe space for open communication, assuming positive intent, and focusing on the problems, not the people.
The steering committee encouraged non-judgmental problem-sharing and voted as a team on the issues they believed would have the most significant positive business impact. They then dove into a discovery phase, conducting interviews, surveys, and collecting data to inform their recommendations. Through several sessions, they discussed potential solutions from various angles, weighing the pros and cons before presenting a good/better/best proposal for management’s consideration. Every six months, the steering committee would tackle a new issue, present their findings, and close the loop.
Driving Real Results
One notable success story involved reinventing after-hours support. When inadequate information sharing, poor hand-offs, unclear expectations, and undocumented processes led to problems, the steering committee stepped in. They thoroughly examined the root causes and developed a targeted solution that streamlined the process, resulting in a better experience for both customers and the employees who tracked shipments and provided customer service.
Beyond solving specific problems, the steering committee’s work had far-reaching effects on the company culture:
- An engaged group of employees actively identified and prioritized critical organizational issues
- Employee-generated insights and proposed solutions drove meaningful change
- Transparency and action demonstrated that employee input was valued
- Participants gained valuable leadership development opportunities
As a result, employees began thinking more critically, presenting potential solutions alongside problems, and having faith that their concerns would be addressed. Engagement and enthusiasm soared as front-line staff felt their contributions were making a real difference.
By giving employees a seat at the table and empowering them to drive change, this supply chain company transformed its culture, unlocked the wealth of knowledge within its workforce, and positioned itself for continued success in an increasingly competitive industry.
Success Story 2
Clear Message, Safer Spaces: A Safety Communication Overhaul
Tags:
- Change Management
- Communications
- Culture Transformation
The Challenge
A large distribution company with multiple warehouses and fulfillment centers was struggling with inconsistent safety practices across its facilities. With approximately 10,000 employees, some of whom were non-native English speakers without regular access to company email or intranet, communicating and implementing new safety standards seemed like a daunting task.
Uncovering the Root
As we dug deeper, it became clear that the existing safety guidelines were overly complex and not tailored to specific locations. The lack of consistent, clear messaging led to confusion, disregard, and poor adherence to safety protocols. Additionally, there was a disconnect between senior leadership’s safety priorities and front-line workers’ day-to-day practices.
The Transformative Approach
To address these challenges head-on, we developed a change management and communications plan. The approach included:
- Creating a stakeholder analysis to understand the needs and preferences of different groups, from warehouse workers to site managers and safety teams.
- Developing key messages tailored to each stakeholder group, emphasizing what they needed to know, how we wanted them to feel, and what actions we needed them to take.
- Designing a multi-phase rollout plan, from initial awareness to full implementation and reinforcement.
- Utilizing a diverse range of communication channels, including in-person briefings, multilingual posters, digital displays, email newsletters, and town halls.
Driving Real Results
The carefully orchestrated change management plan led to significant improvements:
- New safety standards were successfully communicated to all employees across all facilities by the end of Q2.
- Managers were equipped with the tools and training to effectively communicate and reinforce new safety messaging.
- Customized safety marketing materials were developed and made readily available to all locations.
- A streamlined ordering process for safety materials was implemented, along with training on how to use it.
- An accountability system was put in place to ensure timely replacement of old safety messages with new, targeted communications.
The initiative had far-reaching effects on the company culture:
- Employees at all levels felt more engaged and valued, as the communications plan ensured everyone understood the reasons behind the changes and their role in creating a safer workplace.
- The multilingual approach and use of various communication channels ensured that all employees, regardless of their position or language, had access to critical safety information.
