ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDIES

Organizational Development – Post-Merger Integration

Situation

Two non-profit organizations merge, seek a new brand identity and require a facilitator to guide the process.

Approach

VPI Strategies works with the marketing and communications committee comprised of Board and staff members to better understand the organization’s drivers, resources and goals.

Solution

VPI Strategies
  • Interviews critical stakeholders
  • Interprets views for integration into one perspective
  • Facilitates a creative brief exercise leveraging knowledge of generational motivations
  • Develops a comprehensive creative brief for use with graphic designers
  • Recommends specific logo choice

Outcome

The creative brief exercise and interpretation yields a new logo launched post-merger which has significantly increased organization awareness by 43%. This initial success leads to three additional years of implementation guidance for marketing, providing strategic guidance for the multiple generation executive management team and facilitating the retreats of the Baby Boomer/Gen X merged board.

Organizational Development – Customized Training

Situation

Miscommunication and rogue messages lead a large utility to request assistance with enhancing the writing skills of account executives, engineers, and marketing professionals.

Approach

VPI Strategies requests samples of the mixed messages and explores more than the presenting problem.

Solution

VPI Strategies customizes an Effective Business Writing course using a skeleton structure enhanced with specific solutions to the client need. VPI offers post-class support that will work for each generation and lead to learning transfer — on-line references (Gen X and Gen Y), telephonic technical support (Baby Boomer) and references (Traditionalists) to keep skills growing.

Outcome

Class evaluation is 4.5 on scale from 1-5. Behavioral assessment six months later indicates organizational problem areas are rectified. The hiring department sees a decrease in internal and external client miscommunication complaints.

Organizational Development – Assessment

Situation

Among fierce competition, a young energy nonprofit seeks funding from the public utilities commission as part of their identified strategy. This nonprofit wants to offer new, innovative, and objective energy efficiency programs. Staff members can assist in writing proposals to request funding but cannot devote 100% of their time.

Approach

Since the commission’s drivers are identified, VPI Strategies must weigh the criteria and envision potential program elements which fulfill the need. VPI must also identify gaps in current program offerings and efficiently shepherd the proposal writing process.

Solution

VPI Strategies

  • Interprets the grant criteria
  • Evaluates current progressive programs locally, regionally and nationally
  • Develops a gap analysis
  • Conducts facilitated discussions and web surveys to identify customer needs
  • Performs an external scan of competitors seeking same funding
  • Conducts a stakeholder analysis
  • Determines innovative program elements
  • Coaches multigenerational executive management team
  • Earns organizational buy-in using change engagement strategy developed with motivations of multiple stakeholders (generations, culture, needs) in mind.
  • Manages the grant-writing of $7 million in programs in year one and $15 million in year two.

Outcome

The nonprofit receives $5.1 million in funding in year one and $10 million in year two. This grant is fundamental in the implementation of the strategy and seeds the organization’s quadruple growth.

Organizational Development – Coaching

Situation

Credit union asks for assistance in enhancing communication skills of Executive Management member.

Approach

VPI Strategies explores the perspectives of multiple stakeholders to better understand the real issue, earns trust from all parties and offers coaching services.

Solution

VPI Strategies
  • Interviews member to be coached, CEO, Senior Vice President and Human Resource Director
  • Builds a trusting relationship with coaching candidate
  • Helps coaching candidate understand her contribution towards others’ perspectives on mixed messages and identify corrective action
  • Creates a strategic action plan and accountability process
  • Offers follow-up counsel

Outcome

This coaching client is able to enhance her skills, communicate her value and keep her job during a recent reorganization. VPI’s coaching techniques are seen as practical, simple, and thought-provoking. The client appreciates the sincerity, openness, and frankness and is a VPI coaching services referral source for those seeking a higher level of success or significance.
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