Business Improvement Agenda - Design and Facilitate Consultation - Analyse Findings

The Client

The project sponsor was the senior executive of a large policy and strategy group seeking to conduct a robust and independently facilitated consultation process involving staff and key stakeholders to identify business improvement opportunities and priorities. 

The Brief

To design and facilitate an open and inclusive consultation process involving all staff, executives, and key external stakeholders from other organisations (approximately 80 people).  The project was to be conducted over approximately 8 weeks. 

The outcome was to provide well founded advice to the project sponsor about business improvement needs and to engage staff both to get quality  input and to lay groundwork for implementing organisational change. 

Our Response

We worked with the project sponsor to agree a clear methodology.  We also consulted with the senior management team on the purpose of the project and methodology and gained their input and support from the outset.  Senior managers supported and provided information to staff about the project.

We considered various internal materials relevant to the work of the business area, including current business plans and the results of previous improvement activities/reviews.

We used a combination of one on one and small group interviews with stakeholders, key managers, and facilitated staff focus groups.  All were held face to face.  We developed a short brief with prompt questions provided in advance of these discussions.  These assisted but did not limit the scope of input provided by participants.

Once we had analysed information from all stakeholders, key managers and staff we briefed the project sponsor and subsequently the senior management team on our findings, including key strengths and areas for business improvement arising.  This was explored with the management group over two short workshops and included discussions on implementing business improvements and applying a 'change management lens' to move forward in a way which continued to engage staff.

We worked with the project sponsor to design an all staff workshop which fed-back our findings, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement, and used the workshop to both validate the findings and to get further staff input to inform implementation actions.  The project sponsor provided feedback to key stakeholders regarding actions arising relevant to them arising from their feedback.

We then worked further with the project sponsor to identify implementation actions and priorities, ensuring a clear way forward was identified

The Results

The consultation process was positively framed, internal and external participants were willing and highly constructive in their contributions and discussions.

Our findings identified clear themes around both what was working well and potential areas for improvement.  We explored 'above and below the green line' (refer Margaret Wheatley's work) reflecting structural, process, procedural and formal elements as well as culture, people, teamwork, communication related elements to ensure a comprehensive approach to analysing business improvement opportunities and issues.  

The project sponsor felt well supported by our advice enabling informed decision making to shape a business improvement agenda and pathway to take this forward.  The process engaged management and staff and created a consensus around key issues and the need for change.

We were subsequently engaged to provide advice and practical implementation support including applying a sound change management approach, improving governance arrangements, structural realignment, redefining roles, leadership and staff development.