Experience tells us that successful people and organizations produce better results because they build their capacity to initiate, understand, manage, and adapt effectively to change.

To achieve this, we develop the client's "appetite" and skills to

• Identify purpose and aspirations first, then fill in the gaps
• Move away from traditional linear thinking
• Take the long view
• Tell a new story to envision the future
• Get all the players in the same room at the same time and start talking
• "Name it and claim it" – understand what's at work below the surface
• Engage in the creative use of metaphor to reframe the possibilities

Some examples

The situation: A healthcare client faced critically reduced revenues and a short time-frame to remedy the situation.
Our solution: We helped them build a plan to address this. First, we coached the senior players on leading change. Next, we helped them design a comprehensive change plan which included forming joint management-staff committees. These teams devised ways of saving money through efficiencies and increasing revenue streams through new products and services. The change plan included a communications strategy designed to de-mystify the process and increase staff participation.
The results: They reorganized their structure, revised how they delivered services, initiated a strategic plan, and took significant costs out. We coached managers and teams through a revitalization & resilience process to jump start the successful implementation.

The situation: A software company had grown exclusively through acquisition. Integration was a challenge - the staff felt disconnected and cut-off from each other.
Our solution: We ran a "Planning for Change" workshop that allowed each person to develop a 1–year personal plan so they could start "connecting the dots" between their personal and professional lives.
The results: The employees felt that the company, by sponsoring this event, was investing in their well-being. They also built some connections with peers which would improve their effectiveness across teams.

The situation: A very bright and capable female executive was getting negative feedback about her communication style.
Our solution: We gathered constructive feedback to share with her to help her understand the perspectives of others. We probed with her so she could uncover some of the root causes. We coached her to modify her approach by planning her encounters, and by using in–depth role play and retrospectives.
The results: She modified her style so that her communications became an asset, not a stumbling block, which was reflected in subsequent feedback.

The situation: A elder-care non-profit needed to reposition its services and increase revenue. There was resistance to change.
Our solution: We facilitated a retreat to identify possible future scenarios and identify actions to take. The staff was leery of change, so we used the retreat as a forum to deal with their fears productively. We designed a template and roadmap for them to use and meet with them periodically to measure results.
The results: Cross–functional management / staff teams have developed and implemented plans around staff participation, branding and marketing, resident participation, and lobbying efforts. Staff and residents are newly engaged and committed to action.

The situation: After being laid-off, a financial services executive was in transition. She wanted to be sure that any new job she took would be the right "fit" for her.
Our solution: To structure her future, we helped her look out a year and tell a new story. We coached her on the skills she needed to evaluate the opportunities. We provided practical support when she got stuck.
The results: She implemented her plan. She is now happily employed by a major investment company, is working her professional plan, and is meeting ambitious personal goals.