PROJECTS
Organizational Design
A mid-sized engineering firm with multiple offices was experiencing rapid growth. The firm recognized that newer employees were having difficulty assimilating into the firm and were not feeling connected to the organization. We developed a framework for creating communities of practice across the organization that would provide each employee at least one functional group of practitioners with whom they could affiliate. These practice groups typically ranged from a handful of participants up to 25-30 people. These practice groups met the need for affiliation while also providing a mechanism for building and enhancing the service areas of the firm.
Leadership Development
A large professional services firm had an established coaching program wherein all employees met periodically with an assigned coach. While this program was satisfactory for most employees, the firm struggled with providing valuable coaching to the leadership of the firm, notably the principals. We developed a voluntary program for the firm's principals which involved meetings with peers in groups ranging from two to six participants. We developed discussion guides at the direction of the CEO which encouraged principals to discuss topics of importance to the firm but our framework also allowed principals to discuss topics that were of personal importance to them, such as how to resolve various project-related problems. More than 96% of the first-year participants in this program signed up for contined participation in the second year of the program.
Strategic Planning
A small professional engineering and testing firm initiated a strategic planning effort to coincide with a transistion in leadership. The firm had hired a number of new employees, had acquired a new firm with two additional branch offices, and was struggling with profitability. We were invited to assist with the strategic planning effort. We reviewed the financial and operational details of the firm and provided recommendations regarding financial reporting and measurement, performance indicators, communication, organizational development, client management, and leadership development.
Metrics Design
A board of education was struggling with oversight of district finances, performance, and programs. The only objective information available to the board was the annual financial report prepared by the district's accountant. The board had no forward looking or real-time measures of the district's performance. We introduced the concept of the balanced scorecard to the district and helped develop a conceptual framework that would take key elements of the district's strategic plan and create key performance indicators for each strategy element. These key performance indicators were then measured on a regular basis and reported to the board of education. For the first time in its history, the board of education had a functional dashboard that allowed board members to routinely assess district performance against its stated strategy.