BEFORE
The multi-national organization had just transitioned from family to professional management for the first time in its history. There was a great deal of unrest in the organization as associates feared the family was preparing to sell the business. The senior leadership team was planning its first global leadership meeting in 25 years. Business strategies were on the agenda, but there was no clarity as to how they would be presented.

UPON ENTRY…
It was clear that the senior leaders wanted to be successful in disseminating their hard work globally. Working with an internal consultant, we partnered to create a design session for the Presidents.

WHAT WE DID…
The first session was preceded by individual interviews with each of the 19 presidents; this information was used to kick off the offsite meeting. The 2 day offsite helped the team realize they needed to develop a clear vision and guiding principles for the organization. This helped springboard a design conversation for the 1st global meeting. The design incorporated an ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, complete with graphic maps that helped create understanding and engagement among the senior leaders of the organization. The process also was designed to create a manageable set of tangible actions for the presidents as well as the organization.

OUTCOME…
The design of the 3 day conference was so successful that the process was replicated around the world in regional sessions. The engagement process was eventually rolled out to all 35,000 associates globally, translated into 19 languages. At the lowest level, these sessions were run by team leaders, and actions were within the teams’ control, therefore fostering control and legitimacy to the process. As one of the actions coming out of the original session, a global VISION DAY was held, celebrated by every unit around the world. Several innovative techniques and activities were developed and implemented. The event given an external award for innovative communication.