Through background research, we discovered the agency had rapidly doubled in size, forcing people to take on more responsibilities—often moving out of their core areas of expertise—work in cramped spaces, and do more with less, day after day. Quite simply, employees were stretched too thin with no end in sight, no time to stop, and no idea how to change things from the inside out.

By identifying the root problem, we were able to immediately dispel the high level of emotion, take the discussion to a more objective level, help the agency implement effective change, and—most importantly—provide them with a roadmap for lasting collaboration.

Our first task in this new context: train WIC on “Change Management.” We brought leadership together with front-line employees to capture relevant input from all levels of the organization, and launched a three-tier program that included:

• Diversity Training – CMI provided education and coaching to help the organization view (and leverage) their multicultural environment as a strategic and operational asset.
• Training the Trainers – CMI taught managers how to effectively empower themselves and staff.
• Building the Perfect Organization – CMI recruited a “Dream Team” of representatives from every group within the organization and conducted a two-day training session to teach them how to lead the reorganization of WIC into a more effective and efficient agency. This training helped them see the bigger picture and dig beyond mere symptoms to identify core problems, then align the necessary resources to solve those problems.
• Developing a Game Plan – We conducted interviews with people throughout the agency, compared their comments and feedback, and provided additional training for mid-managers on developing an action plan. A week later, we brought them back together with their individual proposals for change and helped them craft a final, collaborative game plan.

Not only did we develop and facilitate these customized programs, we also gathered feedback from session participants, created detailed reports and collaborated with WIC executive leaders on next steps. Importantly, we also helped WIC leadership prepare a presentation to the City of Dallas to introduce their reorganization and the more streamlined communication it would enable between WIC and the City.

This program was a huge success. We met our stated objectives and helped WIC identify hidden issues, overcome challenges, respond to and benefit from their changed environment, meet their short-term goals, and lay the groundwork for achievement of long-term strategies.

Our engagement with WIC is a prime example of how we augment our own expertise at CMI with that of our clients in a true, collaborative effort. When you bring together the best of what everyone has to offer, great things happen!