As one of six, nationally selected firms to conduct legislatively mandated and unfunded training for 75 governmental agencies employing 60,000 employees in the State, one of our challenges was to support a highly contentious culture shift for an 1800 employee agency where prior efforts had failed badly… twice… creating animosity and divisiveness. Additionally, it was experiencing significant change led by a new Commissioner. Mandated culture change training at this time was going to be problematic at the very least. We were charged by the agency’s leaders to develop a highly customized program that would move participants past the anger of prior unsuccessful culture change experiences to a positive mindset shift and engagement to effect understanding and commitment to an inclusive, collaborative, and higher performing organization. To support their budgetary constraints, we would need to utilize Train-the-Trainer methodology.
We conducted a survey with all employees and numerous focus groups to understand the scope, depth, and prevalence of issues within the agency. Employees raised serious issues related to culture, communications, and management. Before the staff would be able to move forward, we had to ensure they felt heard.
We created and conducted the Train-the-Trainer class for eighteen managers and professionals – some with training experience, many without. With heightened sensitivity on this topic, we worked with staff who had experienced the former programs to create a new program they could champion with confidence and which responded to themes which had emerged from our data gathering. Initial sessions were conducted in partnership with one of our consultants.
Our manager program gave individuals better understanding of their organizational dynamics and the business case for greater levels of inclusion and collaboration for their agency. The mid-managers then partnered with us to carefully develop strategies and action plans to effect an inclusive organization. Through the manager sessions, we enhanced camaraderie, provided a compass to improve their organization, and met the mandated criteria. Employee sessions then rolled out with teams of agency trainers. Follow-up with our client a year later continued to be positive. The trainers had become champions and managers were consistently modeling inclusion within the organization, effecting improved morale across this high stress agency.