Our Story: Overcoming a Natural Resistance to Change
Our Teams Tackle Complex Systems and Entrenched Behavior
Change is difficult. Most feel uneasy and often resist change because they believe they will lose something of value or fear they will not able to adapt to new ways. Consciously, we analyze, criticize, and judge what is going on around us. But unconsciously, we are forming habits and enjoy the status quo. Encouraging a team and clients to change the status quo requires effective collaboration, communication, and buy-in at all levels. It is critical to manage change through planning, execution, and follow-up to ensure successful roll out and implementation.
Our team applied our knowledge of change management and process improvement to one particular transformation effort with a client. Since inception, the program had three role-based teams; each working, communicating, and processing information separately and differently from one another in their own silo. The transformation effort was to regionally align teams where all team members are cross-trained on the three roles.
To focus our efforts, we created Tiger Teams where team members came with their experience, expertise and different perspectives to ask questions, suggest ways for process improvement, and innovate. Each Tiger Team created a Project Plan including assumptions, milestones, owners, resources, and target dates that defined scope and outcomes. These Tiger Teams presented to the client and to our team on a regular basis, encouraging and receiving constructive feedback, addressing risks, and discussing outstanding action items. We used an innovative Design Thinking approach to empathize with stakeholders, discussing challenges and identifying ways to improve and streamline processes. We analyzed our current Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), which we found to be cumbersome, difficult to follow, and focused on the role rather than the process. As a result, the team replaced 11 SOP’s with over 70 processes, procedures, checklists, and job aids which are more digestible and discuss how anyone, regardless of role, can perform the task.
Our team operates in this regional alignment, seeking feedback and making additional improvements as the team identifies ways to improve processes. This organizational change helped streamline communications with stakeholders, standardize and simplify day-to-day processes, and regionally aligned this program with other divisions, increasing cross-program collaboration. Most importantly, the transformation of our work is now the model for the client’s transformation.
Arc Aspicio understands and empathizes with our clients - where they have been and where they want to go. working with them to make transformational changes easier and more efficient. We tackle transformation efforts by exploring the impacts on people, process, information technology, and success measures. With a people-centered approach and proven methods for managing change, we help our clients by inspiring innovation to achieve future results.
About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. Focused on innovation, Arc Aspicio provides services in strategy, design, human capital, operations, analytics and visualization, technology, and information sharing. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude, provides leadership opportunities, and explores the future. Our teams use a human-centered approach to working with clients and are flexible and responsive within dynamic Government client environments that often have new priorities and evolving missions. We thrive on these situations and promote continuous improvement and new ideas. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com.
