To create better synergies and alignment, as well as driving expenses down, a company we call ‘Newway’ wanted to implement a Shared Business Service Model. This was a huge change for this company, which was very stable in the past. As a result, people were generally skeptical about this new endeavor and worried about the impact on their jobs. I was lucky enough to join the team early in the process. I talked to all major stakeholders and we created a key group of sponsors and change ambassadors around the world. Through constant communication through various channels we were able to stay close to people, hear about their underlying concerns and address those as quickly as possible to avoid rumours and resistance.

This mid-sized company, let’s call it ‘Lifto’, realized that it was time to think more about the future and go beyond the yearly goal setting and short-term strategies. So we embarked on a process to clarify the purpose and values of this company, two timeless components of the vision statement. Next we clarified their medium-term vision for strategic change, creating a compelling description that enrolled people’s commitment. This work was the foundation for then identifying the culture they wanted to shape. The leadership team and employees identified behaviors and moments of truth that would show how this new culture with positive energy would come alive.

Snappy as we call this company, had been growing globally organically and had placed country heads in each new location. These leaders were like kings, keeping together employees and creating a strong family bond among each other. They also made all decisions and developed their own sales and marketing approach. As the company was growing, it needed to have a more unified approach with clients. There was also a huge opportunity to leverage synergies across offices. Therefore, headquarters decided to change the structure from a country-led approach to a functional reporting relationship. This meant that the role of country heads was obsolete and instead the leadership team would be set up as a self directed team. I supported this process in several countries, ensuring that these teams were set up for success from the beginning and continued to work with them for several months to deal with emerging challenges and obstacles along the way. As a result the new leadership teams were able to lead as a unity, focusing on areas with the greatest positive impact.

Flowstick, a family owned business that had handed over the company to a new leader, faced the hard fact that some major changes were necessary for their continued success. As a result, employees, for the first time ever, experienced significant challenges and disruptions. As competition became stronger, more and more adjustment had to be made to the structure, processes and roles. People felt lost, angry and betrayed. Something had to be done. I implemented two major programs, one targeting the leader and manager level on how to drive rapid change, and the other one for individual contributors on how to better deal with difficult, constant changes and build up personal resilience. With this approach we were able to empower all employees on how to take control and leverage a seemingly bad situation as an opportunity for growth. Morale, retention and productivity improved.